Following the first back-to-back transit of the Northern Sea Route in 2017 by small-group polar cruise operator, Heritage Expeditions, the conservation-focused company will be returning to the Russian Arctic's Northeast Passage in summer 2020.

Departing in August and travelling from Anadyr to Murmansk, the 27-day expedition cruise will retrace the route of Swedish polar explorer, Adolf Erik Nordenskiold, who first crossedthe waterway.

Only a handful of expedition vessels have ever crossed the Northern Sea Route, since it is covered by sea ice for most of the year.

However, recent changes in summer sea ice conditions mean that it is now possible to navigate these waters for a brief time during August and September.

The rarely-visited Russian-controlled waters are home to an abundance of wildlife.

Deep, heavily-glaciated fjords and glaciers provide a polar breeding ground for many bird species.

Stops along the way include the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, the last major group of islands on earth to be discovered (in1914/15).

A maximum of 48 passengers will travel on board Akademik Shokalskiy, an ice-strengthened former Russian research vessel, which was built in 1984 for polar and oceanographic research.

Useful links

​ www.heritage-expeditions.com/destinations/russian-far-east-travel/north-east-passage-eastbound-cruise