We’ve spent the early morning observing birds in the strait of Hinlopen. Then our morning landing was cancelled due to a bear ashore, walking exactly where we had intended to land. Instead, we’ve been proceeding further north for a walk ashore on a lateral moraine covered by snow. We’ve seen the polar desert, beautiful minerals, and fox tracks. During the afternoon, we went on a wildlife watch in the area of Bjørnsundet spotted many “pixel bears” through our scopes and binoculars. Some walruses were also hauling on some ice floes.
6/15/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard
This morning, National Geographic Resolution explored the northeast coast of Spitsbergen Island. On approach to our landing, the ever-watchful spotters on the Bridge found a mother and cub polar bear on fast ice at a comfortable distance from our landing site. On shore, we divided into casual, moderate, and long walkers and set off into the high arctic tundra to explore the barren beauty of this high latitude. The long walkers made it to a high point with an amazing view of the ship and fjord, while the casual and moderate walkers explored the fjord-indented coastline. After lunch, we hopped into Zodiacs for an amazing cruise along the bird cliffs at Alkefjellet. The highlight was the thousands of Brunich’s guillemots nesting on dolerite ledges and covering every available space. Birds, birds everywhere! It was truly a sight to see and hear. We found an arctic fox cruising along the rocky shoreline and incredibly steep terrain, looking for anything (eggs, chicks) falling from the sky. Most of these bird cliffs have a resident fox den beneath them, as the abundance of birds helps sustain them. It was another incredible day at Latitude 79 North!
