Wild Earth

The main purpose of this expedition is to visit the geographic North Pole but there is a lot more to this experience than just simply visiting the pole. This is a voyage into the very heart of the Arctic, as the ship navigates through the polar ocean there is excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Franz Josef Land is visited as part of this expedition and the opportunity to explore a remote and seldom visited region of the Arctic which is historically very significant is a rare opportunity. There is also the spectacle of sailing aboard the most powerful icebreaker ever built, these nuclear powered vessels were designed with strength and power in mind to face even the strongest Arctic ice and to watch her breaking ice is a marvel of machinery.
    The expedition begins in Moscow before flying to Murmansk on the edge of the Arctic Ocean where our ship awaits. Once aboard and settled in we depart for the north and initially the primary focus is on reaching the North Pole so it is northwards that we head passing through the Franz Josef Land Archipelago and continuing deep into the permanent polar ice. As we make our way northwards the lecture program begins as the history, geography and natural history of the region is explained and brought to life by the onboard experts. As the ship reaches the ice and begins icebreaking is the perfect time to be out on deck watching for wildlife in particular the Polar Bear but also other illusive high arctic species such as Ross’s and Sabine’s Gulls.
Upon reaching the North Pole a celebration is held on the ice at this point where everything converges and it is possible to walk around the world in a few short steps. It is only a very elite and small community that have ever stood at the top of the world and you will now be among that elite few. Turning southwards, because everywhere from the North Pole is southwards we turn our attention towards Franz Josef Land and our hoped for landings at research stations, historical sites and wildlife viewing opportunities. These islands are often shrouded in fog hiding many of their secrets but when the cloud clears there is a truly arctic world of snow and rock in all its forbidding and stark beauty. But the time comes when we must continue south and back to Murmansk and the end of this expedition of a lifetime.