Northeast Spitsbergen aboard Hondius, In the realm of Polar Bear & Ice

Description

From fjords to straits to the mighty Monaco Glacier, this scenic and wildlife-centered Arctic voyage explores some of the most dramatic landscapes and animal-viewing hotspots Svalbard has to offer. Between your visits to glaciers, beaches, and berg-strewn bays, you might encounter polar bears, walruses, whales, seals, foxes, and flocks of exotic seabirds.

Summer Solstice:
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months. The sun is visible for the full duration of 24 hours, given fair weather. June Solstice ( Summer Solstice) is on Monday, 21 June 2021, 05:32 in Longyearbyen. “Solstice” (Latin: “solstitium”) means sun-stopping. The point on the horizon where the sun appears to rise and set, stops and reverses direction after this day. On the solstice, the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west, meaning it’s visible in the sky for a longer period of time. It won´t be before late August that the sun will go down for a few minutes. Experience Summer Solstice during voyage HDS05 when the the midnight sun has its highest position above the Northern horizon in Spitsbergen.

Arc of Meridian: –
The Earth is flattened towards the Poles. In the 19th century astronomers were aware of it and they began to organise expeditions into the Arctic in order to measure this flattening from the northernmost lands. We will pay attention to some of their measure points in Northeast Spitsbergen on day 3 and day 7 as mentioned in the above itinerary.
Edward Sabine had an observatory in 1823 on Indre Norskøya at Sabinehaugen. He used a Pendulum to measure gravity, and suggested measurements of meridians (lines of longitude through the poles) in Spitsbergen. Eventually, at the end of the 19th century, the Swedish–Russian Arc of Meridian Expeditions were carried out. Their measurements required a chain of triangulation points. The chain reached from Crozierpynten and Vesle Tavleøya in the north to Keilhaufjellet in the south. The measurements defined the increasing flattening of the Earth toward the Poles. Most cairns along the chain can still be seen today.

Trip Name

Northeast Spitsbergen aboard Hondius, In the realm of Polar Bear & Ice

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Polar Class Expedition Ship Length: 107.6 metres Passenger Capacity: 170 Built: 2019 Hondius is the first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel in the world, meeting the latest and highest Lloyd’s Register demands for ice-strengthened cruise vessels. Hondius also exceeds the requirements of the Polar Code as adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), allowing you to enjoy the polar regions as much as possible while impacting them as little as possible. Upon completion, Hondius will be the most flexible, advanced, innovative ice-strengthened vessel in the polar regions. It is optimized for exploratory voyages that provide you the utmost first-hand contact with the Arctic and Antarctica. Hondius offers high-quality accommodation for 170 passengers in six grand suites with balconies (27 square meters, 291 square feet), eight junior suites (19 to 20 square meters, 205 to 215 square feet), eight superior cabins (20 to 21 square meters, 215 to 226 square feet), 11 twin deluxe cabins, (19 to 21 square meters, 205 to 226 square feet), 14 twin window cabins (12 to 14 square meters, 129 to 151 square feet) as well as 28 twin porthole cabins, two triple porthole cabins, and four quadruple porthole cabins that vary in size from 12 to 18 square meters, or 129 to 194 square feet. The passenger capacity certificate for Hondius is 196 persons. One deck consists of a large observation lounge and separate lecture room, which are reserved for a wide variety of interactive workshops, exhibitions, and performances particular to Hondius. Though elegantly designed in stylish mid-century modern décor, this vessel holds true to Oceanwide’s distinctive cozy and informal atmosphere. It is our philosophy to keep sea time short so that we can focus instead on fast, effective access to shore and near-shore activities. To give you the maximum contact with the nature and wildlife you traveled so far to see, we employ a tough fleet of rigid-hull inflatable Zodiac boats that guarantee swift and safe landing operations for the passengers. Hondius has two separate gangways and a sheltered indoor Zodiac embarkation platform that can also be used for special outdoor activities, such as kayaking. Our top priority is taking advantage of every wildlife and terrain opportunity as it occurs. To keep our itineraries flexible itineraries and our response time rapid, Hondius is equipped with advanced stabilizers and two main engines capable of powering the vessel up to 15 knots. But Hondius sacrifices no warmth to achieve its keen polar edge: You will have 72 crew and staff members (including expedition and hotel staff) at your service while on board, ensuring that what little time you do spend on the ship you will spend comfortably entertained.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1: Largest town, biggest island

You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded in it. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

Day 2 - Day 2: Cruising Krossfjorden

Heading north along the west coast, you arrive by morning in Krossfjorden. Here you might board the Zodiacs for a cruise near the towering blue-white face of the Fourteenth of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, colorful flowers bloom while flocks of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nest on the cliffs. You have a good chance of spotting an Arctic fox scouting for fallen chicks or a bearded seal paddling through the fjord. In the afternoon you sail to Ny Ålesund, the northernmost settlement on Earth. Once a mining village served by the world’s most northerly railway – you can still see its tracks – Ny Ålesund is now a research center. Close to the community is a breeding ground for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, and Arctic terns. And if you’re interested in the history of Arctic exploration, visit the anchoring mast used by polar explorers Amundsen, Ellsworth, and Nobile in their airship, Norge (1926).

Day 3 - Day 3: Route to Raudfjorden

In the morning you land at Ytre Norsköya and walk to the top of the island, where 17th-century whalers had an observation post to spot bowhead whales surrounded by puffins. Alternately (on our HDS04 voyage), you may land on Indre Norsköya at Sabine’s Observatory, where Edward Sabine (1823) studied the curvature of the Earth. Sailing to Raudfjorden on the north coast of Spitsbergen, you take in an expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline of this fjord also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears.

Day 4 - Day 4: The massive Monaco Glacier

Depending on the weather, you could sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of the Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent sailing here early in the season, an alternate route along the west coast of Spitsbergen may be used.

Day 5 - Day 5: Into Sorgfjorden (Fjord of Sorrows)

Sailing into Sorgfjorden, you land about one km (.6 miles) southwest of Eolusneset, not far from a walruss haul-out area. At nearby Krosshaugen you can see the graves of 17th-century whalers, and this is also a good area to spot ptarmigans. Later in the day, you continue to the opposite side of the fjord to Crozierpynten. Here you can view the remains of the Swedish Arc of Meridian Expedition, 1899 – 1900 and walk some distance across Basissletten to Basisodden, a track scientists once used for long-distance measurements.

Day 6 - Day 6: Highlights of Hinlopen

Today you sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, and polar bears. At the entrance there is even the possibility to spot blue whales. After cruising among the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in the Zodiacs, you can view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopen Strait, you may even attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet. Here reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses are likely sights. You may take an alternate route if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.

Day 7 - Day 7: Walrus haul-outs and historic remains

Pushing eastward along the north coast of Nordaustlandet, you will likely sail through Beverly Sundet, seeing tokens of historic expeditions along the shores of Chermsideöya. The northernmost point of your voyage may be on Phippsöya, featuring a walrus haul-out and ivory gull colony. An alternative (on our HDS04 trip) is Vesle Tavleöya, another site from the Arc-of-Meridian Expedition. At Rossöya we reach 80° 49’ north, less than 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole.

Day 8 - Day 8: Sailing the continental shelf

While retracing your route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, you sail the edge of the continental shelf. Here fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones (where cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below the sea’s surface) that run along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of seeing minke whales.

Day 9 - Day 9: Reindeer, foxes, and so many seabirds

Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet, your next stop. As an alternative, you might sail into St. Jonsfjorden or venture south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these renowned cliffs, while Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze on the sparse vegetation. You arrive in Longyearbyen later at night.

Day 10 - Day 10: There and back again

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Longyearbyen with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

Day 11 - Please Note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Cruise Krossfjorden
Discover the massive Monaco Glacier
Enjoy highlights of Hinlopen