Arctic Expedition Cruise: A Guide to What Awaits You in Greenland and Svalbard
Arctic Expedition Cruise: A Guide to What Awaits You in Greenland and Svalbard
Our Regent Travel Specialist, Jim, has just returned from an unforgettable voyage with AE Expeditions, journeying from Svalbard to Greenland. Capturing every moment of his Arctic summer adventure, he shares his incredible experiences - from encounters with polar bears and the breathtaking Arctic wilderness to the vibrant towns and remote villages of Svalbard and Greenland. Read on to uncover his discoveries!
6 July: Welcome to Svalbard
My senses are confounded. It’s early July and the sun shines down from a clear blue sky, which you would think is pretty normal. What’s baffling my perceptions is that there is snow on the nearby hills and it’s shortly before midnight. I’m at 78 degrees north, and the next sunset isn’t due for another seven weeks.
7 July: Exploring Longyearbyen
I’m in Longyearbyen, a town of 2400 permanent residents who are often outnumbered by the multi-national groups of eager adventurers who've travelled far beyond the arctic circle. It’s a town split between traditional industries of fishing and some mining and the tourist activities which now bring in a significant proportion of the income.
I take in the tiny North Pole Museum, discovering just how much balloons were a factor in the exploration of the top of the world in the first years of the 20th century. Then, after a hot chocolate and slice of fine cinnamon cake at the Husky Café, which has two resident dogs with priority over the seating, I mooch around the various outdoor equipment and Nordic souvenir shops which are cheaper than expected due to a complete lack of tax on this semi-independent corner of Norway.
Svalbard is a multi-national destination, governed by Norway, but where anyone can work and live. No-one should be born there, pregnant women are flown to the Norwegian mainland to give birth, so the islands retain the completely visa-free status agreed in the Spitzbergen treaty of 1920, which gave Norway control of the archipelago, with certain restrictions.
8 July: Arctic Cruises from Svalbard to Greenland
I visited Svalbard Museum, followed by more huskies, performing their usual duties at Camp Berentz, a 20-minute drive out of town, past the famous polar bear warning road signs which are placed at all exits to the community – beyond these signs you are required to have an armed guide. There's much focus on Ursa Maritimus (polar bears) and a lot of it is about steering clear of a 700kg hungry carnivore which has the ability to both sneak up on you and then travel at 40kph when within striking range.
Then we board the Greg Mortimer and perform the mandatory safety exercises before the initial briefing from the expedition team. This is heavily weighted in the direction of expectation management: this is an expedition, not a cruise, the chances of seeing the wildlife you seek are small, but possible, and at the moment the ice sheet is so thick along the coast of Greenland that we might not be able to get there at all. With expectations suitably managed, we retire to our cabins after dinner to await the uncertainties to come.
9 July: Cruise day one: a great beginning
“Good morning, this is Mario the expedition leader, it’s 6.25am, we have arrived in Krossfjord, and this is just to let you know...” Then silence.
30 seconds later, I hear “I apologise, I’ve been told that the message was cut off. This is to let you know that there is a beautiful polar bear to be seen from the front of the ship”. Cue a frenzied “where are my trousers? Where are the binoculars?” before rushing from the cabin to the observation deck.
And there he was, on the shoreline, breakfasting on the remains of a walrus. The whole ship was happy (not for the walrus), and the expectations headed north again. A polar bear on day one for travellers from as far as Australia and New Zealand was remarkable, and good news for the expedition team who chalked up a strong win at the beginning of the expedition.
In the afternoon, we headed out on zodiacs, landing on a nearby island that was home to puffins, little auks, reindeer, Arctic bunting, arctic flowers and lichen - remarkably beautiful close up. Arctic flora is micro flora, it requires your attention but repays with a delicate beauty and incomprehensible hardiness to even exist on these isolated rocks in the far north. Whilst most people journey for the “charismatic megafauna” of bears, seals, whales and musk oxen, the enthusiasm of the expedition team and naturalists for these tiny miracles is catching. A “forest” of arctic willow, which grow no higher than a few centimetres tall.
10 July: Cruising through Majestic Fjords
The wind has forced us to find shelter in the fjords further north, the only opportunity to get off the ship is a morning zodiac excursion to a beautiful glacier in a bay of floating natural ice sculptures. You can see where the glacier used to be, and how far it has receded over the years, but it is still a spectacular variation of different shades of blue as it meets the sea.
11 July: Walrus Adventures
At 80 degrees north, we wake to a fog which is a little dispiriting. Happily, this doesn’t last long, and by the end of breakfast, the sun is out, we are surrounded by miles of pancake sea ice beside Karl XII Island, and the world is as beautiful as it can get.
The morning zodiac trip brings us an “ugly” of walruses (which is a genuinely harsh collective noun) lazing on the ice. They have few natural predators, simply because of their size, a polar bear isn’t going to take on a mountain of blubber weighing 1.5 tonnes, even before it sees the tusks which can be 50cm long. During the ride through the ice, we drop a white disc and log the depth when it becomes invisible to the naked eye and trawl a net to see if we can capture some plankton for later inspection under a microscope – this is our first foray into the fascinating world of Citizen Science.
The afternoon starts with a fellow passenger spotting a polar bear approaching a group of walruses by a nearby island so everyone rushes to the observation deck, to watch it thinking about making a move, before deciding that wouldn’t be the best idea. The captain positions the ship so the zodiacs can be deployed again.
12 July: Arctic Hikes
Today’s excursion is a hike on the small island of Ytre Norskoya, formerly a Dutch whaling outpost. On the shoreline, we stumble across a couple of whaler’s graves, and our guide informs us that there are 165 of them on this small island. A hike up to the top of the hill provides spectacular views over the fjord system surrounding. Back on the beach we have a few minutes to clear up what we can of an abandoned fishing net which has become trapped beneath the boulders before having to catch the last zodiac back to the ship.
In the afternoon, we avoid other expedition ships in the area and re-route to a small fjord with a glacier, witnessing a feeding frenzy of kittiwakes and a couple of fishing seals.
That evening, we left the coastal waters and set off across the open ocean, south-west, with our next land destination Ittoqqortoormiit nearly three days away. The Greenland Sea did not give us the warmest welcome as the ship pitched into the waves. Braving the observation deck for a couple of hours rewarded us with some minke whales in the middle distance.
13 July: Quiet, Icy Waters
A day at sea. Happily, the waves subsided, and it was smoother sailing, the expedition team offering lectures and insights into the flora, fauna and history of Svalbard. No more whales, as the fog came and went, but everyone “fully dressed” with binoculars and cameras just in case.
14 July: Great Arctic Explorers
A day at sea, and an opportunity to use the ship’s facilities; gym, sauna jacuzzi etc. The expedition team keep the ball rolling with a series of short lectures on Arctic subjects, from the enduring success of Lichen to the formation, expansion and reduction if sea ice and how vital it is to keeping the earth cool. We also engage in Citizen Science, counting clouds that we can see and comparing them with what NASA sees from a satellite.
15 July: Tiptoeing Through Ice Floes
The news comes over the Tannoy that thick fog and the preponderance of sea ice has put us some hours behind schedule. We were due to arrive at Ittoqqortoormiit mid-morning but might not make it today. Another reminder that on expedition ships, the schedule is very much a wish-list and often out of the control of the navigators.
16 July: Ice Walking
We awake to the frustrating news that due to large amount of fog and ice packs, we're pretty much as far from land as we were yesterday. As I’ve mentioned before, things tend to change on an arctic cruise. However, the gaps in the ice widen, the fog lifts and we start making genuine progress towards land. The sun shines down and we feast on the views of icebergs and diving little auks around the ship.
A bearded seal is spotted lounging in the distance and then mid-afternoon, the call comes out that we have the chance to walk on the sea ice. This is an experience described by a fellow passenger as a 'bucket item' he hadn’t even thought to put on his list.
We enjoyed 15 minutes walking on an iceberg, tasting the fresh water from the pools and contemplating the rareness of such an opportunity in life; no-one else will step on this island, because it will melt away over the coming months. Then back to the Doug Mortimer for a beer in the jacuzzi overlooking the ice floes before an evening barbecue out on the deck under the continuing sunshine. The mood on board is buoyant.
As the evening wears on, we finally arrive at Scoresby Sund and anchor offshore from Ittoqqortoormiit. This is where my vocabulary fails me - if it isn’t on the list of seven natural wonders, then this longest fjord in the world should be. The giant icebergs drift gently past, on a pond-like calm surface of water which reflects the mountains and the coloured houses of this tiny settlement - a simply serene and majestic sight.
17 July: Exploring Ittoqqortoormiit
Morning excursion to Ittoqqortoormiit, a stroll around town, visiting the two shops to buy souvenirs and send postcards which may take weeks to arrive. We visit the tiny church before heading up through town to find the fabled football pitch, over friendly husky puppies come out to meet us on the way, a brief kick about has to be done, hampered by our muck boots we lumber around on the vibrant green astroturf which contrasts starkly with the surrounding rock and ice. All the while I’m trying to imagine what life must be like for those who live here year-round.
The afternoon sees us boarding the zodiacs to start a walk from a golden beach, up over the many sized boulders of moraine, past a waterfall, where we refill our bottles once the trek leader has decided that the chance of upstream musk ox is very low, and up over us the hill to descend back into town. The 6km hike/scramble takes over two hours and every step is worth it when we stumble (that word chosen deliberately) across a large Arctic Hare, resplendent in white winter coat, just minding his/her business and nibbling vegetation beside the track.
18 July: Untouched Wilderness of Ittoqqortoormiit
Another shore excursion: we set off on a walk across the tundra, in the direction of some lakes and a glacier. Our feet are cushioned beneath the sponginess of moss and waterlogged ground, becoming a minor issue when our guide took a step and sunk up to her thigh in mud. Once she had been extracted, we headed for higher ground where we found an arctic willow tree, which spreads horizontally across the ground. It can take 200 years to reach 15cm, the colourful wildflowers gently turn to keep their petals facing the sun to maximise their chances of survival. It’s a tough life up here for the plants which form the basis of the food chain.
In the afternoon the ship heads away from Greenland and out to sea, and all is quiet until an alert passenger spots two polar bears on an iceberg, just off the port side. It feels like the ultimate finale to a spectacular voyage. A second sighting after dinner reveals seals on an ice floe, but no further sign of the bear, which was presumably on there, stealthily hunting them.
19 July: To Reykjavik
Grey as far as the eye can see, which isn’t far at all. A necessary day at sea to get to our disembarkation point at Reykjavik. Most people use the time to carry out photograph admin of the thousands of images they have from the last 12 days and consider the painful process of packing up to either return home or head off for new adventures. The ship feels slightly in a state of limbo, with various lectures, films and a trivia quiz utilised to fill up the time.
And then the Arctic has one more unexpected event to throw at us. Around the middle of round three of the quiz the Tannoy announces that we have orcas alongside. Half a dozen of them chase each other, and the ship, leaping over the waves and appearing at unexpected angles for the next 20 minutes. After the polar bears of the previous evening, it was as if these amazing mammals said: “hold my beer!” and came over to show us how a display should be done. Once they had gone, there was a quiet absorption of what we had all just witnessed, and a frantic sharing of photos and videos to ensure that we had a record of it all.
20 July: Final day on the Arctic Cruise
On our final approach to Reykjavik, which will take all day. A tour of the bridge to show how the ship navigates some of the fiercest seas, an array of technology to keep us on track and multiple back-up systems should anything fail.
The afternoon is spent on the observation deck, with sightings of orcas in the distance, dolphins closer to the ship and a wide range of seabirds I would never have recognised a week ago, as we come closer to Iceland.
The evening begins with the final briefings and a remarkably well constructed slide show of photographs taken by Jamie, the professional, and the onboard clients who range from semi-professional to someone with an iPhone (me!) The arrival into Reykjavik at 5pm, rather than 6am the following morning, and the ability of a smaller ship to dock in the heart of the city, gives us the opportunity to explore this compact but beautiful city before returning to our cabins for the last time.
My Conclusions of the AE voyage with The Greg Mortimer
On final reflection, this voyage with AE on The Greg Mortimer epitomised how an Arctic expedition must be approached. The route and schedule of destinations should never be regarded as anything but the vaguest outline of what might happen. The forces of nature are so strong at the poles that we must understand and appreciate the skills of the expedition leader and ship captain to find the best way as we go along.
They tread a fine line between ensuring everyone is kept safe and meeting the expectations of what everyone wants to get from the holiday they have booked. We were held up for over two days by fog and impenetrable sea ice, but the decision to risk the final 100km to Scoresby Sund was taken by the experts, and it paid off. There are sights to be seen in the high arctic which are a privilege, I will never forget the two polar bears on the iceberg or the orcas and dolphins playing alongside the ship, but in a strange way that was what I was anticipating, the unforeseen bonus is that I gained a greater appreciation of the smaller creatures and micro-fauna who have the tenacity to inhabit this region and demonstrate a simultaneously delicate and robust beauty all of their own.
Thank you to the customer facing team on board and the expedition team for their constant enthusiasm and expertise, to Mario the expedition leader and Oleg the ship captain for navigating the best possible route in the conditions, and finally, to Svalbard and Greenland for providing a fierce beauty unmatched anywhere I have been before.
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Embark on an Arctic expedition cruise
Arctic cruises explore the majestic scenery of the Arctic Circle, where towering icebergs, abundant wildlife, and the mesmerising northern lights await. If you take this extraordinary opportunity, you can watch chase the aurora, watch as land mammals like polar bears or an Arctic fox roams the ice, and spot whales as glide through the frigid waters nearby your ship.
Discover our top tour where AE Expeditions can weave you through the icy waters of the Arctic and offer you unforgettable memories:
Arctic Cruise - Jewels of the Arctic Polar Expedition | Regent Holidays
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