Svalbard Part 2

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Now home reviewing pics, I wanted to post one more blog on Svalbard. Also we received the link below from the boat with a great job describing each day. And very helpful in our attempt to remember and match pics.



Trip log · HDS09-23, Around Spitsbergen · Oceanwide Expeditions (oceanwide-expeditions.com)



So many impressions -how varied the scenery and conditions were. Just having 24 hour daylight was amazing. the sun never set. I loved waking up and seeing the day as if it was the middle of the afternoon, not the night! And the scenery - We went from breaking sea ice to tall mountains with meadows of wild flowers. And the birds!! The afternoon of the kittiwakes and the playful arctic foxes, we just sat and watched for about 2 hours. The cacophony of thousands of birds was a treasured memory from both the Gullemots and the kittiwakes.



After seeing the polar bears, we continued north and east to Seven Islands. The shifting pack ice prevented us from a landing. We substituted a zodiac ride and enjoyed watching a couple walruses play in the water. This morning was definitely our coldest. In the afternoon we did a beach cleanup, but fortunately it was really hard to find any garbage.



The next day it was Alkefjellet, our first sighting of massive amounts of nesting birds with their chicks. The Brünnich’s Guillemots breed here during the summer among the limestone cliffs. And here is where we see our first arctic fox, a small cub running around the rocks. Not sure where Mom was.



Then it was on to Kapp Lee to see the group of walruses lying on the sand next to the water. A few venture into the water with the rest attempting to sleep, although there was a lot of shoving, poking and pushing. Climbing up the hill there are also a herd (5) reindeer just enjoying the green grass with no fear of us watching.



And probably my favorite stop was at Kapp Waldburg where a canyon provided the nesting ground for thousands of Kittiwakes and their new chicks. There is where we saw a family of arctic foxes roaming the area. Sitting there watching them play, listening to the Kittiwakes, where we sat for about 2 hours mesmerized by the scene, and truly hating to leave.



The last stop I have taken the description from their travel log - "landing at Gnålodden... it had huge, towering rock of mountain above; the flocks of whirling birds; the rocky coastline with plenty of outcrops to climb; the meadow-like tundra with abundant wildflowers; and the sunlight glistening off the sea. We were free to wander. The constant calls from the birds help us understand the name Gnålodden, means “murmuring” in Norwegian.



At the base of the rock strand one of the huts occupied by Wanny Wolstad. At the age of 39 she moved her family, including 2 school age sons, to Hornsund. There they spent 5 years – summer and winter – hunting and trapping. During this time, she shot 77 Polar Bears. Perhaps the Arctic Skua defending the nest near the hut had adopted a bit of her spirit."



And then the last morning we pull back to Longyearbyn, completing circumnavigating Svalbard and just an amazing trip!! Oh, and an interesting side note. On our first night, the expedition leader Sara, was talking about the various voyages. She spends 8 months - 4 in the Arctic, 4 in Antarctica and 1 month as a photography guide in Botswana. Yet, that night she tells us' the most beautiful place in the world is S Georgia'!! We talked with several of the other guides during this trip and they all agreed.... So.....

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