NORTHEAST GREENLAND EXTREME

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Hondius

The Hondius (176 guests)  launched  in June 2019. She has an Ice class rating of 6, the most advanced to date. The Hondius offers deluxe accommodation for a total 176 guests. One deck has been entirely reserved for lectures and presentations in one large observation lounge. The ship’s main focus remains discovery, taking advantage of wildlife opportunities and the related shore activities. Efficient zodiac embarkation is guaranteed with two separate gangways and in addition a zodiac embarkation indoor-platform which can also be used for special activities such as kayaking.

Ortelius

The Ortelius was originally the Marina Svetaeva. Built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, it served as a special-purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. Later it was re-flagged and renamed after the Dutch/Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius, who in 1570 published the first modern world atlas: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum or Theatre of the World.  The Ortelius can accommodate 108 guests and has an abundance of open-deck spaces for watching wildlife and the impressive scenery as you sail past. She also has the highest ice-class notation (UL1, equivalent to 1A) making her perfect for polar expeditions.

Day 1 Akureyri, Iceland

Arrive into Akureyri. In the early evening, the ship departs from the port of Akureyri, where, you may see whales at the mouth of the fjord. At night, cross the Arctic Circle.

Day 2 At Sea

While sailing north, you’re likely to see fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, common guillemots, and possibly whales. By evening, the first icebergs flash into sight as you approach the east Greenland coast near Kap Brewster. The scent of adventure is in the air.

Day 3 Scoresby Sund

Today, you reach Scoresby Sund, sailing along the glaciated Volquart Boons Kyst. You may also enjoy a Zodiac cruise past one of the glacier fronts, along with a visit to the basalt columns and ice formations of Vikingebugt.

In the afternoon, sail by the east coast of Milne Land among a multitude of giant icebergs. Also land at Charcot Havn and walk to the Charcot Glacier. Then continue by Bjørneøer, a small group of islands – Bear Islands in English.

Day 4 Sydkap to Nordøstbugt

In the morning, encounter colossal icebergs, some over 100 metres high and more than a kilometre long. Most are grounded, as the fjord is only about 400 metres deep. You then land near Sydkap, with fine views of Hall Bredning and a good shot of seeing Arctic hares.

Today’s long walk goes from Sydkap to Nordøstbugt (12 km to the northeast), where the river coming from Holger Danskes Briller flows into the sea. Walk south along the shore to Satakajik, seeing whale vertebrae and the remains of Thule summer houses.

Day 5 Ittoqqortoormiit

The morning stop is at Ittoqqortoormiit, the only settlement in Scoresby Sund with about four hundred inhabitants. At the post office, you can buy stamps for your postcards or just stroll around to see the sled dogs and drying skins of seals, polar bears, and musk oxen. In the afternoon, you sail north, passing the picturesque landscapes of Liverpool Land. In the night, sail into Kong Oscar Fjord.

Day 6 Segelsällskapets Fjord

Today, enter Segelsällskapets Fjord, with the striped slopes of the Berzelius Mountains bordering the north side. You will land on the south shore, where ancient sedimentary formations lie at your feet. A hike takes you near a small lake with good chances to see musk oxen, Arctic hares, and ptarmigans.

Alternatively, the ship ventures into Alpefjord, which is aptly named for the spire-like peaks that thrust up around it. You may then embark on a Zodiac cruise around Gully Glacier, which once blocked access to the interior of these waters. Continuing deep into the fjord, you experience a definitive Greenland adventure.

Day 7 Antarctic Sound Islands and Teufelschloss

In the early morning, pass by the islands of Ruth, Maria, and Ella. Then arrive at Teufelschloss (Devil’s Castle), a mountain with impressive layered geology. Blomsterbugt and the intended landing site are on the other side of the fjord. In the afternoon, sail among icebergs, through the majestic Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord and Mackenzie Bugt.

Day 8 Eskimonaes, Clavering Ø Island

Land at Eskimonaes on the southern shore of Clavering Ø, where Douglas Clavering met a small group of Thule culture people in 1823. This group represents the only living Thule people ever seen in Northeast Greenland. The remains of their existence can be found across Greenland.

Day 9 Pendulum Islands

Day 10 Store Koldewey

This long island was named by the second German Polar Expedition of Koldewey 1869 –’70. Land on historical Kap Alf Trolle or Kap Ahrend. You are now well into the High Arctic climate regime. The landscape is getting lower and rounded, being much less alpine than more to the south. You may encounter heavier sea ice streaming south. Proposed landing sites may be given up due to sea ice, and others may be reachable.

Day 11 Germania Land

Today, land at Thoms Thomsen Naes, Fyrretyvekilometersnaesset, or another site in Germania Land, an area with musk oxen and sometimes a lonely wolf. The landing sites depend on ice and weather conditions and wildlife opportunities.

Days 12 – 13 At Sea

When sailing eastward through and along the jagged edge of the Northeast Greenland sea ice, keep watch for whales, seals, polar bears, and migrating seabirds. This is a landscape of constant change, and a real frontier for many species found in the Arctic. Sail eastward in the northernmost branch of the warm Gulf Stream toward Spitsbergen. If time allows, land late in the day at the walrus haul-out at Poolepynten.

Day 14 Longyearbyen, Norway

Even the greatest adventures eventually come to an end. Disembark in Akureyri, where on request you can transfer by chartered bus (six-hour drive that must be booked in advance) to the bus stop at Harpa Concert Hall at Austurbakki, Reykjavík.