Cruise

Sailing Northeast Greenland and Svalbard

Article and photography by Nicholas Kontis

Travel is therapy, and I’ve attempted to take the treatment by visiting and acquainting myself with most corners of the world. My travels have taken me to over 100 countries, yet until recently, I somehow had not penetrated either polar region.

In July 2020, I booked a week-long, high-latitude adventure with Poseidon Expeditions to Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. When Covid reared its ugly head, the pandemic curtailed all travel, leaving me pondering if I’d ever have an opportunity to join a polar exploration.

Two years later, I finally traveled to the world’s northernmost permanent settlement: Longyearbyen, Svalbard, at 78 degrees North Latitude. It’s the embarkation point for most high Arctic polar tríps with Poseidon. In August 2022, I would join a two-week expedition from Svalbard to eastern Greenland, following in the footsteps of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

The Arctic contains some of the last untouched wilderness and the vastest open spaces on our planet. It’s defined by colossal glaciers that shimmer in the summer’s midnight sun, lofty icebergs, picturesque fjords and mountains in polychromatic stripes. In Svalbard, polar bears outnumber humans.

Poseidon adventure

Since 1999, Poseidon Expeditions has forged routes to the Arctic, North Pole and Antarctica. Its voyages combine wanderlust — following the routes of such intrepid and enigmatic explorers as Amundsen, Peary, Scott and Shackleford — with onboard education and traverses of frigid, ice-blue waters in zodiacs and kayaks.

My wife and I were among 55 passengers, most of them global explorers from Germany. An unspoken excitement embraced all of us aboard the MV Sea Spirit: This was to be Poseidon’s inaugural sailing to Greenland’s east coast.

Our voyage began in Longyearbyen, following a flight with Norwegian Airlines from Oslo. Located about halfway between Norway’s capital city and the North Pole, the town of a little more than 3,000 people is on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago.

Longyearbyen has a handful of lodging options, restaurants and shops. A worthy destination is the Svalbard Museum, which chronicles the region’s unique history. Local adventure shops sell high-quality Norwegian-made expedition gear and clothing, in case you’ve forgotten any essentials.

Afoot in Greenland

“When you’ve seen the world, there’s always Greenland!” … or so I’ve heard said by intrepid travelers. The world’s largest island (after the continent of Australia), it is equal in size to France and Spain combined, yet it is also the world’s most sparsely populated major island.

It took two days at sea — attending lectures but otherwise relaxing and preparing — before we arrived at Northeast Greenland National Park. We disembarked by zodiac craft to visit the Kong Oscar and Kejser Franz Josef fjord systems. Franz Josef, in particular, is known for its multi-layered mountains with rust-red, polychromatic stripes.

This biosphere reserve was established in 1974. It has no permanent human population, although around 50 scientists remain over the winter season at five marine stations. Most of the terrain consists of icecap, but in the summer months, as the snow melts, arctic flowers bloom over rugged landscapes.

Flora and fauna are fully protected. The park is home to 10,000 to 15,000 muskoxen, polar bears, Arctic hares and elusive Arctic foxes. Marine mammals include seals, walruses and multiple whale species, including beluga, narwhal, humpback, blue and sperm whales.

On zodiac landings, we expeditioners hiked into the world’s largest protected area. Mountains that were ice-covered even in summer, fjords, icebergs and glaciers highlighted this Poseidon sailing. We were lucky: The unpredictability of weather and wildlife sightings allows for no landing guarantees.

Recalling Amundsen

Nearly a century has passed since the heroic age of polar exploration came to an end. Norway’s Roald Amundsen defied the elements and made his way to the extremes of both poles. In 1926, Amundsen and his team of 15 men became the first party to reach the North Pole, not by ship, but by air. Two years later, on another air mission, Amundsen disappeared. His remains were never found.

There is a statue of the dauntless explorer back in Svalbard, at Ny-Alesund, a former coal-mining village reborn as the world’s northernmost scientific research station. It’s a curious place to visit today, with a dilapidated train that appears to be straight out of an amusement park. Now it’s home to dozens of scientists from around the world (even including China) who conduct Arctic research.

Our last landing on Svalbard was at a headland known as Poolepynten. A group of lazy walruses seemed unbothered by our exploration party. The giant marine mammals lay still, almost without movement. Our guides created a line in the sand to remind us not to forge any nearer to the creatures, as the Arctic’s ecological balance is highly precarious.

A ‘Spirited’ voyage

Built in 1991, its guest cabins and public spaces renovated in 2017, the six-deck Sea Spirit houses up to 114 passengers and 72 crew. Comfortably strengthened for travel in icy waters, the stylish vessel is a warming solace compared to the barren wilderness, icebergs and glaciers of the outdoor Arctic.

Cabins range in size from modest to the 463-square-foot owner’s suite. Each has a private bathroom, small sofa, TV, refrigerator, safe, robes and slippers, as well as a window that looks to sea.

Guests spend a couple of hours each day in the spacious Oceanus Lounge attending lectures and recaps of the day’s discoveries. Also aboard are a club lounge, bar, gym, library, hot tub, and outside viewing decks. Hospitality includes “welcome home” treats — warm towels and hot tea — to guests returning to the ship from zodiac excursions.

The expansive restaurant on the main deck offers open seating. That encourages everyone to get to know his fellow passengers at buffet-style breakfasts and lunches. Gourmet dinners are elaborate affairs; they begin with starters like grilled duck salad, followed by such main courses as veal marsala, chicken cordon bleu or seared ahi tuna. Desserts are delectable and there are vegetarian and Indian meal options. There is also a pre-meal happy hour with hors d’oeuvres and one formal captain’s dinner, where you’ll want to dress up.

Polar professionals

The stellar expedition team of international polar experts is led by Ida Olsson, whose earliest forays into Arctic climates were in the remote northernmost regions of her native Sweden. Now, as a lead guide for Poseidon, she directs glacial hikes and expeditions by kayak and snowmobile in both the Arctic and Antarctic. In 2018, the fearless explorer led a group of women from Europe and the Middle East on skis from Svalbard to the North Pole.

Poseidon’s Polar team undergoes a rigorous training program to ensure safety and provide education on the regions. Geologists, kayak masters, professional photographers, hiking guides, historians and ornithologists make this odyssey extraordinary.

Nature lovers find abundant birdlife in a range of pristine habitats, so an experienced birder is a must on most expedition sailings. Dutchman Ab Steenvoorden, another seasoned seafarer-ornithologist, kept us entertained and flaunted uncanny expertise for finding wildlife.

A few details

All flights to Svalbard go via mainland Norway. There are no direct flights from anywhere in the world to Svalbard. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) and Norwegian Airlines fly from Oslo and Tromsø to the town of Longyearbyen.

The Arctic fascinates all those who visit, and no two voyages are the same. Expedition sailings are the best way to experience polar regions. Poseidon’s small ship advantage allows for intimate encounters on and off the vessel, with two or three rapid daily landings.

The extreme northern regions of the earth are arguably its most fragile territories. Every expedition is unique, with shifting ice and animal sightings. As with any expedition, patience, tolerance and understanding are the keys to a successful journey.

https://poseidonexpeditions.com