The dawn did not really break today as National Geographic Explorer made her way into Tromsø, the land of the midnight sun, the most northerly city in the world and the gateway to the Arctic. We have now entered the realm of 24-hour daylight. The day was bright, sunny and cool. The options opened to the guests were varied, with visits to the Polar Museum, the magnificent Arctic Cathedral that overlooks the town, the Tromsø Museum, and an option to take a birdwatching walk along the coastal edges of Hella Island. The museums were filled with excellent exhibits and the cathedral is a marvelous building. The birdwatchers enjoyed fantastic views of willow grouse, golden plover and the beautiful ruff. The birdwatchers also had the first reindeer sighting of the trip as they made their way back to the ship. The afternoon was free for the guests to enjoy a relaxing time in the town, before setting off in the evening to make our way across the Barents Sea and to Bear Island, the first island of the Svalbard Archipelago.
6/13/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Fjortende Julibukta and Lilliehöökbreen
Our last day in Svalbard began with a wintery feeling. National Geographic Endurance sailed towards the entrance of Krossfjorden while it was gently snowing. Our morning destination was 14th of July Bay. This was our last outing in Spitsbergen and we could not have picked a better spot to end our unforgettable voyage. The landing area was covered with spring flowers which painted the otherwise barren looking landscape with green, white, and purple colors. Svalbard reindeers were contently grazing in the outskirts of the steep cliffs, enjoying the place also known as “hanging gardens.” Thousands of kittiwakes were loudly soaring above us. Occasionally a fight would break out between a kittiwake and an Arctic skua, who clearly was not very welcomed in the nesting site of the gulls. A Zodiac cruise also offered us great wildlife encounters. The shoreline was a popular nesting place for the guillemots, eider ducks, and the Atlantic puffins. After lunch, Captain Oliver positioned our vessel in front of another spectacular sight, Lillehöök Glacier. After an hour-long cruise, we reluctantly bid farewell to Krossfjorden and made our way towards Longyearbyen.