Svalbard, Spitsbergen, Kongsfjord
One of the best ways to wake up and enjoy your morning coffee, I think, is at the face of a beautiful glacier. That is exactly what most of us did this morning on the National Geographic Explorer.
The face of Lillehöök Glacier shone and sparkled in the (finally) partly sunny skies. The glacier is found at the end of Lillehöökfjord which is a branch of Krossfjord on the Western side of Spitsbergen.
Taking advantage of the beautiful morning we decided to make a landing at a place known as the Hanging Gardens. This lovely spot is found under a tall bird cliff. The landscape under bird nesting cliffs is notoriously green and here was no exception. The breeze was gentle and the sun was warmly shining. The bright green mosses drew the eye to look closely around pools of water. Several snow buntings were seen hopping around the pools, their reflection being captured by eager photographers. Kittiwakes and guillemots circled and wheeled overhead. We even took a short cruise to a lower part of the cliffs to get an up close look at several pairs of puffins perched where everyone could get a good look.
Returning to the ship there was still one more activity before lunch, the Polar Plunge.
Nearly two dozen guests decided to take an icy dip in Arctic waters. The brave souls were cheered on as they jumped, came up gasping and ran from the frigid water. After jumping, they were greeted at the side gate with hot cups of punch and a warm towel.
An attempt at offshore whale watching was made after lunch, but high winds offshore made conditions unpleasant and difficult. The decision was made to find a calmer location and enjoy the sunshine of the day with a kayak or zodiac cruise.
Our Expedition Leader, Bud Lehnhausen, chose a site off of Blomstrandhalvøya in Kongsfjord. Here, the kayak platform was sent out and Zodiacs were launched for cruises. Most people enjoyed a paddle to the face of Conway Glacier. The wind was a bit strong and so the platform decided to heave anchor and drift with the wind to make the paddle back a bit shorter. Eventually, the clouds rolled in, hiding the twenty-four hour sun, but everyone’s sunny disposition on their week spent in the Arctic could not be snuffed out.
Cheerful faces could be seen all around the lounge as the farewell evening started. The Captain reminded us of all the wonderful polar bear sightings and amazing ice conditions, as well as the fact that we were able to circumnavigate Spitsbergen during the one-week trip. Satisfaction was felt all around as the day wound to a close, not getting any darker as we end this trip still above the Arctic Circle.
