Northern svalbard

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We have sailed as near to the North Pole as we shall ever get ie. 80 degrees North and this morning sailed alongside the sea ice in choppy seas.. We have stopped at various places in Svalbard and have seen lots of birds and finally 2 Polar Bears. Could only see the bears through binoculars from the ship but at least we saw them. We have seen evidence of previous whaling communities in the 16th century. Nothing of course can be disturbed and we can neither leave anything nor take anything away from the island. Most of our trips off are by zodiac with wet landings but everyone is booted up in all the right gear so it has not felt cold. We have also had a good view of a herd of walruses which were all lying on the beach after their lunch. Lovely to see them rubbing themselves down with their flippers. We have also seen several wild reindeer and one bearded seal lying on an ice flow. There have been some lovely glaciers, flowers and lichen so it is not all about the animal wildlife. The expedition team are good and full of information. The food as usual on Silversea is excellent and we have made lots of new friends on board and had some good laughs. Will need a holiday when we get back! One piece of advise if you consider this trip. It is essential to have a good pair of binoculars, a good camera and preferably good eyesight, none of which I have!

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Photos

Champagne on the beach after a walk
No drink anymore at this survival hut but the ship brought some for us.