30 July: Early morning charter flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen.
Weather: High 9°C Low 6°C
Welcome to the Arctic – Spectacular, dramatic, yet desolate scenery. Land of the Midnight Sun.
Svalbard is a deserted archipelago full of other-worldly landscapes, polar bears, walrus, whales, seals, reindeer, foxes, hares and ice. Beyond the vast glaciers, towering mountains and rare wildlife, what makes Svalbard unique is how barren it is.
Once on board, on this first day, we were introduced to our Expedition Leader Iggy Rojas and his Team and informed about what to expect in the days to come.
Cati’s Birthday. What a treat! Spoilt at dinner that night by my fellow companions (7 ladies) and then upon returning to my cabin, I was welcomed with cake, champagne and balloons which had been set up by my Butler and Cabin Steward.
Every night, passengers receive a Daily Chronicle which offers a wealth of information regarding the weather, activities, entertainment, dining options and contacts onboard as well as the Programme for the following day.
Lectures and Information sessions are also telecast to the cabin TV. There was no lack of options for enjoying live entertainment, games, reading, listening to lectures, exercising in the Gym, relaxing in the Wellness centre or, of course, eating and drinking!
As you can imagine, I took full advantage of the Sauna.
31 July: At anchor Ny-London, Svalbard
A lone Polar Bear was spotted in the sparse vegetation along a hill top. We couldn’t move too close to the shore so as not to interfere with the bear in its natural habitat.
Whenever we ventured out in the Zodiacs, we were greeted with a hot toddy (hot chocolate with Baileys, Kahlua, Amarillo, Rum or Whisky) upon our return to the ship…….Yum!
01 August: At anchor Texas Bar, Svarlbard
Texas Bar (no-one knows why it was called Texas Bar) is nestled on the north side of Liefdefjorden, not far from Monacobreen which is a glacier in Haakon V11 Land on Spitzbergen, Svalbard.
02 August: At anchor Julibukta, Svalbard and then later in the day at Lilliehöökbreen, Svalbard.
Evidence of a whale at sea, but I could only see the water spraying out from its blowhole – sadly no breaching.
03 August: At anchor Gaffelbreen, Svalbard and later at Poolepynten, Svalbard
Today, no Zodiacs could go ashore but we spent several hours watching the antics of a young polar bear trying to “socialize” with a group of Walruses.
Despite being enemies, the walruses weren’t perturbed by the presence of this lone bear – safety in numbers undoubtedly.
04 August: A pleasant visit to the Bridge to meet the Captain and some of his Team along with the Hotel CEO who provided an insight into the amazing operations required for providing food and removing waste.
At sea: (choppy & grey) en route to Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
05 August: At sea: en route Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland.
When not going ashore, there was always a great opportunity to attend the talks given by the expert Expedition Team on Flora, Fauna, Geology, History of Arctic Explorers and Local Culture.
06 August: At anchor Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland.
Warmer weather! High 13°C Low 10°C
Here we were able to visit a small Inuit community comprising approx. some 460 inhabitants. It amazes me how these people willingly choose to live in such isolated and desolate locations!!
In bygone times, they would have survived by hunting narwals, seals, polar bears and muskoxen – which they still do today – but tourism is gaining importance.
07 August: Cruising Scoresby Sund Fjord, Greenland and then anchor at Bjørne Øer (Bear islands)
Glorious day!
Scoresby Sund (named after William Scoresby, an English Explore) is the largest and longest fjord system in the world. It’s a labyrinth of islands, fjords and ice.
The area is rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales, belugas, walrus and seals as well as several species of sea birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of geese.
Several Puffins were spotted today perched upon the rugged cliffs or riding the waves!
The waters of the fjords are often glassy and calm, save for the vast icebergs which calve off the vast glaciers which drain from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the fjord.
No two mountain views are the same - such is the staggering geological variation.
We ventured out in the Zodiacs passing immense icebergs and even walked out onto an icefloe - “walking on water” 😊
Sunsets at 23:45 – Stunning!
08 August – 09 August: Still cruising Scorseby Sound.
Once again out in Zodiacs to visit an abandoned village. Heaps of bones (and sadly rubbish) to be seen. I spotted an Arctic Hare. Evidently mosquitoes proved to be a problem for some – luckily not me.
10 August: At sea. En route to Reykjavik, Iceland
Pack and prepare for disembarkation.
11 August: Disembarkation Reykjavik.
Silver Wind is a small enough vessel that it could dock at the pier in the centre of Reykjavik.
I spent the day exploring the main part of Reykjavik and the Reykjanes Peninsula. Travelling on a local bus between the Keflavik airport and Reykjavík, there is a striking backdrop of churning seas and expansive lava fields.
It’s well worth exploring off the beaten path in this region to discover its hidden gems and magnificent landscape.
At the time of my visit, Iceland was holding a week-long Gay Pride celebration – hence the streets were painted the colours of the rainbow and even Stewards on Icelandair were wearing rainbow scarves.
I took in the amazing atmosphere whilst partaking some delicious street food (Fish stew served with pumpernickel bread and a glass of local beer – scrumptious! )
What an unforgettable experience I was fortunate enough to have had!
