North Atlantic Odyssey

Day 1

Board MV Plancius

Board our comfortable expedition ship MV Plancius in Aberdeen and sail in the late afternoon.

Day 2

Fair Isle

We expect to arrive at Fair Isle during the morning and assuming the sea conditions are suitable, hope to be able to go ashore to explore this iconic Scottish island which is located midway between the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

Although probably best known for its knitwear, Fair Isle is also an important birding destination with impressive numbers of breeding seabirds during the summer months and we stand a great chance of finding Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin around the coastline.

The island is, however, also an amazing place for bird migration and, in particular, rare vagrants to the UK with an incredible list of species having been found over the years.  Whilst autumn is traditionally the best time for these, plenty of great birds also occur during the Spring and early Summer and on previous “North Atlantic Odysseys”, the WildWings group have cumulatively seen Collared Flycatcher, River Warbler, Western Subalpine Warbler and Red-backed Shrike so there is a decent chance of an unexpected surprise during our time ashore.

After time on this special island, we will return to MV Plancius and continue heading north passing the Shetland Islands during the night.

Days 3-4

At sea

We have two days at sea as we head north to Jan Mayen and will be on the lookout for seabirds and cetaceans.  As we will be crossing the Arctic Circle on the second day and are so close to midsummer, there will be little to no darkness as we sail northwards giving us plenty of time to look for wildlife.

We will almost certainly have seen European Storm Petrel already but there is chance for more of these along with ‘Blue’ Fulmars, a mixture of auks and skuas, however, these waters will also be an opportunity to look for cetaceans with the possibilities including Orca, Long-finned Pilot Whale, Northern Minke Whale, Bottlenose, White-beaked and Atlantic White-sided Dolphins plus Northern Bottlenose Whale and possibly one of the larger species such as Fin or Northern Minke Whale.  Indeed, if we are exceptionally fortunate, we could even encounter the largest creature to have ever lived on our planet, the mighty Blue Whale.

Day 5

Jan Mayen

The remote Norwegian possession of Jan Mayen is one of the remotest islands in the North Atlantic and is approximately 300 nautical miles northeast of Iceland.  The island itself is 55kms long and is partly covered by glaciers, however, it is dominated by the Beerenberg volcano which is the tallest peak at almost 7,500 feet (2,277m).

Like many remote Arctic locations, Jan Mayen was used as a base by whalers with this starting in the early 1600s and soon leading to the near extinction of the local Bowhead Whale population.

When the whaling ceased, the island was abandoned for over 200 years, however, there is now a small meteorological and Norwegian Army base which it may be possible to visit during our time ashore.

Since 2010, the island has been designated a nature reserve and it has also been classified as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International due to the large numbers of breeding seabirds with up to 17,500 pairs of Kittiwakes, 1,000 pairs of Arctic Terns and 10,000 pairs of Puffins, as well as good numbers of Black Guillemots, Brunnich’s Guillemots and Little Auks.

Days 6-8

Along the Ice Edge under the midnight sun heading for Spitsbergen

Having left Jan Mayen, the ship will head north-eastwards with the intention being to reach the edge of the Arctic Pack Ice.  The Captain will then set an eastbound course towards Spitsbergen as we search for some of the Arctic’s most iconic wildlife.

One of our main goals will be to find Polar Bear and whilst these cannot be guaranteed, the voyage has an excellent record of encountering these on the ice including, occasionally, females with cubs.

Another classic species of the high Arctic is Walrus and there is a good chance we will find some of these amazing animals with their extraordinary ivory tusks.

There should also be a good range of seal species with Bearded, Harp, Hooded and Ringed all possible, with several thousand Harp Seals found hauled out on the ice on a number of occasions.

Blue, Fin and Beluga Whales have also been previously seen in this area although we will count ourselves fortunate to find any of these.  Another possibility is the ice-loving Bowhead Whale which was seen on two dates on the WildWings “Svalbard and the Ice Edge” voyage in 2024 so whilst we would be lucky to encounter this species, it certainly isn’t impossible.

Whilst the range of bird species in the High Arctic is limited, there are some very special ones to see and we stand an excellent chance of some good encounters with Ivory Gulls and Little Auks, as well as the more numerous Glaucous Gull and Brunnich’s Guillemot.  On one of the previous voyages, an adult Ross’s Gull flew by and whilst it would be a real bonus finding another of these gorgeous pink-flushed specialities, it can’t be entirely ruled out.

Day 9

Svalbard/Spitsbergen

We will have a final day aboard Plancius with this dedicated to exploring some sites on the western side of the Svalbard archipelago.  There are numerous options and the possibilities including a visit to a Walrus haul out, looking for Reindeers and Arctic Fox or going ashore at a colony of Little Auks or Brunnich’s Guillemots.

Day 10

Disembark in Longyearbyen

We will awake with the ship at, or very close to, the wharf in Longyearbyen and after breakfast, it will be time to say farewell to the Expedition Team and crew and disembark.

Depending on flight times, there may well be the option for some exploring in the vicinity of Longyearbyen, which is a fascinating high Arctic town.  With Barnacle Geese, Purple Sandpipers, Show Buntings and Eiders often ridiculously tame and the occasional Reindeers browsing grass in town, there is always plenty to enjoy before the short ride to the airport from where it is possible to fly to Oslo and then onwards to the UK.

WHAT TO EXPECT

A nine night cruise on the comfortable expedition ship, MV Plancius cruising from Aberdeen to Spitsbergen with scheduled visits to Fair Isle and Jan Mayen as well as cruising the Arctic Ice Edge to the northwest of Svalbard.  The vessel is a comfortable expedition ship and has excellent cabins and passenger facilities.

At many places, we will use the ship’s zodiacs (rubber inflatables) to go ashore and getting in and out of these should not be a problem for anyone with reasonable mobility and there will be staff both on the ship and ashore to assist you.

You will receive a detailed briefing about the use of the zodiacs.  If you have any concerns about this aspect of the holiday, please call the office as Chris Collins has spent many years working with zodiacs and can provide more information.

You will also be able to join the full programme of activities/excursions offered by the Expedition Team working on the ship which are all included in the price of the trip.

In keeping with the spirit of expedition, dress on board is informal, so bring casual and comfortable clothing for all activities. Keep in mind that much of the scenery is best appreciated from the open decks, which can be slippery, so bring sturdy shoes with non-slip soles, and make sure your parka is never far away in case there is an announcement of “whales” over the PA system and you want to dash outside in a moment’s notice.

We recommend opting for layers, as it is comfortably warm aboard the ship though often cold out on deck.

THE SHIP

M/V Plancius was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy. The ship sailed for the Dutch Navy until June 2004 when it was purchased by Oceanwide Expeditions.

It is Dutch flagged and was completely rebuilt and converted into a passenger vessel in 2009 and fully complies with the latest SOLAS (‘Safety of Life at Sea’) Regulations.

Plancius offers high-quality accommodation for 108 passengers in 50 cabins all with private toilets and showers. There are four quadruple porthole cabins, nine twin porthole cabins, 25 twin cabins with a window and 2 twin deluxe cabins. All cabins offer lower berths (one queen-size bed in the superior cabins and two single beds in the twin cabins), except for the four quadruple cabins (for 4 persons in 2x upper and lower beds).

Please be aware that a small number of cabins on these ships may have a partially obstructed view due to the size of the windows and the design of the ship and some windows, for example, may be partly obstructed in the lower half by a gangway.

The zodiac drivers will take you safely ashore, and also on more leisurely cruises as well, so you will gain an even more intimate and unique perspective of the seabirds and marine mammals in this stunning wilderness. In keeping with the spirit of expedition, dress on board is informal, so bring casual and comfortable clothing for all activities. Keep in mind that much of the scenery is best appreciated from the open decks, which can be slippery, so bring sturdy shoes with non-slip soles, and make sure your parka is never far away in case there is an announcement of “whales” over the PA system and you want to dash outside in a moment’s notice. We recommend opting for layers, as it is comfortably warm aboard the ship though often cold out on deck.

Your physical condition

You must be in good overall health and be able to walk several hours each day. The expedition is ship-based and physically not very demanding, but we spend as much time as possible on shore. You are, however, welcome to remain aboard the ship if you prefer.

To join most excursions you must be able to get up and down the steep gangway, from the ship to the water level, to board the zodiacs. The ship’s staff will assist you in and out of the boats, and boarding will become progressively easier with practice, but conditions on shore can be slippery and rocky.

Remember, you will be travelling in remote areas without access to sophisticated medical facilities, so you must not join this expedition if you have a life-threatening condition or need daily medical treatment.

• North Atlantic Odyssey Systematic List 2018