blue whale in the arctic

Blue Whales in the Arctic

We had one last night on the ship and were told we were in a good place for whale watching. A wake up call came over the loud speaker around 2 am; “I’m sorry to disturb, but there are three large whales on the starboard side of the ship.”

I thought to myself, I wish they announced what type of whale, as I didn’t want to get up for a humpback to view in the distance when I have snorkeled with them in the Silver Banks.

A little while later, we heard over the loud speaker, “We believe these are blue whales.”

TAKE A LOOK
boat in southwest spitsbergen

Historical Relics in Southwestern Spitsbergen

Morning Hike in the Bellsund Area of Southwest Spitsbergen

Today we explored the Bellsund Area in Southwest Spitsbergen. A landing was offered to us this morning. It was the first time we didn’t have to separate into specific hiking groups as the guides stood watch for polar bears while we were allowed to wander along the perimeter of the peninsula freely. It was a welcome change to be able to explore on our own.

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puffin in the sea

Duck, Duck, Goose in the Arctic!

First Day on the Sea Adventurer Operated by Quark Expeditions

The loudspeaker wake up call came at 7:30 for breakfast starting at 8. I opted for an omelet and fruit. David added some lox to the mix. There was no shortage of food at the morning buffet. The rest of the morning was filled with preparation…a kayak fitting to adjust our foot pegs, a boot fitting for our landings, and of course a briefing on all the does and dont’s in the Arctic. We now know the correct way to enter and exit the zodiac, how to clean our boots at the gangway, and the importance of staying close to one another and near the guide with the rifle in case a polar bear comes near!

EXPLORE!
reindeer near Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

Longyearbyen and Its Outskirts

We enjoyed a buffet breakfast at the hotel…mostly European. We had to check out by 11 and well before our boarding time for our ship. As a result, we packed our bags and left them in the common area for Quark Expeditions to pick up while we took a “taxi” tour with 13 others. It was more like a shuttle bus tour. I’m thankful we were able to find a short and relaxing activity around Longyearbyen and Spitsbergen before embarking on our circumnavigation around Svalbard!

EXPLORE!