In Search of the Arctic Fox

7 days, 6 nights: July 16-22, 2012

Join us on a unique sailing and hiking adventure in the remote West Fjords region of Iceland. Spend a day in Reykjavík before heading north to the town of Isafjordur,where you will board the comfortable 60ft. expedition yacht AURORA to participate in research and observation of the Arctic Fox in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.

The landscape is dramatic with majestic bird-cliffs and lush valleys. There are no roads in this area, no telephone service, and no electricity. In fact, the only man-made structures you´ll find are the ruins of time gone by and the occasional light-house.

The wildlife is rich with 50 species of breeding birds, seals, whales and porpoises. The Nature Reserve is also home to the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland – the Arctic Fox.

Day 1, Arrival in Reykjavík; Onwards to Ísafjörður!

Your flight arrives from North America in the early morning. We pick you up at Keflavík Airport and proceed to Reykjavík (50 min drive). Check into a day-room at a top-rated Reykjavik hotel and enjoy a scrumptious breakfast. Your centrally located hotel is near most of the major sights as well as shops, galleries and museums. Explore the downtown area on your own or with a guide. At 3:45PM, we will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the local airport for your 5:00PM flight to Ísafjörður (40 min). Upon arrival in Ísafjörður, we head straight to the harbor, where the sailing yacht AURORA awaits us. Our first stop is the deserted town of Hesteyri, where we anchor off the old village and take a quick walk on shore before dinner on board the AURORA. Here, we will have the opportunity to see a number of different species of birds, such as: Puffin, Black Guillemot, Whooper Swan, Eider, Fulmar, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Common Snipe, Common Redshank, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Raven, Cormorant, Shag and many others.

Day 2, Hesteyri Village and Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

We will spend the morning exploring the old Hesteyri village, as we keep an eye out for the Arctic Fox. In the afternoon, we will move the boat over to the fjord of Veidileysufjordur and anchor there. We are now in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, a protected area. The vegetation is surprisingly lush. Over two-meter high Angelica grows down to the coast and the lowlands and slopes are decorated by spreading patches of Wood Crane's-bill, Fleabanes, Cotton grass, Lady Smock and other wildflowers. In the rocky and sandy areas we also have flowers such as Wild Thyme, Oysterplant, Arctic Poppy, Roseroot, Moss Campion and Thrift. We´ll keep our eyes open for the Harlequin ducks. Iceland is their only breeding grounds in Europe and they are both beautiful and fun to look at. Tonight will be spent at anchor in Veidileysufjordur.

Day 3, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Hlöðuvík

Early in the morning the group will leave to hike over to the north coast of the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and the bay of Hlöðuvík. The hike will take us over a 600m pass with great view of the surrounding area. While the group hikes over the pass the AURORA will sail around to meet them on the other side. There is also an option for people to sail with the boat instead of going on the hike. We'll sail along the coast of Snæfjallaströnd and around the headland of Bjarnanúpur. There we will be in close proximity to cliffs with large Fulmar colonies and meet other birds on the ocean such as Kittiwake, Arctic Tern and Guillemots. We will sail around the headlands of Ritur, Straumnes and Kögur and anchor off the old settlements in Hlöðuvík. This is a prime place to locate dens of the Arctic Fox and check out the cubs who by now should be a few weeks old. Night will be spent at anchor in Hlöðuvík.

Day 4, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Hornvík

We will sail from Hlöðuvík and enter the bay of Hornvík under the huge cliffs of Hælavíkurbjarg. In these cliffs there are the world's largest colonies of Common Guillemot and Brünnich Guillemot but also major populations of Kittiwake, Razorbill and Fulmars. We will sail close to shore with the 300m cliffs towering overhead. Weather and currents permitting, we will sail through the narrow pass behind the cliff of Súlnastapi. This gives us a chance to see thousands of birds up close in the air and on the cliffs, as well as possibly hundreds of birds diving under the boat. We will continue towards the head of the bay and anchor there. Hornvík is a prime location to see Arctic Foxes and a location for many research operations. Usually there are around six fox pairs on dens in the bay and a few single individuals. There may also be an option for all or part of the group to hike between Hlöðuvík and Hornvík instead of sailing with the yacht.

Day 5, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Hornbjarg

Today there will be no sailing but we will focus on the magnificent birdcliff of Hornbjarg to check out the seabird colonies there as well as look for Arctic Fox. We will hike up to the edge of the cliffs and along the length. This is a fantastic hike of 3-5 hours. The birds we will see in the cliffs are primarily Common Guillemot, Brünnich Guillemot, Razorbill, Fulmar and Kittiwake. It is estimated that there are about 1 million breeding pairs of Guillemot in Hornvík and Hælavík. Twice every day huge flocks of Kittiwake gather for a fresh water bath in the river and in one particular lake. This is an awesome sight and we will try to make time for a short walk into the valley to see this. We may also see Whooper Swans, Ringed Plover, Arctic Skua, Snow Bunting, Purple Sandpipers and Red Necked Phalaropes. We will have dinner onboard the yacht at anchor.

Day 6, Return to Ísafjörður

We will leave the anchorage around 8:00AM and head back towards Ísafjörður. Depending on the interest of the group we have an option of sailing a small detour north of the Arctic Circle. The arctic circle is only around 5 nautical miles north of Hornvík bay at 66º 33' 39" N. On the way there we may see whales such as Orcas, Minke whale, Humpback whale as well as Porpoises and Dolphins. There is also an option to stop at the small island of Vigur. This is a unique place where man and nature have coexisted in balance and harmony and where thousands of seabirds come ashore to breed during the short summer. There are large colonies of Eiders, Puffins, Arctic Terns and Black Guillemots. Apart from these birds there are a few passerine species such as Snow Bunting, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipits. With luck a White Tailed Eagle or Gyrfalcon can be spotted. It may also be possible to spot King Eiders. They often pair with common Eider females, producing exquisite looking hybrids. The island also has a cultural and architectural history worth exploring. Vigur features the only windmill in Iceland and the oldest house on the island is the recently renovated Viktoría House, built in 1860. Vigurbreiður is a rowing boat for eight people, over 200 years old. We will spend 3-5 hours walking around the island and stop for coffee and freshly baked cakes in the Viktoría house. We plan to be in port in Isafjordur again around 4:00PM. Enjoy an evening on your own in the town of Ísafjörður.

Day 7, Return to Reykjavík and Departure

Today we catch the 11:20AM flight back to Reykjavík and head straight from Reykjavík airport to the Blue Lagoon. Here you can swim and relax in the soothing, warm waters renowned for their healing powers. The spa also features an excellent restaurant and a gift shop offering skin products and other Icelandic designs. Keflavík International Airport is only 15 minutes away from the Blue Lagoon and we will drive you there in time for your afternoon flight to North America.

Included

• Five nights stay on board expedition yacht AURORA.
• Day-room in Reykjavík on arrival from N-America with breakfast.
• One night’s stay in Ísafjörður with breakfast.
• All meals on board AURORA and snacks during the day .
• Expert wildlife guidance.
• Use of sailing clothing (GoreTex jacket and pants), safety harness and life jacket.
• Kayaking gear (boat, paddle, dry-suit top and life jacket).
• Roundtrip airfare between Reykjavík and Ísafjörður.
• Private airport transfers.
• Expert guides throughout your stay.
• Entrance fee to Blue Lagoon spa.

Not Included

• Travel to and from Iceland.
• On-shore lunches and dinners.
• Personal medical insurance.
• Personal equipment as per recommended equipment list (to be provided).

Difficulty

• Easy to moderate.

For information, availability and bookings

Please send us a note at or call us at +354 857 8804.