Spitsbergen is the second largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard but it is the longest. During the arctic “night” which is not night by most definitions, we traveled steadily northward off the west coast of Spitsbergen. Gentle movement of the ship was much more soothing than had been predicted so we were soundly sleeping until the early morning, “Good Morning, Good Morning” call came from Lucho. Our course changed just before breakfast as we turned around the northwest corner of the archipelago. Off to the starboard side of the ship we could just make out the rugged snow-covered mountain landscape. Clouds hung low and occasionally light snow obscured parts of the view.
Our destination for the morning was within the large branching fjord system of Woodfjord. To the west the fjord branches again to form Leifdefjord where a number of glaciers cascade down from the jagged mountains literally surrounding the passage. Toward the end of Leifdefjord we could see there was still shore fast ice that had frozen during the winter and remained as a flat plain stretching to the face of Monacobreen. This glacier forms an impressive tidewater front. Far in the distance we spotted a polar bear walking on the fast ice in search of seals. But more immediate was a group of walrus plopped on a small piece of drifting ice. The bridge quietly and slowly moved the ship toward the animals without causing them to be disturbed. From the bow of the ship and other forward looking positions we were able to watch these massive creatures slumber and randomly shift their positions. Then late in the morning we moved a short distance to an area where there were a number of small rocky islets. A suitable anchorage was found and we stopped just before lunch.
For the afternoon we had our first opportunity to experience Svalbard from kayaks. Many took this opportunity and the water was absolutely mirror calm. Paddling around the islands we also had a chance to view some of the birds preparing to nest on these isolated chunks of rock, including barnacle geese, eiders, and arctic terns. Everyone was also given the opportunity to take a Zodiac cruise. Venturing from the ship we went back to the walrus that were still lounging on the ice floe. Some also spotted a bearded seal as well as a number of species of birds. The afternoon was quite rewarding and the clouds even lifted so we could see the spectacular scenery around this northern fjord of Spitsbergen.
