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Magnificent wildlife in three quintessential Arctic locations
Encounter the wonders of the Arctic on an epic expedition that combines the wildlife of Svalbard, the ice-hewn east coast of Greenland, and the stunning fjords of western Iceland. Kayak among incandescent icebergs; visit some of the most remote settlements on Earth; and watch for polar bears, walruses, reindeer, and whales on a quest to discover the Arctic’s grand wilderness.
Venture into little-known parts of the Arctic, using satellite imagery and the ice-strengthened hull of our ship to explore the ice
Focus on wildlife, with an itinerary driven by opportunities to observe walruses, whales, reindeer, and polar bears in their natural habitat
Glide between massive ice floes and encounter astonishing icebergs from water level while exploring by kayak and Zodiac
Go ashore with our naturalists to hike Svalbard’s vast tundra and explore remote Icelandic villages
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Duration
17 Days
Dates
Year Round
Special offers
FREE BAR TAB AND CREW TIPS INCLUDED
Arctic, Iceland
Day By Day
Standard
Embark
Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway)
Disembark
Reykjavik, Iceland
Discover
Svalbard, Iceland & Greenland
Special Offers
Special Offers
Dates, Rates & Cabins
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View DirectoryDaily Expedition Reports
8/6/2019
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National Geographic Explorer
Djúpavik, Iceland
National Geographic Explorer visited the tiny, isolated village of Djúpavik for the first time ever. After traversing the choppy waters of the “deep bay,” after which the community is named, we spent the morning exploring the village and its surroundings. While some brave hikers climbed the cliffs overlooking the decrepit herring factory that was once the economic engine of the region, most of us took a more leisurely guided tour through the historic ruins. For a short time after its construction in 1935, the herring factory was one of the largest concrete structures in Europe and a major producer of fish oil and meal. Today, Djúpavik is the least-populated municipality in Iceland with just 53 full-time residents.
7/15/2019
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National Geographic Explorer
Latrabjarg Cliffs & Flatey Island
The sheer cliffs of Latrabjarg loomed over us as we sailed along the west coast of Iceland. The air was a flurry of life as fulmars, common guillemots, razorbills, puffins, and kittiwakes soared and buzzed around us. The noise of thousands upon thousands of birds returning to the sheer cliffs was a beautiful assault while the fresh sea air battered our faces out on deck. Fulmars wheeled around the monkey deck, showing a lazy interest in the humans onboard. The cliffs themselves were awash with green; the guano deposited by generations of birds acts as fertilizer for the vegetation sprawled across the hillside. The cliffs offer sanctuary to razorbills, guillemots, and other nesting seabirds, keeping them safe from predators as they find precarious flat ledges or hollows to lay their single, beautifully patterned eggs. On the waters around us were many adult birds accompanied by their jumpling chicks. As few as 18 days after hatching, guillemot chicks fling themselves from the cliffs into the sea, where they bob around with their fathers for several weeks before they’re able to fend for themselves. After working our way along the cliffs, we headed off into slightly deeper coastal waters where we heard a fascinating talk on sea urchins. The magical world beneath the waves here is rich in marine invertebrates, and the urchin family is incredibly diverse. Next, we heard a talk on fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic and the U.S. This covered wild stocks, aquaculture, and how to make informed choices when it comes to eating fish. Another deeply interesting talk from the undersea team. After lunch, we headed to the beautiful, secluded Flatey Island. Flatey is a tiny, remote gem with houses in a small village that all date to more than 100 years ago. The island is also home to Atlantic puffins that cooed and stood proud around their burrows, their mouths full of sand eels, and arctic terns that dove and squawked and shrieked just above us. We returned to the ship for the captain’s farewell cocktail party—a nice evening as we all reflected on new friends made, experiences had, and moments shared. A journey of such different adventures. The cold shores of Svalbard seemed a distant memory as we looked out the window at the green, volcanic shores of Iceland. From whales and bears to ice and dramatic landscapes—it was truly the trip of a lifetime.
7/14/2019
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National Geographic Explorer
Isafjordur and Vigur,
A thin layer of fog shrouded the troll seat mountain tops of Isafjordur as National Geographic Explorer approached this morning. Ready or not, we were launching back into civilization by coming alongside the port and heading out onto a dry dock, followed by a variety of bus tours. Some opted for the long hike towards Valagil, a spectacular canyon with a waterfall made from layers and layers of ancient lava. Cotton grass was scattered in patches throughout the journey, indicating moist and boggy areas. Everyone got to experience the Icelandic “forest” of stunted, demure birch. The second part of this adventure included a visit to the Arctic Fox Center and a coffee and cake break. Others chose the fjords and flowers tour, which included a visit to the first Icelandic botanical garden, with plants and vegetables grown farther north than anyone thought possible. Another stop along the way was a visit to an old bookstore in the town of Flateyri. Books lined every wall, and the rich, rustic scent of the old pages of history wafted through the shop. The tour was not complete without a stop for coffee and cake! And yet another tour was a culinary exploration of the town of Isafjordur, where the sweets of the 19 th century were sampled: rhubarb stalk dipped in sugar! Not to mention a sampling of smoked lamb on flatbread and traditional Icelandic schnapps, Brennivin, made from potatoes and caraway seeds. After our various tours, which also included 19 brave souls who opted for a mountain biking excursion, we set sail towards the stunning island of Vigur, home to nesting birds galore! With clear visibility and calm seas, we were greeted by common eider females shepherding chicks, black guillemots squeaking in their high-pitched voices, and Atlantic puffins frantically flying with bills full of fish for their chicks. The island was a cacophony of Arctic terns and common redshanks as we walked around the island towards the grand finale of the most amazing cakes in all of Iceland!
7/13/2019
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National Geographic Explorer
Westfjords, Iceland
After smooth sailing overnight from Greenland, the steep green hills of the Westfjords arose from the dark blue ocean and out of the fog. Iceland! We were greeted by the bushy blow of whales on our arrival! The low dorsal fin sitting on a hump was particularly noticeable when the whales arching their backs for a dive. Their flukes gave us the species: humpback whales. Humpbacks are fast and active lunge feeders. Their morphology allows them to open their jaws widely and distend their throats to take in huge mouthfuls of water during feeding. They can eat two tons of krill per day. A few blows, the hump, and occasionally a fluke. At a distance, one was logging and most likely resting. We observed their behavior, our cameras bursting with photos. The sea was flat and calm—perfect for observations. We watched the footprint left from a dive and watched the bubbles rise to the surface, which allowed us to follow the whale’s progress, just few meters off the bow. Slowly, white pectoral fins appeared. It was coming closer and closer. We could see the size of the belly, the grooves in the throat, and the perfect shape of the fins. The whale swam on its back and the pectoral fins were right there, all five meters of them! In a gesture of welcome, it lifted its massive fin and loudly slapped the water right next to us. The strength and power of its slap echoed all around us. Slapping is believed to be a form of communication and the reasons for pectoral slapping can vary, depending on the age and sex of the individuals. What an unbelievable moment! As the fog began to clear, we sailed to our next destination: Dynjandi waterfall. It’s actually is a tier of seven waterfalls, each with their own name. The uppermost portion is Dynjandi, meaning thunderous, and the original source can be traced upland from the river Dynjandis. Hiking along the coastline to reach the waterfall after arriving by Zodiac gave us an impressive view of the waterfall and surrounding ecosystem with plants much larger than the ones we saw further north. Oyster plant, wild thyme, dwarf birch, and even an heath spotted-orchid were among many we identified. What a stunning welcome to Iceland!
7/12/2019
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National Geographic Explorer
Greenland’s Nansen Fjord
After a couple of days of dense fog, the weather gods looked kindly upon us today. The morning fog quickly burned off, allowing us to get ashore. We explored the stunning Nansen Fjord, seeing polar bear footprints and paddling kayaks among icebergs under blue skies and surrounded by towering mountains.