As guests awoke on board National Geographic Explorer, the ship navigated the fjord of Bellsund. Our first morning was spent exploring this scenic fjord system for wildlife while plans were made for an afternoon ashore at Vårsoleukta. This landing is a great introduction to the Svalbard tundra and one of the first places each year where snow melts, allowing wildlife to thrive.
6/20/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Kognsfjorden
During the night, National Geographic Resolution traveled quite a distance along the northwestern parts of Spitsbergen and in the morning stopped near Sarstangent, a narrow and long sand spit where walruses often haul out. The scouting from the bridge confirmed their presence. For the morning activity, guests were offered landing with, visiting, and observing the walruses resting on the beach. From time to time some of the walruses, probably well rested, moved away and disappeared in the water, others replaced them, coming from the water and joining the group on the beach. After lunch the ship relocated to a nearby Kongsfjorden, offering a spectacular view of a couple of glaciers with ice-covered mountains in the background. The guests had options of a strenuous hike to the top of a mountain for a panoramic view or Zodiac cruising. Large numbers of blue icebergs were scattered in the fjord. Nests of kittiwakes and glaucous gulls were attached to a concaving igneous cliff, providing an excellent shelter from precipitation. Curious harbor seals could be seen around the fjord. The nearby glacial front represented heavily crevassed ice and calved every few minutes. After dinner the guests had a chance to watch the presentation of the voyage slide show. However, the day was not yet over. Later in the evening a few blue whales were spotted near the ship, a very rare observation around Svalbard.
