At nine o'clock on the seventh of May, we got into the Zodiacs and set off on the day's excursion in Hamilton Bay. The Zodiacs give us good opportunities to explore nature and animal and bird life in bays that are too shallow for M/S Quest to enter. The morning had started well with a blue Arctic fox running across the ice during breakfast time and we all felt an excitement to head out into the cold landscape.
The Zodiac cruise began by following the edge of solid sea ice in Raudfjorden. Along the steep mountain slopes, there were several tracks of both polar bears and foxes. A seal poked its head above the water near our boats, but quickly dived back below the surface. We explored the southern coastline of Raudfjorden until we reached the bird mountain at the mouth of Hamiltonbukta.
The bird mountain is home to many thousands of brünnich's guillemots and black-legged kittiwakes. The birds fish and forage out in the productive polar sea, flying in to nest in the mountains and thus spreading nourishment in the otherwise barren mountains. When travelling in the fjords of Svalbard in summer, bird mountains can be seen from afar as they often become green oases in the otherwise barren environment. Many plants benefit from the nutrient supply from the birds, as do many animals.
The Svalbard reindeer find good pastures under the bird mountains and there are often one or more pairs of Arctic foxes that run on the slopes of the bird mountains to take both cubs and eggs.
The Svalbard nature offered its charm as we entered the calm waters of the Hamiltonfjord, we switched off the engines of the Zodiacs and took in the deep silence of Svalbard, a silence broken only by the cries of the black-legged kittiwakes.
As we took in the silence of Svalbard, our friend the blue fox appeared again. Between the rocks of the rocky slope, it jumped out and we could follow it across the slope. In Svalbard, there are Arctic foxes with blue-black fur and Arctic foxes with white fur.
After many nice pictures of the fox, we cruised on and spontaneously went ashore on a relatively large ice floe in the middle of Hamiltonbukta.
The trip then continued along the cliff face in Hamiltonbukta where we joined the blue fox that raced across the ice towards the next cliff. The next event was a dozen Svalbard reindeer grazing on the cliff slope. It is fascinating to think that these large grazing animals can find enough food in this barren grazing environment.
Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, two curious young male walruses appeared. Several times they appeared and took to the air in the middle of our Zodiacs and we could see them at very close range.
Many visitors dream of seeing walruses when they come to Svalbard. With no real predators thanks to their thick skin and tusks, walruses live on a diet of mussels and oysters. A male walrus can weigh up to 1800 kg and a female 1300 kg. Thanks to its thick skin, the walrus has strong protection against polar bears, although polar bears have started to make attempts to attack walrus. Walruses often lie in large herds on shallow sandy beaches in sex-segregated colonies with females and males alone. Walruses also like to rest on ice floes and occasionally drift away for long distances.
The afternoon back on the boat included three lectures by three of our guides, on life in Svalbard, ecological adaptations and environmental changes in the Arctic and walruses. For dinner, among other things, a fantastic good char was served. In the middle of dinner, we were interrupted by a female polar bear walking along the beach. In peace and quiet, all guests had the opportunity to witness this mighty animal as she strolled along the beach. This set the tone for a perfect evening which ended with a performance by Anders Lundin on guitar.
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Polar Bear in Hamiltonbukta. -
Black-legged Kittiwake on Svalbard. -
King Eider on Svalbard.
Please note: Depending on the lens used for a photo or video shot an animal may appear to be closer than it is. We always follow strict wildlife guidelines to ensure that we do not cause any disturbance.