Awakening to an unusually sunny day for such high latitudes, National Geographic Orion began its exploration of Spitsbergen’s West Coast. Arriving at our first landing, our guests ventured to shore to walk amongst the snow-covered mountains for views of Arctic fox and caribou. Before lunch could be served, our bridge received an emergency call from a stranded sail boat that had gone high and dry upon some inshore rocks. Jumping to action the National Geographic Orion crew and staff combined to aid the sailors in need, and after some clever assessment and hard pulls, were able to free the sailboat from its perch. This left us the afternoon to explore, and in doing so, we came upon a fine haul out of walrus sunning themselves upon the beach.