The Midnight Sun. What an remarkable phenomenon, and one allowing us to experience a week’s worth of wildlife, all in 24 uninterrupted hours of crisp Norwegian daylight. And today the explorers took full advantage of it. Today, we woke to the beckoning of a blue whale off our bow as we cruised north through Forlandsundet, which set the tone, as it just one of many of the amazing wildlife sightings of the day—including Svalbard reindeer, walruses, and the endemic beluga whale!
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!
