Hornsund is the southernmost fjord in Svalbard. At almost 30 kilometers long, it contains eight glacier calving fronts above which the towering peaks of Spitsbergen’s mountains rise to meet the sky with sharp, jagged ridges. This early in the year snow still covers most of the ground right down to the water’s edge.
We spent the first half of the morning searching for wildlife from the decks of National Geographic Explorer. The sun repeatedly appeared and disappeared behind the low clouds that obscured the tallest peaks, and the wildlife seemed elusive. On such a warm morning, perhaps a Zodiac cruise would change our luck, so into the boats we went.
Cruising among the many icebergs, we discovered a rare sight; beluga whales! On the hillside an arctic fox was spotted scavenging under a kittiwake colony, and all around us a great variety of birds either flew past or posed for a picture. When one was able to turn away from the wildlife, there was amazing blue ice, and even a few Vikings passing out hot chocolate!
After lunch, a landing at Gnalnodden was a perfect way to hike off some calories. The topography precludes any long distance hikes, the terrain offers some nice climbing up steep tundra and moss. A high cliff provides good nesting for thousands of black-legged kittiwakes, and near the beach is a 100-year-old trapper hut with an interesting history, best told by our very own Magnus Forsberg.
With tired legs and full memory cards, we retired to the ship to celebrate another glorious day in the High Arctic.
