Very early in the morning the National Geographic Explorer entered this beautiful system on the southwestern coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. A sunny and relatively warm morning offered an exceptional opportunity to explore by kayak, and by Zodiac. A selection of birds, seals, and one female polar bear were spotted, to the enjoyment of our guests! Even though the wind increased dramatically in the afternoon, we were able to accomplish a landing at a small bay that had the remains of an old whaling station dating back to the early 1700s—a wonderful experience!