This voyage to the Arctic and 'sub Arctic' is often one of the very best for seeing marine life, birdlife and dramatic isolated islands.

In the more southerly waters of this voyage, we have very good chances of seeing Minke whales,  White-beaked Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises. Orcas and other cetaceans are less predictable, but the chances are good since they are resident in channels between the Scottish Islands. As we head north into open sea, chances to see the mighty Blue Whale also exists and we were lucky enough to see 5 of these on our 2010 voyage and 6 of them in 2011. As we reach Spitsbergen, the ghostly white Beluga whale is another species we will be on the look out for.

Out into the North Atlantic, you will have the opportunity to see birds in the open ocean and explore the dramatic isolated coastlines of islands rich in seabird colonies and a fascinating cultural history. These include the Shetland Islands and the Faroes with its Viking heritage and dramatic sea cliff.

Jan Mayen is an island of breathtaking beauty which is very rarely visited due to its mid Arctic Ocean isolation. The island is dominated by the 2,300m Mt Beerenberg volcano and glaciers which descend into the sea. Until recently the island was a military based and off limits to tourists - but with permission from the Norwegian authorities we hope to visit the weather station and undertake some treks on the island. Snowshoes are often essential for this and these will be available onboard for anyone to use at no extra charge.  We also plan to explore the island from the water, observing its coastal glaciers and sites where we can expect to thousands of Little Auks and Brünnich's Guillemots which will no doubt be watched over by piratical Glaucous Gulls.

As we continue our bird migration route north we will eventually reach Spitsbergen - the land of pointed mountains.  Thousands of birds will have taken this journey ahead of us and we can expect to see them covering coastal cliffs in the South of Spitsbergen. This is an area of spectacular fjords and bays which we will explore from the ship and in small rigid inflatable boats. We will also be on the lookout for Arctic mammals including Reindeer, Arctic Foxes and of course the symbol of the Arctic itself: the Polar Bear.

Photographs kindly provided by Troels Jacobsen, Chris Dobbs, Rolf Stange, Kelvin Murray, Rinnie van Meurs & Charlotte Caffrey.

Please note that the following itinerary is draft only, designed to provide you with a flavour of this Arctic and sub-Arctic voyage. All polar voyages are expeditionary in nature and the actual route will depend upon sea and westher conditions, seasonal opportunities to sea wildlife, birdlife and scenery, decisions made by the expedition crew, Captain and local authorities - and in particular ice conditions which can vary considerably year by year.

Day 1
Arrive in Aberdeen, famed as the Granite City and many times a winner of the Britain in Bloom competition, and embark on our trip. The lighthouse on Girdle Ness to the south as the North Sea is reached, was designed by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Scottish waters offer excellent possibilities to spot Minke Whales, White-beaked Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises. Several other cetaceans, including Orcas (Killer Whales), are also native to these waters.  

Day 2 - At Fair Isle, in the Shetlands, we are welcomed by the 70 or so inhabitants (famed for their knitwear, examples of which we will see) to be followed by a walk to the bird observatory. Later, on Mousa, one of the smaller Shetland Islands, we visit one of the best preserved brochs in Scotland. Brochs are circular stone towers probably built by the Picts. During a night excursion we will watch thousands of Storm Petrels return to their burrows or crevices.
By day we view Grey Seals, Black Guillemots, Red-throated Divers, Arctic Skuas and a wonderful Spring Flora.

Day 3 and 4 - We sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, situated 300 nautical miles north-east of Iceland. During our two days at sea there will be plenty of time to watch for the blow of a Minke, Fin or Blue Whale, which could herald a rewarding encounter with these gentle giants. Perhaps we might run into a pod of Orcas, who can often be quite curious about boats such as ours.

Day 5 - Jan Mayen is a volcanic island of breathtaking beauty and mystique, dominated by Mt Beerenberg. From the slopes of the 2300m volcano, impressive glaciers spill into the sea. Until recently, the island was off-limits as it is a military base, and was rarely visited by tourists, but with permission from the Norwegian authorities we hope to visit the weather station. We will also walk across the island to Kvalrossbukta to look at the remains of a 17th century Dutch whaling station and a substantial colony of Fulmars. We also plan to sail by Koksletta where thousands of Little Auks and Brünnich's Guillemots breed close to a glacier, watched over by Glaucous Gulls.

Days 6 and 7 - In the midnight sun we sail north along the edge of the sea-ice, looking out for different species of whales, dolphins, seals and a variety of seabirds, until the sea-ice stops us, then we will sail to North Spitsbergen.
 
Day 8 - Depending on the position of the sea-ice, we sail into Raudfjord or one of the other fjords in Northwest Spitsbergen, where we have chances of seeing Polar Bears at the heads of the fjords, where seals are sunbathing on the fjord-ice. At Fuglesangen we have an opportunity to see thousands of Little Auks on their breeding grounds.

Day 9 - Fuglehuken the northern tip of Prince Karls Forland is probably the place where Willem Barentsz made the first landing in Spitsbergen. It is an area with beautiful seabird-colonies and many remains of the Polar Bear hunting period of a century ago. Later we will look for Walruses at Sarstangen, Engelskmansbukta or Poole-Pynten. In the evening we could land at Alkhornet another seabird colony where at the slopes we can find Reindeer and Arctic Foxes.

Day 10 We disembark in Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of Spitsbergen, for flights south to Oslo and onward home.