We were greeted by a beautifully sunny morning, a nice change from yesterday’s drizzle. As the weather was so lovely, expedition leader Stefano offered us the opportunity to kayak. And what an opportunity it was to kayak in a sheltered bay surrounded by spectacular basalt columns! After kayaking, the brave ones jumped into the icy waters of the Northwest Passage for a refreshing dip.

Today’s lunch was served on the deck to celebrate the good weather. It was amazing to sit in the sunshine and admire the surrounding landscape. But the day was far from being over. The afternoon offered more adventures with picturesque hikes on the grassy hills of Edinburgh Island. Compared to many of our previous landings, the tundra was lush and green. Some of the willows almost reached to our knees. Who could have imagined how our perspectives could change in such a short time? Something so small now felt rather big. We admired the lush vegetation, magnificent rock columns, and breathtaking views of the vast, open landscape. We returned to the ship tired but extremely happy.