THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE FROM ANADYR tO MURMANSK
25 nights Departure: 28 June 2008 Ship: Kapitan Khlebnikov (Icebreaker)
An ambitious journey Russia’s Northeast Passage was closed to foreign travellers for more than half a century.  Total darkness six months of the year coupled with extreme ice and weather conditions continue to make the Northeast Passage relatively inaccessible to travellers.  But not to Quark Expeditions!  Quark were the first - and will be the only - expedition company capable of offering this ambitious journey aboard a polar-class icebreaker in 2008. 130th Anniversary Since the 16th Century, explorers have attempted to transit the Northeast Passage, which follows the Arctic coast of Russia from the Barents Sea to the Bering Strait.  This sought after northern trading route shortens the sea voyage to Asia by almost 7,400 km (4,200 miles) and 13 days. In 1878, Swedish explorer Nils Nordenskjöld sailed Vega from Goteborg, Sweden, arriving in Yokohama, Japan, in 1879.  That was the first successful transit of the Northeast Passage.  The feat was not repeated for nearly 35 years.  The Arctic summer of 2008 is the 130th anniversary of that first successful transit.  We are marking the occasion by designating the Northeast Passage our International Polar Year featured expedition. 2007-2009 is International Polar Year On 3 occasions in the last 125 years, scientists from all over the world have banded together to organize scientific and explorative projects in the polar regions. This 24-month event is building on a successful legacy.  An intense, international campaign is initiating the dawn of a new era in polar science.
Important note: Quark Expeditions was the first to transit the Northeast Passage with travelers, and are the only company to do so in 2008.  This edition is in celebration of International Polar Year.  It will not be offered in 2009.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Anchorage, Alaska You spend the first night of this 7,000 km (4,000 mile) expedition in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. Day 2 - Embarkation Day We fly you from Anchorage to Anadyr, Russia, losing a day en route as you cross the International Dateline.  You meet the Expedition Team - a well-informed group of specialists that delivers our shipboard education programme, an engaging series of illustrated presentations on all things Arctic – political, biological and geological. Days 3 to 5 - Chukotka Peninsula To reach the Northeast Passage, we sail northward through the Bering Strait, past Cape Dezhnev, the eastern most point of Asia.  Two of the anticipated shore landings are a visit to the small village of Uelen, and an exploration of the uninhabited island of Kolyuchin, where puffins and other seabirds nest.  Onboard Zodiacs and helicopters make these remote and possibly ice-bound places accessible. Days 6 & 7 - Wrangel Island The Delong Strait crossing may provide opportunities to witness Kapitan Khlebnikov breaking ice, from the air and the bow.  Landings are planned on Wrangel Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated for its diverse flora, and its importance as a habitat for migratory birds.  Musk oxen thrive there. Mammoth remains were found on the island suggesting the elephant-like creatures grazed the tundra as recently as 4,000 years ago. Days 8 to 14 - New Siberian Islands We make our way through the pack ice of the East Siberia Sea to the New Siberian Islands, where, if conditions permit, we’ll hike the tundra, explore old hunting camps and see the northernmost point of the European continent.  A wildlife watch will be mounted, as this is the habitat of the rarely seen Laptev walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens. Days 15 to 19 - Severnaya Zemlya and Novaya Zemlya Landings on the least accessible group of islands in the Arctic, Severnaya Zemlya, are intended during this portion of the voyage.  Our wildlife watch continues for Ross and Sabine Gulls, as well as beluga whales in the Kara Sea.  The archipelago of Novaya Zemlya thwarted attempts to complete a transit of the Northeast Passage until the development of engine driven surface vessels.  We plan landings and aerial flight-seeing. Days 20 & 21 - Franz Josef Land Well above the Arctic Circle lie the most northerly islands in Eurasia Franz Josef Land.  They are the habitat of polar bear, and Atlantic walrus.  We plan to visit Cape Flora, where remains from three historic expeditions are found.  If conditions permit, Zodiacs will cruise the base of towering cliffs where seabirds nest.  We expect to use the helicopters for aerial flight-seeing and transfers to otherwise inaccessible landing sites. Days 22 to 25 - Barents Sea We sail the Barents Sea to Murmansk, the home port of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet.  We’ll fly you from Murmansk to Helsinki, where you’ll spend the night, before flying home.
Important reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy – and excitement – of expedition travel.  There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish.  A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage.
Departure Dates and Prices
Prices are per person for 25 nights and do not include international flights.
Departure date Prices per person  28 June 2008 £16,025
Price Includes: Voyage as indicated in the itinerary. Flights as indicated in the itinerary. Pre- and post-cruise hotel accommodations in a shared twin room with breakfast as indicated in the itinerary. All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship. All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac and helicopter (as included in group excursions with no specific amount of helicopter time guaranteed). Programme of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff. Transfers and baggage handling between the hotels, airports and ship as indicated in the itinerary. All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme. Comprehensive pre-departure materials and handbook. Price Excludes: International flights. Passport and visa expenses. Government arrival and departure taxes. Meals ashore. Supplement for single hotel accommodations. Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance.  Excess baggage charges.  All items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar and beverage charges and telecommunication charges, and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).  Any possible helicopter flying time in excess of that offered for the group will be charged at an hourly rate to be announced onboard.