East Spitsbergen - Summer Solstice | 8 Days | Hondius Cruise

Longyearbyen is the administrative centre of Spitsbergen - the largest of the Svalbard islands. This former mining city is a fascinating place to stroll around. The parish church and Svalbard Museum are both interesting attractions. The landscape may appear barren, but it is home to more than 100 species of plants. Early evening, the ship leaves Isfjorden. You might see the first Minke Whale of the voyage.

The day begins with a quiet cruise through the fjords in the Hornsund region of southern Spitsbergen. We enjoy the stunning scenery and the towering mountains. It is possible to see polar bears, seals, or even a harp seal on the 14 glaciers of the region. Kittiwakes, little auks and thousands of kittiwakes nest on the nearby Sofiakammen cliffs. In the evenings we may see thousands of seals mating and rutting at Sorkapp.

We land on the north bank of the Rosenberdalriver in Edgeoya, northwest, after navigating through the drift ice. We can walk to Rosenbergdalen from the elevated beach. The area is filled with reindeer grazing. We will then walk along a cliff where black guillemots nest on our route to Stretehamna. There, we can often see a large herd of Walruses near a 1905 trapper's lodge. The remains of an old Pomor home from the 19th century, as well as the bones taken by hunters in the past centuries can be seen.

We will land on Barentsoya's island, Sundneset. After sailing into Freemansundet we are planning to visit the hut of a German scientific expedition (Wurzbugerhutte) from sixty years ago. We will first visit the Wurzbugerhutte, a German expedition hut from 60 years ago. Then we'll take a walk on the tundra to search for Spitsbergen Reindeer and Barnacle Geese. We will then take a Zodiac trip near Freeman Glacier, and stop at a kittiwake nest in the canyon nearby. If there is heavy ice on Freemandundet we may instead choose to sail Negribreen. This glacier face, which is one of the largest in the East of Spitsbergen, has a large area of ice. We can land at Walrus Island and take a Zodiac Cruise. This island was ice free by the turn of the century.

We are sailing to Storfjorden (the west side) today. We will walk up to the breeding sites for ivory-billed gulls at Agardhfjellet. It is about 300 metres (980 feet). There are fossilized ammonites and belemnites in the valley that leads to the nests.

We will land today at Stellingfjellet mountain, close to the largest Brunnich guillemot colony in Spitsbergen. We will land at Isbukta Bay, a rarely-visited coast in south Spitsbergen.

Bellsund is one of Svalbard's largest fjord system. This area is slightly warmer due to ocean currents, and this can be seen in the lush vegetation. There are many opportunities for both wildlife and history to be enjoyed. Ahlstrandhalvoya is a possibility, located at the mouth Van Keulenfjorden. Here, you can find piles of skeletons. The remains of whales that were killed in the 19th century are an eerie reminder of what happened when exploitation was rampant. You have a high chance of seeing a beluga group. As an alternative, you can also explore the tundra, where reindeer feed, and rock slopes, where auks breed, when cruising through Bellsund's side fjords.

All adventures must come to an ending. As you disembark from the ship in Longyearbyen and head home, your memories will follow you to wherever your next journey takes.