Many of us woke early this morning as National Geographic Endurance touched the first ice at 4:00 a.m. Overnight, we had made our way into Storfjorden on the southeast end of the archipelago.
Guides were up to scout the ice and shoreline for wildlife as we navigated to Sundneset on Barentsøya for a landing and hikes. Passing by Kapp Lee, a location for potential walruses, no one was “home” on land, but several walruses were spotted on the ice and in the water.
The morning progressed with different hiking options, and it was a fantastic day of tundra exploration. Reindeer were abundant, foraging on some of the first new spring vegetation, and the songs of snow buntings filled the air.
Returning to Kapp Lee in the afternoon, we set out in Zodiacs to explore the historical hut and venture into the sea ice. As we navigated through a labyrinth of frozen ocean, several walruses were spotted hauled up on the ice.
It was a brilliant first day of adventuring in the High Arctic, offering just a small sample of what we might see in the coming days.
