South Spitsbergen, Bear Island & Mainland Norway - Aurora Borealis

You arrive in Longyearbyen, the center of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. You can walk around this former mining town and visit the parish church or the Svalbard Museum. Despite the bare landscape, over 100 plant species grow here. In the early evening, the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you can spot your first minke whale.

You start the day cruising the side fjords of Hornsund in southern Spitsbergen, surrounded by towering mountains. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431 meters (4,695 feet), and Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers named the island Spitsbergen, meaning “pointed mountains.” The area has 14 glaciers, and you can spot seals and polar bears. Most seabirds have left, except some late fulmars. You can take a Zodiac excursion to Hornbreen and land on Treskelen. Late in the evening, the ship leaves Hornsund.

This is a good day to look for whales, seals, and migrating seabirds as you voyage south. The route follows the limits of the Norwegian and Barents seas, both rich in marine life. It depends on the weather how fast you proceed to Bear Island and sight its shores. From now on, darker skies provide opportunities to see the Aurora Borealis and the stars.

Early in the morning, you arrived at the southeastern end of Bear Island. You can expect to see gannets and fulmars here. It is a good time to see migratory Arctic birds moving south. You sail northeast by Sörhamna, where all breeding ledges are deserted, to Revdalen, where you land and may still encounter great skuas, large seabirds, known to be fiercely territorial. From there, you may climb some way up to the bird mountain at the coast for great views.

In Kvalrossbukta, you land at the remains of a whaling station from the early 19th century. As you continue a little north along the (usually calm) east side of Bear Island, you look for other good landing spots. Depending on the weather, you may also approach Bear Island from the northeast and sail south along the east coast. Late afternoon, you depart for Norway.

This is another good full sea day to look for whales and migrating seabirds as you sail toward Norway. The nights grow ever-longer, making displays of the Northern Lights more frequent and vivid. At the end of the day, you may glimpse the first sign of land in the south.

In the early morning, you sail through straits and fjords to Tromsö, the capital of the northern province of Troms. There are many reasons Norway's fjords are world-renowned, and today you get a glimpse of them. You say goodbye with memories made!