Dreaming of a polar adventure, but not sure which one to choose? Swan Hellenic’s Expedition Operations Manager, Jane Wilson, is here to help…
Into the Arctic
First off, why choose an Arctic expedition cruise?
Jane: It’s a wonderfully remote destination, with interesting culture, incredible nature, and unforgettable cultural experiences. The Swan Hellenic philosophy is to immerse our guests in each destination to find out about places that are not well known, which other companies might not even have visited. We’re essentially exploring the edges of the Arctic Ocean, from the comfort of our beautiful ships, and there are exciting things about each region.
What is it about the Arctic that appeals to our guests?
Jane: Go on an Arctic expedition voyage and you find yourself face-to-face with nature. You're away from the rest of the world, and the Arctic landscape is vast and barren. You get up close and personal to a real sense of remoteness, and become aware of where you are in the world as you're explore, which is very much the spirit of expedition.
Svalbard Highlights
Where’s a good place to start if you’ve never been to the Arctic before?
Jane: If someone wants to have a taste of the Arctic, Svalbard is well worth visiting. In my view, it’s the jewel in the Arctic crown. You've got fantastic scenery, wonderful wilderness, and great national parks, coupled with interesting communities. And there’s incredible wildlife there as well, polar bears, herds of walrus, and lots of seabirds, which come to the Arctic in summer to breed and feed. Svalbard is an international hub for clean air, geology, glaciology, and climate change research too.
And what stands out most for you about Svalbard?
Jane: The landscape there is something really unique. It’s incredibly barren. The obvious thing is there are no trees and really hardly any plants, just some wildflowers, and lichens and liverworts. When we're off the pack ice edge at 80° north, which is only 540 nautical miles from the North Pole, you get a sense of this incredible, hostile environment combined with a beautiful, snowy landscape.
Icelandic gems
So what can Swan Hellenic guests expect if they visit Iceland?
Jane: Iceland is the furthest south we go in the Arctic. It’s often referred to as 'the land of fire and ice' – and for good reason! Iceland is ground zero for geothermal activity, there's a lot of molten lava, hot pools and snow-capped volcanoes there. It’s easy to get to, you can fly and drive there, but with Swan Hellenic you get to see all sorts of amazing parts of Iceland from the ocean, and our ships go into some of the lesser - known fjords and communities where most people tend not to visit.
What wildlife can people visiting Iceland see?
Jane: There’s almost 24- hour daylight in Iceland during the summer months, meaning there’s a phytoplankton and zooplankton bloom, which is why wildlife flocks there for food. Iceland is great for spotting sea birds and whale watching. Whale season is in the summer and humpbacks and orcas are often seen off the coast. They can behave quite spectacularly and are often seen lurching from below to feed!
Adventures in Greenland
Greenland has a lot to offer when it comes to expedition cruising, doesn’t it?
Jane: Yes! Greenland is the world's biggest island and has absolutely spectacular fjords and great big icebergs. Greenland’s the biggest polar ice cap outside of Antarctica, and the biggest one in the Arctic. This giant polar ice cap is World Heritage listed and is essentially one big giant glacier across the top of Greenland, with small rivers of ice coming off the plateau down to sea level. It’s something you’ll never forget seeing!
How will Swan Hellenic guests experience what life in Greenland is like?
Jane: Only around 50 to 80,000 people live in Greenland, so the communities there are very remote and still live partly traditional lifestyles. Seeing the Greenlandic culture, the way these remote communities live is fantastic. You may see examples of traditional kayaks made of seal skin, or people practicing local handicrafts, such as carving, or wearing part-traditional dress at a celebration or ceremony. There are also fascinating museums there – almost every town has one – and guests will get to visit some of them.
What’s a highlight of an expedition voyage in Greenland?
Jane: Ilulissat is one of the big highlights of Greenland. Found on the west coast of Greenland above the Arctic Circle, there's a very long, narrow fjord, which is one of the most active fjords in terms of ice floe. It’s one of the most active glaciers coming off the polar ice pack. We are always on the lookout for wildlife in Greenland too, and often see whales, seabirds and seals.
Canadian charms
What would you say are the highlights of exploring the Canadian Arctic with Swan Hellenic?
Jane: There are many highlights, but you’ll soon discover there’s a high concentration of marine mammals there, such as beluga whales and narwhal. We're always on the lookout to show guests these true Arctic creatures, as they stay up there the whole year.
What can guests expect to see in terms of the history of the Canadian Arctic?
Jane: We’ve got special archaeological permits to go to Caswell Tower in Radstock Bay, where guests get to see the remains of rocks and whale bones, which are what the houses were constructed from thousands of years ago. It’s incredible that settlements could persist in this harsh environment and you really get a taste of that when you see this historic site. We also look at the ill-fated Franklin expedition that was searching for the Northwest Passage and visit three graves of some of the crew on Beechey Island.