Our course today took us along the wild north coasts of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet. We explored the ice-choked entrances of the great fjords and farther south into Hinlopen Strait, which lies between the two largest islands of the archipelago. The icy world of April dominated the landscape with snowbound mountains towering over fjords paved with white plains of frozen ocean. Along the way, we kept a constant lookout for wildlife and found both seals and walruses. Then, in the late afternoon, we spotted our first polar bears, a beautiful mother with two tiny cubs. They had just emerged from their winter den.
6/15/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard
This morning, National Geographic Resolution explored the northeast coast of Spitsbergen Island. On approach to our landing, the ever-watchful spotters on the Bridge found a mother and cub polar bear on fast ice at a comfortable distance from our landing site. On shore, we divided into casual, moderate, and long walkers and set off into the high arctic tundra to explore the barren beauty of this high latitude. The long walkers made it to a high point with an amazing view of the ship and fjord, while the casual and moderate walkers explored the fjord-indented coastline. After lunch, we hopped into Zodiacs for an amazing cruise along the bird cliffs at Alkefjellet. The highlight was the thousands of Brunich’s guillemots nesting on dolerite ledges and covering every available space. Birds, birds everywhere! It was truly a sight to see and hear. We found an arctic fox cruising along the rocky shoreline and incredibly steep terrain, looking for anything (eggs, chicks) falling from the sky. Most of these bird cliffs have a resident fox den beneath them, as the abundance of birds helps sustain them. It was another incredible day at Latitude 79 North!
