Greenland, Svalbard & Iceland
Oslo - Longyearbyen - Reykjavik
Expeditions aboard M.S. Quest
In the dreamlike landscapes of Northeast Greenland you are met by icebergs in all colour hues, shapes and sizes, calving glaciers and breathtaking views of a seemingly endless ice cap. In this fairytale world muskox roam the tundra and huge whales breach in the sea.
On this exciting expedition we venture into the largest remaining wilderness area in the Northern Hemisphere, which is virtually untouched by man. The largest settlement on this shore has a mere 500 inhabitants and north of it the vast Northeast Greenland National Park spreads out. Here, a handful of scientists and park wardens are the only people we meet. The expedition starts in Spitsbergen, land of polar bears, where we embark the ice-strengthened expedition ship M/S Quest. During the first two days of the expedition we explore Spitsbergenīs fjord-indented coastline. Here, the polar bear, whale and walrus populations are protected and we have good chances of experiencing encounters with some of these fantastic Arctic creatures. Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes are other animals we may see.
We head west along the pack ice border towards Greenland and take turns searching for whales from the open decks. Our goal is to reach the Greenland coastline as far north as the pack ice border allows. We continue south along one of the worldīs most spectacular coastlines, where the vast fjord systems are littered with huge icebergs. We visit remains of ancient Inuit dwellings and the modern settlement Ittoqqortoormiit. With Zodiacs we cruise along Icelandvast glacier fronts and look for narwhals, walrus and seals. Hiking across the tundra we hope to meet some of the many muskox that roam here. At this time of year the Greenlandic tundra is covered by a carpet of Arctic flowers in stunning autumn colours. Finally we cross the Denmark Strait and hope to encounter some of the many whales that thrive here.The last two days are spent in Iceland, the land of fire and ice, where we visit geothermal springs and explore the capital Reykjavik.
