We depart from Vlissingen in Zeeland, traveling via the Westerschelde to the North Sea. Along the way, we will look out for seabirds and marine mammals together with the highly experienced guides from Inezia Tours.

Two days on the North Sea. During previous trips, we have seen orcas, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, common dolphins, porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, fulmars, razorbills, black guillemots, puffins, northern gannets, great skuas, and lesser skuas during the crossing of the North Sea.

On the way, we make our first stop at the remote Fair Isle where (weather permitting) we land and enjoy a lovely walk, take in the views and admire the very photogenic puffins.

Passengers who boarded in Vlissingen will be offered an excursion by bus to Fowlsheugh, a seabird cliff south of Aberdeen. Over 100,000 pairs of seabird of different species can be seen here. Alternatively, you can join an excursion to the Ythan Estuary, where the beaches are teeming with harbor seals, grey seals, and birds that keep to the shorelines. Both outings are included in the price of booking.

Jan Mayen is a small volcanic island with Mount Beerenberg at its center. Imposing glaciers slide down the flanks of this 2300-meter-high volcano into the sea. Until recently, it was not permitted to visit this island with its military base, but with permission from the Norwegian authorities, it is now usually possible to go ashore here to visit the weather station.

At Kvalrossbukta, we visit the remains of a 17th-century settlement of Dutch whalers, which is now home to a large colony of northern fulmars. We sail past Koksletta, where thousands of little auks and thick-billed murres breed close to the glacier, watched by hungry great skuas.

The ship sails northeast towards the edge of the sea ice, searching for other whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds. If we cannot continue further north, we will set course for Spitsbergen! This is also the area where we look out for the very rare Greenland whale, which occurs here in small numbers and is seen with some regularity.

During our trip in 2015, we made a discovery that made world news: nearly 100 bowhead whales, more animals than this population was thought to have. In 2016 and 2017, we also discovered several groups of this very rare whale, and in 2018, with Natuurpunt, we again saw record numbers: we saw more than 100 bowhead whales that year!

The chances of seeing this previously untraceable animal seem to have increased, and this year we will once again do our utmost to find a number of bowhead whales. But there is another highlight to be experienced here: a powerful encounter with the Emperor of the North: the polar bear, even in the middle of the night!

Because we are well above the Arctic Circle, it is light here even at night, and we have a 24-hour chance of seeing this super predator. If we encounter a polar bear at night, we will announce it over the PA system so that no one has to miss this encounter!

Depending on the position of the sea ice, we will sail into one of the fjords in the west of Spitsbergen. Here we have a chance of seeing walruses and polar bears hunting sunbathing seals. West of Spitsbergen, still on the open sea, is an area where we see several species of whales almost every year, including the largest animal on earth, the blue whale!

On the east side of Prins Karls Forland lies Poolepynten, a low embankment with an inland sea and beaches on both sides. Here we will once again search for walruses. The walruses come ashore to rest and digest their food and usually allow themselves to be observed and photographed at close range.

We will try to make our last stop at Alkhornet, a huge mountain at the entrance to Isfjorden. Tens of thousands of birds breed on the mountain, flying back and forth amid loud cries, squeaks, and cackles. At the foot of the mountain, several Arctic foxes have their dens. Belugas are often found in the fjord itself, and reindeer are also present in large numbers here. They have shorter legs than their mainland counterparts and can often be seen and photographed very well and up close.

If we are unable to go ashore here, it is good to know that both Arctic foxes and reindeer can also be found in Longyearbyen. They almost always show themselves to people who stay on Spitsbergen for a few days after the boat trip.

We will disembark in the morning in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen. Here, everyone has the choice of taking the plane home immediately, staying for one or more days, or boarding immediately for a connecting cruise near Spitsbergen for a longer stay in this northern archipelago. Inezia Tours organizes an interesting excursion program, about which travelers will be informed at the end of the year.

PLEASE NOTE: It is possible to remain on board for the North Spitsbergen expedition cruise. If you book both the North Atlantic Odyssey and the North Spitsbergen expedition, you will also receive a substantial discount on the total price of the trip. Please feel free to ask us for more information.