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Akademik Ioffe<br />
Wild flowers<br />
The Adventure Fleet<br />
As a recent acquisition of Quark, the Adventure<br />
Fleet’s specialist vessels conduct a programme of<br />
cruises that includes Arctic Canada, Greenland and<br />
the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, focusing on<br />
wildlife, local culture, walking and even specialist<br />
photography cruises. The company prides itself on<br />
its minimal impact on the environment, going<br />
beyond established best practice and setting new<br />
standards for others to follow. Guests spend as<br />
much time off the ship as possible, using a fleet of<br />
sturdy, inflatable zodiacs that are used to take<br />
them on excursions to match their special interests.<br />
Flexibility is the byword here, with specialist –<br />
and often award-winning – guides to focus on<br />
ornithology, geology, history, marine biology, botany,<br />
astronomy, anthropology, hiking and photography.<br />
Sea kayaking spaces are limited and so an interest<br />
must be expressed at the time of booking.<br />
Spitsbergen Explorer<br />
From June to August this 11-day cruise focuses<br />
on the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, a remote<br />
cluster of islands set high above the Arctic Circle.<br />
The voyage circumnavigates the major island of<br />
Spitsbergen and sails as far north as 81 degrees,<br />
meeting polar bears, walrus and beluga whales.<br />
Glaciers, colossal fjords and ice-capped mountains<br />
rise from the sea whilst the tundra blazes with a<br />
Inuit hunters<br />
plethora of wildflowers. Specific highlights<br />
include the walrus sanctuary of Moffen Island,<br />
Hornsund’s 14 glaciers flowing into the sea, the<br />
birdlife of Fuglesangen cliffs, a 16th century<br />
whaling station, the world’s most northerly post<br />
office and Virgohamna, staging point for many<br />
expeditions to the North Pole by explorers<br />
including Roald Amundsen.<br />
Northwest Passage Cruise<br />
This journey aims, over 13 days, to follow the<br />
journey completed by Roald Amundsen, who first<br />
successfully navigated the Northwest Passage in<br />
1905. Along a route that is littered with evidence<br />
of ill-fated expeditions your journey will visit Inuit<br />
communities and provide wonderful wildlife<br />
viewing. South of Resolute, Peel Sound is a likely<br />
place to find the narwhal and beluga, while King<br />
William Island, is where Franklin died after his<br />
ships Erebus and Terror became stuck in pack ice.<br />
The Inuit community of Cambridge Bay, where<br />
Amundsen over-wintered is a great area for<br />
sighting polar bears. Although it is said that the<br />
fastest way through ice is around it, the captain<br />
will ensure that you experience the thrill of icebreaking<br />
before heading back to Cambridge Bay.<br />
AKADEMIK IOFFE<br />
Built in Scandinavia in the late 1980s by the Russian<br />
Academy of Science, the 117 metre Akademik<br />
Ioffe is exceptionally well prepared for cruising in<br />
the Arctic. She has a crew of 53 and can take up<br />
to 110 guests. All the simple but tastefully furnished<br />
cabins have an outside view through porthole or<br />
window and have either shared or en suite<br />
facilities. There is a lounge/bar, restaurant, gym,<br />
sauna, swimming pool, and a theatre-style<br />
presentation room where the ships resident<br />
experts give lectures. The ‘open bridge’ policy<br />
means passengers can, at any time, visit the bridge<br />
to enjoy the views and glean insights from the<br />
officers of the watch. The ship carries inflatable<br />
zodiacs for viewing wildlife and excursions ashore,<br />
as well as a small number of sea kayaks.<br />
Ringed plover<br />
Arctic Expedition Cruising<br />
Telephone: 01993 838 700<br />
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