Bellsund, Spitsbergen
The morning began with the National Geographic Endeavor circumnavigating along thin ice in search of wildlife. The air was heavy with moisture, creating a surreal haze throughout the mountainous valley. We were soon rewarded with the sighting of a bearded seal on a small patch of ice. We approached slowly, observing the resting seal from a location on the ice to the west. We soon backed out of the area with the seal and turned to the dramatic view of the shrouded mountains of Bellsund. The name is derived from the bell-shaped mountain, Klokksdfjellet, on the southern side of the fjord mouth.
After making anchor in the Recherehefjorden on the south side of Bellsund, we enjoyed lunch and made preparations for a shore landing by Zodiac at Ahlstranddodden. This headland is also referred to as Kvitfiskneset “the beluga headland” – a name associated with hunting of beluga whales in this area during the 1930s. During our walk on shore we found the abandoned boats used by whalers to pull seine nets in order to capture one or more belugas within. The long, heavy boats were tipped upside down on the beach, many are in surprisingly good shape. We headed over the headland to a station established around 1930 called Bamsebu. On the beach at this station are numerous remains of beluga whales – called knuckles. Walking among the knuckles was a lesson in history of whaling and the history of Svalbard.
Upon returning to the ship we repositioned and immediately departed for a Zodiac cruise to the cliffs along the shore where we observed the nesting of kittiwakes, guillemots, and barnacle geese. The day ended with a wonderful dinner in the land of the midnight sun.
The morning began with the National Geographic Endeavor circumnavigating along thin ice in search of wildlife. The air was heavy with moisture, creating a surreal haze throughout the mountainous valley. We were soon rewarded with the sighting of a bearded seal on a small patch of ice. We approached slowly, observing the resting seal from a location on the ice to the west. We soon backed out of the area with the seal and turned to the dramatic view of the shrouded mountains of Bellsund. The name is derived from the bell-shaped mountain, Klokksdfjellet, on the southern side of the fjord mouth.
After making anchor in the Recherehefjorden on the south side of Bellsund, we enjoyed lunch and made preparations for a shore landing by Zodiac at Ahlstranddodden. This headland is also referred to as Kvitfiskneset “the beluga headland” – a name associated with hunting of beluga whales in this area during the 1930s. During our walk on shore we found the abandoned boats used by whalers to pull seine nets in order to capture one or more belugas within. The long, heavy boats were tipped upside down on the beach, many are in surprisingly good shape. We headed over the headland to a station established around 1930 called Bamsebu. On the beach at this station are numerous remains of beluga whales – called knuckles. Walking among the knuckles was a lesson in history of whaling and the history of Svalbard.
Upon returning to the ship we repositioned and immediately departed for a Zodiac cruise to the cliffs along the shore where we observed the nesting of kittiwakes, guillemots, and barnacle geese. The day ended with a wonderful dinner in the land of the midnight sun.
