It is a rare thing indeed to find a place to land where only ONE person on the expedition team has been before. There can be very few of these destinations in any polar region, such is the breadth of experience we have on board, and yet we accomplished this today. A stiff breeze following National Geographic Resolution chilled early risers as we traversed the north coast of Spitsbergen Island towards the east. Our destination was an island – well more accurately a shingle bank called Moffen – which is a nature reserve. Timing is significant when visiting the islands of Svalbard, especially in the nature reserves, which are closed between May 15th and September 1st. An early scout in our Zodiacs took the rifle team out to look for a landing. Ice everywhere, including brash ice and old chunks of pack ice resembling piles of Legos. There was a small piece of shore upon which we could land our Zodiacs. Immediately a plan was made, and people came ashore. The ice returned, and we retreated until after lunch, and then, lo and behold, we were able to land everyone from the ship onto this little piece of nowhere. At 80 degrees north, there is nothing between Moffen and the North Pole apart from ice and water. What a remarkable Mother’s Day!
What a day we had! Floreana Island has so much to offer. We kayaked early in the morning alongside sea turtles, Galapagos sea lions, and baby sharks. We became part of the history of the Galapagos as we visited Post Office Bay. We took part in the enduring tradition of taking letters with us, acting as couriers to deliver letters filled with emotions to the loved ones of the explorers before us, just as someone will do for our letters. In the afternoon, we were delighted by a hike, where we observed dozens of flamingos. We strolled along a white sand beach full of sea turtle nests with frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies above us. Our guests were filled with joy after another incredible adventure in the Galapagos archipelago.
This morning, we woke to typical English weather – grey skies, a moderate breeze, and drizzling rain. We knew our lucky run of stunning weather would run out eventually; however, no one let that get in the way of a lovely morning in Tresco. We were shuttled ashore by Zodiac and met by a local guide who gave us a wonderfully fascinating tour of the Tesco Abbey Gardens. First established almost 200 years ago, these seventeen beautifully landscaped acres are home to various native and exotic plants. The vibrant and dense plant life provides the perfect habitat for many species of birds and insects, and the garden was a hive of activity on this damp yet beautiful spring morning. Guests were particularly keen to see a Lady Amherst’s pheasant, which is actually a non-native resident. Although well-established at Tresco, the pheasants can be elusive. However, most guests were treated to excellent views of a male pheasant, looking his brilliant best. The weather dramatically improved throughout the afternoon as we cruised around the outer isles looking for wildlife. We were rewarded with multiple pods of common dolphins, a fin whale, and various species of seabirds, including everyone’s favourite – puffins.
We started our expedition by visiting one of the oldest islands of the archipelago and quite a fantastic one. We explored the beach in the morning and the inside of the island in the afternoon. Our first outing was a snorkel exploration of a small islet located on Gardner Bay, where we observed sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and many colorful fish! The temperature of the water, great visibility, and an abundance of life made for an outstanding first deep-water snorkel. We also walked and swam on a beautiful white sand beach next to the big colony of sea lions that live here. In the afternoon, we hiked on Suárez Point. This is the only site in the archipelago where we can find the very famous waved albatross. We walked a rocky trail and spotted marine iguanas and lava lizards with nearly every step before reaching the nesting grounds of Nazca boobies and the albatrosses. These wonderful and magnificent marine birds nested and displayed for their mates. We observed the beauty of these animals as we enjoyed the sunset. It was a spectacular first full day.
Today we woke up in St. Jonsfjord, one of the few places sheltered from the passing storm, allowing us to make a landing and explore. We had views of reindeer, our first rock ptarmigan, and pink-footed geese of the season. We also visited an old hunters’ hut from 1962. In the afternoon, we landed at Poolepynten and were able to get within 40 meters of about 20 walruses hauled out on shore. We could see their breath in the cold air and when the wind changed slightly, we were treated to a pungent smell to compliment the view.
