On our expedition cruises around Norway’s Svalbard archipelago and the beautifull coast of East Greenland, you will sail along sculpted glacier fronts, through breathtakingly scenic fjords and amongst sparkling ice caps lit by the midnight sun. The wildlife watching around Spitsbergen is excellent with Arctic foxes, bearded seals, walrus, beluga whales and the ultimate wildlife encounter – the mighty polar bear. Advanced divers have the unique opportunity to experience a rarely seen underwater world whilst for the ‘explorers’ there are exhilarating zodiac cruises and the chance to explore by kayak.

We are effectively running two trips in one each with their own dedicated guides. One underwater for our experienced polar divers and one topside for our ‘explorers’. For the 'explorers' we run much smaller groups at a landing site or on a zodiac cruise, often between 10-20 guests, compared with 100 or much more for 'normal' expedition vessels. These small numbers give us exceptional freedom for longer exploratory zodiac cruises. On the landing sites our 'footprint' is very small – we are few enough to cause virtually no disturbance, leaving us with more rewarding interactions with the wildlife and even more of a feeling of being in our own personal wilderness.

There are also occasions where the explorers and divers can add to each other’s experience. Life in the Arctic is very much underwater biased and the divers perspective, photography and video, as well as the presentations by our expedition team, have proved fascinating for our topside guests. And, many times the groups alert each other to wildlife they had missed.

For the advanced diver, the high Arctic is an amazing experience. The kelp beds of north and east Spitsbergen offer protection to sea-bottom life such as sea anemones, sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, shrimps and fish.
Diving in East Greenland is purely exploratory. You will be one of the very few divers in the world to dive the East part of Greenland !
Our polar dive experts, with many years experience of extreme situations, are trained to search out the best opportunities for

The Polar Regions are still the most remote destinations on earth and a privilege to visit. East Greenland is today a protected national park with shy and elusive wildlife, the most awesome expanses of stunning natural landscapes and legendary stories of mankind’s exploration and settlement in this challenging environment from the hunter’s huts to today’s Greenlandic Inuit communities. Join us as we explore this landscape of dramatic fjords, pack ice, late summer icebergs and endless tundra – truly stunning.

We board Polar Pioneer in Longyearbyen in the afternoon, settle in and set sail down beautiful Isfjorden in the evening, escorted by gliding fulmars and maybe a hard-flapping puffin.

We plan to spend two days sampling the delights of Spitsbergen’s northwest coast, with joyous walks across lush and flowering tundra, and visits to trappers’ camps. We hope to experience the thrill of glaciers calving into the bay and evidence of speedy glacial retreat. We’ll walk on smooth, raised beach terraces to glorious viewpoints, search out grazing reindeer and stretch our legs before heading out to sea.
We will also do our first check out dive for the experienced Dry Suit divers amongst us and plan to finish 3 other dives before we start the crossing over the Denmark Strait to Greenland.

As we cruise southwest across the Denmark Strait we may encounter pack ice. The strong icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the rest of the world for millennia. These currents carry nutrients from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals and whales. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity often create thick morning fog that vanishes with the onset of the midday sun.
Northeast Greenland National Park is home to polar bear, walrus, Arctic hare and musk ox. It is the world’s largest national park. Marine mammals include ringed, bearded, harp and hooded seals. Ice conditions are unpredictable in this part of Greenland, often creating new opportunities to explore.
If time allows we also take our divers out for a first acquaintance with Greenlandic waters.

If the pack ice allows, we’ll attempt to reach the rarely visited Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, possibly sighting seals along the coast. Ashore we may find musk ox, Arctic fox and ptarmigan. We aim to reach Scoresby Sound, the world’s biggest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit, where we look for signs of glacial recession.

This is the birthplace of Greenland’s renowned giant icebergs, a calving event of explosive proportions. Near Sydkap, our Zodiacs will whisk us on a magical tour of grounded icebergs more than 30-metres high, replete with green tunnels and aquamarine lakes.

At Ittooqqortoormiit we may visit the colourful Inuit community and learn of their hunting lifestyle. We remain alert for any chance to launch our sea kayaks in this maze of calm, interconnecting waterways, ever watchful for polar bears and narwhals.
During these days we will look for great dive locations and explore the underwater world of East Greenland. You will be the first divers ever to dive in these beautiful fjords.

We explore the East Greenland coast, along Knud Rasmussen Land, where trappers’ tiny huts perch on lonely promontories against a backdrop of flat-topped mountains that rise dramatically between massive glaciers. We marvel at the complex geology of the oldest island on earth and may visit Nansen Fjord to see where the Christian IV Glacier tumbles down from the Greenland icecap.

Please note that ice conditions vary enormously from year to year along the Greenland coast.

At sea all day, making our way across Denmark Strait, where submarine canyons lift nutrients to whale feeding grounds off Iceland’s northwest coast. Entertaining talks help consolidate what we’ve seen and felt as we head south to Iceland.

We reach Iceland, an island forged by fire and honed by ice. On arrival in Keflavik, we farewell Polar Pioneer and her crew, then transfer to the airport or our hotel in Reykjavik. Some us will fly home while others stay for a few extra days in Iceland with more adventures and fantastic diving.

Contact us for your Iceland Extension.
info@waterproof-expeditions.com