We woke up this morning to the beautiful scenery of Hornsund – the southernmost fjord of Spitsbergen. Our expedition team went to scout the beaches of Gåshamna where whalers and researchers have left their mark through the centuries.
Luck found us on our way through the stunning arms of Hornsund. A humpback whale greeted us from the side of the ship and several times showed its beautiful fluke. A couple of minke whales and a pod of belugas were sighted from a distance. An arctic fox running across the sea ice caught our attention as we took in the beautiful scenery.
We repositioned to Isfjordbukta where the challenging Arctic conditions at the landing site prevented us from going ashore. Meltwater from snow had made for a dangerous thixotropic terrain – saturated clay, ready to trap any visitor. Instead, Captain Martin Graser gave a talk on the ship’s construction and history, which was indeed very fascinating!
As we enjoyed dinner we continued our journey around the southern tip of Spitsbergen for new adventures on the east side.
