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Day 1
Located along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska, Nome offers the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of magnificent wilderness. As you weave in and out of the brightly coloured houses, you will discover the pioneering legacy that still marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing... People here live from their manual labour. The surrounding plains provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna.
Embarkation 06/09/2024 from 16:00 to 17:00
Departure 06/09/2024 at 18:00
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Day 2
Bordering the north coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Beaufort Sea was feared for centuries because of its extreme climatic conditions. Covered for most of the year with a thick layer of ice, and unexplored until 1914, this part of the Arctic Ocean, named in honour of the British Admiral Francis Beaufort, will reveal its magnificent icy landscapes to you. With a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some polar bears, since the region is renowned for sheltering the Lord of the Arctic.
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Day 3
Take time out on deck to soak up the icy seascape all around you.
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Day 4
With a bit of luck, we might cross the path of some polar bears as this region is renowned for sheltering the King of the Arctic.
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Day 5
Spend time familiarising yourself with the ship facilities, enjoy the sauna or a relaxing massage.
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Day 6
Enjoy informative lectures from our Expedition crew who will guide you through the wildlife of this region
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Day 7
On your days at sea, there is plenty to enjoy on board the ship, including the pool area and the incredible food served at meal times, your expedition team will update you daily on the ship's course and point out any wildlife sightings along the way.
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Day 8
There will be more engaging talks delivered by our experienced naturalist guides and historian, learn about the pioneering attempts to traverse this region by the early explorers of nearly a century ago.
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Day 9
Enjoy the frozen wilderness as we forge deeper through the ice in search of the North Pole.
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Day 10
The convergence point for the field lines of the Earth's magnetic field, the Magnetic North Pole attracts the magnetic needle of the compass. While the Geographic North Pole is the Earth's northernmost fixed point, marking the intersection of the Globe's rotation axis with the Earth's surface, the Magnetic North Pole moves over time. In fact, it is linked to the Earth's magnetic field which originates in the Earth's outer core, which is made up of molten metal and is subject to convection movements. Localised for the first time in 1831, in the Canadian Arctic, it has since moved towards Siberia and thus, has become closer to the Geographic North Pole. We set off in search of the Magnetic North Pole and if luck is on our side, we'll attempt to reach it!
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Day 11
We continue across the sea ice, aiming for the Geographical North Pole.
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Day 12
Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth's rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
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Day 13
Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of untouched, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water.
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Day 14
Your ship will sail along the naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice.
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Day 15
There will also often be an opportunity to see some Arctic wildlife, dependent on the ice conditions.
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Day 16
The Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve has been protecting the northernmost and coldest part of the archipelago, Nordaustlandet (North East Land), since 1973. This vast polar desert covered by two ice caps is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Protected by the Gulf Stream, the fjords and cliffs in the west and north are home to large colonies of birds and walruses. The landscapes in the colder east and south are dominated by imposing glaciers that calve majestic icebergs in the vast Hinlopen Strait. Large colonies of thick-billed murres have taken up residence on the sheer cliffs, depending on nesting and migration periods. You may even get the chance to see a bear or an Arctic fox roaming in the vicinity.
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Day 17
Sailing in the Hinlopen Strait, in the heart of the Arctic Ocean, between the Norwegian islands of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet promises an unforgettable experience. This territory of the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve offers breathtaking panoramas, with magnificent basalt formations and the ice cap stretching as far as the eye can see, diving into the sea. The shore line cut by the fjords moving inland composes a magical landscape in which icebergs float here and there, the result of the calving of the surrounding glaciers. This place, today a popular spot to observe the seabirds nesting in the enormous cliffs, polar bears and walruses, was once intrinsically linked to the history of the whalers who frequented the region from the 17th century. Indeed, it was one of them, Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen, then director of a Dutch whaling company, who gave the strait its name. Later on, Russian trappers, European explorers, scientists and even mountaineers roamed this region, as hostile as it is sublime.
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Day 18
The Soraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve is the second largest protected area in Norway. Established in 1973, this nature conservation area stretching over more than 21,000 km2 will offer you stunning panoramas including coastal landscapes, rocky islets, mountain plateaux, vast tundra plains, and ice floes. With a little luck, you will be able to observe a wide variety of seabirds, given the site is listed as an Important Bird Area, as well as cetaceans, Svalbard reindeer, or even Arctic foxes. Among other things, Edgeoya Island is renowned for providing shelter to a number of polar bears during the breeding season.
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Day 19
Nestling between millennial glaciers and carved mountains, and considered to be "the crown of Arctic Norway", Spitsbergen is a place that never sees the night. Your ship will take you closer to this fascinating archipelago and, more particularly, the Hornsund fjord. Considered to be Svalbard's southernmost fjord, it is especially reputed to be its most stunning: at the end of its vast bay, 8 great glaciers slowly make their way down to the sea before giving way to the many icebergs elegantly drifting along its cold and mysterious waters.
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Day 20
The vast Isfjorden is one of the main fjords in Svalbard. These different branches reach the heart of the island of Spitsbergen. Located deep inside the Billejforden, the Nordenskiöld Glacier with its front of ice, nearly 5 km wide, is one of the most spectacular in the Svalbard Archipelago. You will perhaps have the opportunity to discover the ghost town of Pyramiden. Constructed at the foot of a mountain in the form of a pyramid, this former mining town, founded by Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century before being sold a few years later to the Soviet Union, and abandoned in 1998, has conserved all the buildings from its glory days, when it lived off coal mining.
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Day 21
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard's main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you're in completely unexplored territory.
