Last night our expedition leader told us we could sleep in this morning, but the wildlife had a different plan. Slightly after seven in the morning we spotted a distant polar bear on sea ice. Slowly and quietly we assembled outside and deftly crept our ship closer. The bear was very active and curious, hopping between floes and stopping frequently to give us a look. After some time running about, the bear got comfortable and fell asleep as kittiwakes and ivory gulls flew by. Such an incredible encounter with icons of the arctic left us with high spirits as we spent the rest of the day sailing through breath-taking ice and sea.
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!
