FRANZ JOSEF LAND EXPLORER:
KIRKENES TO MURMANSK
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16 DAYS
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Kirkenes, Norway | Embarkation on the Greg Mortimer |
| Day 2 | Murmansk, Russia | Customs formalities and city tour |
| Days 3 & 4 | At Sea | Whales, including Bowhead, seals and polar bears |
| Day 5 | Novaya Zemlya | Experience dramatic landscapes, wildlife and flora and fauna |
| Day 6 | At Sea | Spend the day at sea and reach Franz Josef Land in the afternoon |
| Days 7 - 13 | Franz Josef Land | Explore this beautiful world unlike any other place |
| Days 14 & 15 | At Sea | Return across the Barents Sea |
| Day 16 | Murmansk | Farewell your expedition crew and fellow travellers as you disembark the Greg Mortimer |
SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY
Greg Mortimer
The Greg Mortimer is a new purpose built, polar expedition vessel taking 120 guests. This vessel has been designed in close consultation with Antarctic expedition specialists and is the first expedition cruise ship designed with the ULSTEIN X-BOW hull. This cutting edge nautical technology allows for gentle travel and motion at sea, improved comfort and safety on-board, reduced vibrations, lower fuel consumption and emissions and ‘virtual anchoring’ which means the ship can float anchor-less while launching the Zodiacs without disturbing delicate sea floor areas. There are four sea-level launching platforms for fast and efficient access to and from Zodiacs.
Day 1 Kirkenes, Norway
Overview:
Arrive in Kirkenes, Norway, which is located on the border with Russia. Board the Greg Mortimer in the late afternoon. Airport transfers will be included if arriving on preferred flights into Kirkenes. Settle into your cabin before meeting the expedition team and your fellow travellers and attending a briefing. Sail the scenic Bokfjord to reach the Barents Sea on your way to Murmansk in neighbouring Russia.
Day 2 Murmansk, Russia
After sailing overnight into Russia, stop in Murmansk, to undergo formalities to enter Russia. During clearance procedures, you may go on a city tour of Murmansk visiting the monument to the soldier of WW2 and also the first nuclear icebreaker Lenin.
Days 3-4 At Sea
Over the next two days at sea, enjoy informative and entertaining lectures from the expert expedition team including naturalists, historians and geologists. If there is time and the weather allows the ship may cruise along the coast of Novaya Zemlya for the first glimpse of the tundra of the high Arctic. Depending on conditions the expedition team may try a landing in the tundra or a zodiac cruise in front of your first glacier.
Day 5 Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya archipelago was once an important nuclear research site during the cold war, and today only a few places in the north are accessible to visitors. These islands offer stunning rugged Arctic landscapes-enormous extinct volcanoes, jagged cliffs and the most isolated mountain rangein the Baltic Sea. For wildlife lovers, Novaya Zemlya boasts a great variety of flora and fauna, many of which are on the brink of extinction.
Day 6 At Sea
Spend your morning at sea preparing and anticipating for your arrival into Franz Josef land in the afternoon/early evening. Keep an eye out for wildlife whilst you are on the ship.
Days 7-13 Franz Josef Land
From mysterious Bell lsland to majestic Champ Island, explore the central-most of the 191 islands in the archipelago. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife sightings including the elusive bowhead whale and the Arctic’s top predator, the polar bear. The ship will head west to Prince George Land and Alexandra Land where you will make landings along the way. Cliffs around the islands host massive nesting colonies of seabirds such as guillemots, dovekies and kittiwakes. 85% of the archipelago is dominated by gigantic tidewater glaciers and towering icebergs.
Franz Josef Land is a stark yet beautiful world of glaciers, mosses and lichens. Approximately five million sea birds nest on the archipelago every year, with the thick-billed guillemot accounting for approximately 20%. Other seabirds such as fulmar, kittiwake, Brünnich’s guillemot, black guillemot and little auk are common throughout the archipelago. On the flat tundra, nest other species such as: common eider, purple sandpiper, Arctic skua, glaucous gull, ivory gull, Arctic tern and snow bunting. Franz Josef Land is home to two Arctic giants – the Polar bear and the walrus. There is also a population of Arctic fox, which typically have their territories near seabird habitats. The waters of Franz Josef Land are visited by whales, including humpback, bowhead, narwhal, and white beluga whale. Walrus, ringed seals, bearded seals and an amazing species of mammals, choose Franz Josef Land and the water areas around it as their home. While there are many exciting places we can choose to visit over the following week, weather, wind, and sea-ice conditions will determine your itinerary in Franz Josef Land.
Days 14-15 At Sea
The return crossing of the Barents Sea offers some good opportunities to encounter whales, perhaps the elusive bowhead whale if you’re lucky, and certainly plenty of opportunities to photograph sea birds.
Day 16 Murmansk, Russia
Arrive in Murmansk in the morning, farewell your expedition team, crew and fellow expeditioners as you all continue in your onward journeys, hopefully with a new found sense of the immense power of nature. A transfer to downtown Murmansk or the airport is included in the cost of your voyage.