Join us on the beautiful Isfjord and encounter raw nature, combined with a piece of Svalbard history. We sail towards Nordenskiöld Glacier, and on the way we will visit unique nesting areas for seabirds.
We are following Visit Svalbard and Svalbard travel council’s reccomendation and will not embark in Pyramiden. Instead we wil give you a great tour in Billefjorden, with The Nordenskiöld Glacier as a high light.
We sail from Longyearbyen in our comfortable Stormforce boat and the goal for the day is the Nordenskiöld glacier in Billefjorden. The summer in Svalbard offers a bustling wildlife, both on land and at sea. The bird life is rich at this time of the year, and often the birds are gathered on steep cliffs around Diabasodden which is our first stop on the trip. Of the most common species, we find king eider, arctic guillemots, puffins, various gulls, and the little auk, to name a few. Also keep your eyes up for seals, whales, and walruses.
At the entrance to Billefjorden we visit Skansebukta. The bay is sheltered from the wind and bad weather, and in 1918 it was occupied by Dalen Portland Cementfabrik to extract gypsum. The gypsum extraction took place in two periods but became a short-lived project. Today, Skansebukta is a protected cultural monument and attracts residents and visitors to its beautiful area.
In the heart of the Billefjorden we find the now abandoned Russian mining town, Pyramiden, just below the iconic Pyramid Mountain. We will not disembark on this trip, but Pyramiden is clearly visible from the boat. We are sailing onwards to the Isfjord’s most impressive glacier – Nordenskiöldbreen.
The glacier front is high and majestic and is crowned by the two nunataks, the Terrier and Perrier mountains. If you are extra lucky, you can see several of Svalbard’s animal species in the area.
Difficulty: 2
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09:00 - 16:00
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Minimum participants: 4 persons
Age limit: 8 years
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You will quickly understand why the Nordenskiöld glacier is said to be the most beautiful glacier in Isfjorden. We have lunch in front of the glacier and enjoy the spectacular view. The lunch consists of sandwich from Restaurant Polfareren, as well as a good selection of hot drinks and biscuits.
On this trip, each group has a maximum of 12 people and its own guide. The boat is smaller and faster than the larger boats and has both heat and WC on board.
NB! Early in the season, there may be too much ice in Billefjorden for us to get all the way to Nordenskiöldbreen. There is still a lot of nature in the area that can be explored and maybe we are lucky to experience the wildlife that often bustles at this time of year.
Svalbard has a common grading system so you will find the trip that suits you. Highlighted number is graded for this trip:
1 – Suitable for all
2 – Suitable for most
3 – Average physical fitness
4 – Above average physical fitness
5 – Demands exceptional physical fitness