Your day-by-day itinerary, in keeping with the nature of an expedition, is a thoughtfully considered framework based on Lindblad Expeditions' long experience in this dynamic arctic region. Your experienced captain, expedition leader, and naturalists-as well as technological resources-will guide you through this wonderous area. Armed with the latest satellite imagery, they will chart where the ice is impenetrable and where there are leads guiding you to exciting discoveries. The ship has an ice-strengthened hull and forward-searching sonar, plus agile Zodiacs and kayaks, allowing you to make forays among the icebergs. The undersea specialist deploys the ROV, bringing back imagery few, if any, have ever seen. And with unforgettable days in the ice and two photographers onboard, you'll have their assistance to get the best photos ever. Begin in Svalbard, Norway, a place of deep fjords, snowcapped mountains, and massive ice sheets. Svalbard is one of the best places on the planet to see polar bears in their natural habitat-the sea ice. Venture to the foot of vast tidewater glaciers, kayak among sparkling icebergs, hike the tundra, and explore fjords that split the coastline. Svalbard's wonders are a prelude to days ahead of discoveries on unknown shores, following the ice's edge. Your quest is to discover the Arctic's grand wilderness. Be on deck as your captain navigates between icebergs that drift from the calving glaciers. With a course set west, Jan Mayen is on your itinerary-an isolated volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean. Here, discover the island's unique geology and black-sand beaches and learn of the interesting history of Jan Mayen's past inhabitants. If the ice yields, your captain will aim for Scoresbysund on the east coast of Greenland, the longest fjord system in the world. If the ice is unrelenting, you'll head to Iceland. The finale of our journey is the west coast of Iceland: Isafjordur, a picture postcard of Icelandic life; Vigur Island, home to a centuries-old tradition of eider farming; and Grundarfjordur, known for Iceland's most photographed mountain, Kirkjufell, and its neighboring waterfall. ...
Read More