At Sea, off Nordaustlandet Island, 6/11/2025, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Arctic
We spent an amazing day exploring the sea ice, the environment that supports and gives life to the High Arctic. We spent the whole day enjoying iconic views of an iconic landscape and had several opportunities to admire numerous wildlife species, from the ubiquitous black-legged kittiwake to walruses, polar bears, and the ethereal ivory gull. Wonderful!
Carlos J. Navarro is a biochemist specializing in marine biology, a M. Sc. in Environmental Management and a freelance wildlife photographer/author. Carlos has spent most of the last 30 years living along the shores of the Sea of Cortez and participa...
In the morning, guests enjoyed kayaking in calm water near the Wahlenberg Fjord of the Northeast Island. Nearby, a walrus fed at the bottom, surfacing every few minutes to catch a breath before diving again. In the afternoon, a landing was offered with strenuous, moderate, and casual hikes on Torellneset. Guests hiked across a series of raised beaches that extended several kilometers in every direction. About 30 m above the shoreline, a few weathered whale bones were found. Apparently, they were at least 1000 years old. When we returned to the landing site, we found it was blocked by moving sea ice. It required a bit of time and skill to find a way in the labyrinth of moving ice. The day was not yet over. After cocktail hour, recap, a briefing for tomorrow, and another delicious dinner, a Zodiac cruise was offered at the famous Alkefjellet Cliff. This cliff hosts one of the world’s most impressive seabird colonies, where more than 150,000 birds can be observed. It is home to the largest colony of thick-billed murres in Svalbard. The weather was very calm and the cliff’s reflection in the water was disturbed only by the landing and taking off of literally thousands of birds.
Our second day in Svalbard began with a landing at Diskobukta on Edgeøya Island, the third largest in the archipelago. As we approached the landing site, we spotted several reindeer grazing on the plains. Our walk on shore took us deep into a canyon where hundreds of black-legged kittiwakes were nesting. What a wildlife spectacle it was—immersed in the piercing cries of birds echoing through the canyon. Then, a beautiful little Arctic fox appeared and seemed to greet us. In the afternoon, we visited Kapp Lee at Dolerittneset, where we caught a glimpse of a few walruses, the only surviving members of the Odobenus genus and among the largest pinnipeds in the world. Unfortunately, this site also reflects one of the darkest chapters in Svalbard’s human history. Hundreds of walruses were hunted here during the 17th and 18th centuries. Remnants from those days are still visible: a large “walrus graveyard.” It was a day of stark contrasts between the wildlife of today, which slowly claims back what used to be theirs, and haunting echoes of the past.
