Hornsund
A glorious beautiful morning greeted us as we woke up at 0600 to find ourselves surrounded by alpine peaks and eight glaciers in the fjord of Hornsund.
Hornsund is the southernmost of the big fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen. It is well known for its landscapes and was named by the whaler, Jonas Poole after he found a reindeer antler on the beach. We cruised into Burgerbutka with its two fjords separated by a shattered mountain peak. Where the glacier poured to the sea, its spawning bergs were trapped by fast sea ice, a remnant of the winter past. On the rapidly decomposing ice, ringed seals and a few bearded seals lounged. A small group of beluga whales passed by the ship teasing our observational powers.
After breakfast we set out in Zodiac and kayaks in the most perfect of conditions. Icebergs of all shapes and shades of blue surroundeded us. Kittiwakes rode upon their crests. An unusual white, black guillemot was discovered, its partial albinism in stark contrast to its naturally colored black and white cousins.
In the late afternoon we made a landing at a place called Gnålodden where we explored the arctic tundra surrounding an historic trapper’s cabin. Thousands of kittiwakes and guillemots called from high above, the cacophony produced illustrating the translation of the name as, “the incessantly whining mountain”. Purple saxifrage carpeted the landscape, a sign of early summer here in the high arctic.
As the day and trip was summarized with images and words we realized that this voyage has been a highly successful one with perfect weather and incredible wildlife. It was beyond all expectations.
