Hondius Itinerary
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife - Summer Solstice8 days / 7 nights
About Hondius
- Modern, purpose-built vessel with four-star accommodation
- Superb observation spaces, offering panoramic views
- The first Polar Class 6 registered expedition ship in the world
- Spot wildlife from the deck, hike through the snow, and scuba dive
M/V Hondius is a high-performance polar expedition vessel embarking on once-in-a-lifetime voyages in some of the world’s final frontiers. Catering to first-time visitors and seasoned adventure-seekers alike, this vessel welcomes guests of all kinds – including singles, couples, families, and groups – to enjoy epic experiences unlike any other. Combining comfort and capability, Hondius enables guests to gaze over sublime scenery, hike across snow-covered ice, encounter iconic wildlife, and even scuba dive in some of the most isolated and unforgiving environments on the planet.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 8 days / 7 nights
Number of dives 0
Experience No experience required
Insurance Not Required
Highlights
- Witness the incredible midnight sun, with 24-hours of daylight
- Expansive fjord spilling with glaciers on the north coast of Spitsbergen
- Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, and polar bears
- Monaco Glacier is a hotspot for kittiwakes and polar bears
- Sailing to Northwest of Raudfjord, look for harp seals and hooded seals
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 2-7: North Spitsbergen’s natural beauty, wildlife, and pack-ice
This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen. Places we might visit include the following:
Raudfjord
On the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can enjoy this expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears.
Monaco Glacier
Depending on the weather and sea ice, we could sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this precipitous 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 us from sailing here early in the season, we may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen.
Highlights of Hinlopen
We aim to 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, we may attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet. Here we may see reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses. We can take an alternate route if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.
The Seven Islands
The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. Here we may reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, so the ship may park for several hours among the pack ice before wheeling around west again.
Sailing the continental shelf
While retracing our route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, we 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 sighting minke whales.
Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet
Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet. Alternatively, we might sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.
Day 8: There and back again
Even great adventures must eventually come to an end. The vessel arrives back in Longyearbyen in the early morning, and bus transportation to the airport will be provided.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Transfer details
Departure
04:00pm
Longyearbyen
Svalbard Airport: LYR
Return
09:00am
Longyearbyen
Svalbard Airport: LYR
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/hondius/itn-2402070317331-north-spitsbergen-explorer-versatile-landscapes-sea-ice-wildlife-summer-solstice