Circumnavigating Spitsbergen

Your cruise does not depart until this evening, meaning much of the day is free for you to relax on board or take a stroll around the former mining town of Longyearbyen, whose fascinating parish church and polar museum are well worth visiting.

In the early evening, the ship will sail out of Isfjorden where, in the mouth of the fjord, you may be lucky enough to spy Minke whale.

Given its name in the early 20th century by the Prince of Monaco, this glacier runs for 10 miles and its cliffs, tinged green in the summer months, provide a nesting ground for huge flocks of kittiwakes, guillemots and Arctic puffins. With a bit of luck, you may also spot an Arctic fox prowling for prey on the cliff tops, while bearded seals are often seen frolicking in the icy waters at the foot of the glacier.

In the afternoon the voyage continues to Ny Alesund. Formerly a mining village, Ny Alesund is now a research outpost with a breeding ground for barnacle geese and Arctic terns. It is also one of Svalbard’s few historical sights of interest, having served in decades past as the starting point for many a polar expedition – to this day you can still see the anchoring mast used by polar explorers Amundsen and Nobile in their airships, Norge (1926) and Italia (1928).

The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for kittiwake, which occur here in their thousands. Polar bears, too, are sometimes spotted on the glacier.

The Seven Islands are remote and beautiful, and offer great opportunities for wildlife-viewing, with polar bears frequently sighted in the region. Depending on the level of pack ice and the quality of the wildlife sightings, you may stay for some time here or continue to Sorgfjord, where walrus are often seen. Those with an interest in the history of the region may also like to make a short side trip to Eolusneset, a former trapper’s outpost containing a small, isolated graveyard where the bodies of 17th-century whalers rest.

During the day, you’ll make trips by zodiac to get up close to the ice floes and the polar wildlife, exploring beneath the cliffs of Alkefjellet. If sea conditions allow, you’ll land on the east side of the strait, where you can hopefully see reindeer, pink-footed geese and walruses. Near Torrelneset you may have the chance to visit the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third-largest ice cap.

Weather allowing, on Barents you will be able to enjoy a hike onto the tundra at Rindedalen, visit the old trappers hut at Sundneset, and/or stop at Kapp Lee, a walrus haul-out where there are also good walking opportunities.

The scenery here is simply fantastic, with huge peaks that rise out of the water to heights as great as 1,400m. While cruising in the fjord you will also witness dramatic glaciers and plentiful marine and birdlife.

The belugas still return to this area and it is possible that you may see some during the voyage back to Longyearbyen. Weather-permitting, you will also have the opportunity to hike inland on tundra where reindeer are frequently seen.