kayaker group at Monacobreen

Reflections in the Arctic at Bockfjorden and Monacobreen

This morning on our Quark Arctic Expedition, we were called to breakfast at 8am. Along with the regular options, we could also order French toast. The weather was absolutely magnificent. The breezeless morning let us stand outside on the deck comfortably and snap photos of the surrounding peaks reflecting in the placid bay at Bockfjorden, a portion of Woodfjord, which is part of the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park. The area is home to an old, snow covered volcano and at least today, fantastic kayaking conditions!

GO FOR A PADDLE
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 began our day in Longyearbyen with a buffet breakfast at the hotel…mostly European. With our check out time at 11 and well before our ship boarding time, we packed our bags and left them in the common area for Quark Expeditions to pick up. In the meantime, we joined a “taxi” tour of Spitsbergen with 13 others. It was more like a shuttle bus tour. Regardless, I was grateful to find a short and relaxing activity around Longyearbyen and Spitsbergen before embarking on our circumnavigation around Svalbard!

EXPLORE!