This is a unique expedition to a remote and little explored part of the globe. Not discovered until 1873 by the Austrian Tegethoff expedition large parts of this vast archipelago still remain untouched by man! Franz Josef Land is home to polar bears, seals, walrus and a great variety of Arctic birds. We can also expect to see whales on the trip - there is a local population of the once so common, but now almost extinct, Greenland whale and with luck we will see minke whales, belugas and the elusive narwhal.
We explore the islands in comfort on board the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn and make daily excursions with Zodiacs and helicopters. Few things are more exciting than flying with a helicopter over a pod of Arctic whales, sitting in a Zodiac a few metres from colossal walruses lounging on an ice floe or experiencing a close-up encounter with a polar bear. This is everyday life in the archipelago of Franz Josef Land!
We visit the islands in the height of summer and we will be travelling under the midnight sun. At this time of year carpets of colourful Arctic flowers cover the ground and the bird colonies are bustling with life. The following itinerary is a general outline of what we hope to achieve during our time in the archipelago.
Day 1: Helsinki - Murmansk
Arrive in Helsinki independently. Then we fly to Murmansk where we embark the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn and sail in the evening.
Day 2: The Barents Sea
Today we make ourselves familiar with this extraordinary icebreaker. Our lecturers educate us with presentations of the Arctic wildlife, history of exploration, geology and flora.
Day 3: Approaching Franz Josef Land, Bell Island
As we get closer to the pack ice border the officers keep a constant lookout from the bridge for whales, seals and polar bears. In the evening we hope to make our first landing in the archipelago at Bell Island. Here we visit Eira Lodge, erected by the Leigh Smith expedition in 1881.
Day 4: Cape Flora, Northbrook Island, Rubini Rock
We attempt a landing at Cape Flora on Northbrook Island, discovered by Leigh Smith in 1880, when his steam yacht Eira was crushed by the ice. Four years later British explorer Jackson built a settlement on the site and it was here that the historic meeting between him and Norwegian explorer Nansen took place. We enjoy the beauty of this cape carpeted by Arctic flowers. At Hooker Island our ship will approach Rubini Rock, a huge basalt cliff rising straight out of the sea and home to thousands of nesting seabirds.
Day 5: Cape Norwegia, Jackson Island
Today we hope to land at Cape Norwegia on Jackson Island in the northern part of Franz Josef Land. It was here that Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen over-wintered, after a failed attempt to conquer the North Pole. This area is frequented by polar bears, and we keep a constant lookout as our ship travels through the pack ice.
Day 6: Stolichky and Appolonov Islands
On Stolichky and Appolonov Islands there are some large walrus colonies. With our Zodiacs we try to get a good look at these beautiful giants. The majority of the walrus observed here in summer are females with calves and sub-adults.
Day 7: Cape Heller, Wilczek Island
At Cape Heller on Wilczek Island we visit the remains of Fort McKinley, a tiny stone hut where two sailors over-wintered in 1898. The men were members of American journalist Walter Wellman’s expedition, attempting to reach the North Pole by dog sled. Working its way westward our ship battles through thick, multi-year ice. From the helicopters we are rewarded with spectacular views of the polar landscape and watch our impressive ship break through several metres thick ice.
Day 8: Cape Fiume, Champ Island
Today our goal is Champ Island. Its landscape is majestic, with high cliffs and ice-capped mountains, highest in the archipelago. We land at Cape Fiume, where we can see remarkable stones of perfect spherical shape and several metres in diameter.
Day 9: Camp Ziegler, Alger Island
On Alger Island we visit Camp Ziegler, established by the Baldwin-Ziegler North Pole expedition in 1901. Alger Island and the surrounding islands are covered by huge icecaps and glaciers, which produce hundreds of impressive icebergs each summer. We explore the drifting bergs by Zodiacs and admire these majestic giants.
Day 10: Cape Tegethoff, Hall Island
On August 30, 1873, the crew of the Tegethoff, beset in the ice, saw the outlines of a mountainous region emerging in the northwest. It was with great joy and jubilation they celebrated the discovery of new land, and claimed it for their emperor Franz Josef. The land they had spotted was Hall Island, and today, 133 years later we land on Cape Tegetthof and admire the impressive landscape of towering cliffs.
Day 11: The Barents Sea
Bound for Murmansk we review the unique journey we have just undertaken. Tonight we celebrate the completion of the expedition together with the Captain and his officers.
Day 12: Murmansk - Helsinki
We arrive to Murmansk in the morning and transfer to the airport for the flight to Helsinki.
Please note: Expeditions in the Arctic depend greatly on weather and ice conditions. The above itinerary is just a guideline of what we hope to achieve. Flexibility is the key to a successful expedition
