Our morning started with a landing near Frøyabreen (Frøya glacier). We explored a beach full of driftwood and the moraines of the glacier. Within the moonlike landscape of the moraines, we spotted splashes of purple caused by blooming purple saxifrages. The hikers observed Svalbard rock ptarmigans, the only terrestrial birds that overwinter in Svalbard.
We spent the afternoon accompanied by tens of thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots nesting on the cliffs of Alkefjellet. As we immersed ourselves in the hustle and bustle of this lively location, Zodiacs provided us with an incredible perspective to observe the impressive bird cliffs that offer nesting spots to over 40,000 breeding pairs.
