We spent the morning and afternoon around the southeastern tip of Svalbard. Our morning landing was at Van Keulenhamna. The ship stopped in the sheltered bay, and we used the Zodiacs to access the beach. Three hikes were offered, and half the guests selected the long walk. There were reindeer on the small peninsula, and they were very curious. After the guides stopped at a respectable distance for viewing, the reindeer walked toward our group. We were also looking at the flora and saw some arctic flowers in bloom.
In the afternoon, a second landing was made at Recherche Glacier. A safe perimeter was set up, and guests were able to freely roam the area. There were some interesting, grounded icebergs at the end of the beach.
The weather was cloudy with a little precipitation in the afternoon. Temperatures were between 0 to 5° Centigrade.
In the evening, a school of beluga whales showed up right after dinner. The sun was above the horizon all day again.
