NOTES FROM A LOG: August 2007
Day 1: Longyearbyen
We embarked the ship in Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen. We arrived a day early to enjoy the quaint village, and to ensure that we were ready to board on embarkation day.
Once our luggage was safely stowed in the cabin, we participated in what we took to be the essentials: a lifeboat drill, the Expedition Leader’s welcome, and a delicious buffet.
With no incentive to sleep – we were in the land of eternal daylight – we kept watch on deck, reveling in the passing scenery and the gleaming, glittering glaciers. Birders trained their binoculars on the seabirds that accompanied the vessel, adding to their life lists.
Day 2: Samarinvagin
While the ship was at anchor in Samarinvågin, the only large bay on the southern shore of Hornsund, the landscape was dominated by Samarin Glacier. The Expedition Leader chose Samarinvågin for the first off-ship adventure, lowering the Zodiacs for cruising. The kayakers wet their hulls for the first time. Activities ran concurrently. Whether we were in Zodiacs or kayaks, the Expedition Team ensured that we were at a safe distance from the volatile glacier front.
The birders added Little Auks, Black Guillemots, Northern Fulmars and Black-legged Kittiwakes to their lists. Bearded seals resting on ice floes were the subjects of many photographs, which we traded with each other.
Day 3: Isbukta
In a secluded lagoon of Isbukta (Ice Bay) we watched for Sabine Gulls, skuas, and bearded seals, as the Expedition Team watched for polar bears. If the big bears were sighted, the shore landings became Zodiac cruises, because polar bears are dangerous animals, unafraid of humans.
Educational presentations taught us how to tell multiyear from first year ice like a seasoned Expedition Leader and how to identify an Arctic seabird on the wing.
Day 4: Diskobukta
Once again, a scout party went ashore to ensure there were no polar bears lurking. When the all-clear was given, we explored a box canyon, where the bones of ancient bowhead whales had washed ashore thousands of years ago. Learning to read the landscape was part of our expedition experience.
When we reached the keyhole canyon where Kittiwakes raised their young on the steep cliff sides, we encountered an Arctic fox. The small canine was feeding on scraps that had fallen from the nests above.
In the afternoon, we visited Kapp Lee station, near Edgeøya, a known walrus haul-out. The approach was in small groups so the massive beasts were not disturbed. At the same time, the kayakers paddle across the bay.
Day 5: Rosenbergdalen
High surf at Rosenbergdalen beach prevented us from landing at our intended spot. The Expedition Team, in true adventure fashion, revised the itinerary on the spot. That constinual element of surprise heightened the excitement of our expedition.
From the pages of a Spitsbergen Explorer Log, from August 2007.