At 9 AM, we dropped the Zodiacs and cruised towards Monaco and Seliger glaciers. The combined length of these glacier fronts measures almost 5 km! The constant roar and rumbling of calvings filled the bay as we cruised around, enjoying the sun.
We were fortunate enough to witness two massive calvings, where entire melting channels collapsed, and the glacier front from top to bottom. A bearded seal popped up to investigate us a little closer as well.
After spending over 3 hours, it was time to return to M/S Sjøveien. While we were taxiing from Monaco Glacier to the second landing site of the day, you could enjoy a nice Jacuzzi on the outer deck. It is a unique experience to have a wood-heated tub in an environment without a single tree! It's not every day you can sit in a tub, have a drink, and smell the bonfire from the stove while looking at glacier fronts.
We spent the afternoon at a large trapper's cabin called Mushamna. This massive log cabin was built in 1987 by a Norwegian trapper, Kjell Reidar Hovelsrud, but it was sold to the Governor in 1997.
We walked around, observing all the birds and vegetation; there were still some flowers here! The scent of moss and vegetation was a welcoming sensation.
We embarked on a long hike to a high point, providing us with a beautiful overview of Woodfjorden. Dinner was enjoyed in the sunshine, anchored at Mushamna, and we ended the evening with another observation of a bearded seal.
The next morning, in contrast to the previous morning, we woke up to the fog hugging the windows of M/S Sjøveien. But like magic, it lifted at 7 AM sharp. Shortly after, we observed two polar bears splashing and playing around in the water, eating sea kelp, play-fighting, and diving, so all we could see were fluffy paws in the air. Such an incredible and rare experience! Eventually, we ended up locating 4 polar bears!
As soon as the polar bears left the sea and walked on land, we lowered the Zodiacs. We had an amazing time watching them feed on a whale carcass (minke) on the beach.
We headed to Torellneset for the second landing, a place with walruses. We expected somewhat the same amount of walruses as we had in Smeerenburg, but when we arrived, we could count and estimate that there were between 250-300 of them! As we approached the haul-out, many of them approached closer from the water, checking us out. It was clear most of these were cows with younger ones!
But it didn't stop there: After just a couple of minutes, a fluffy Arctic fox pup arrived! And a couple of minutes after that, 3 more! So we had an incredible 2 hours on land with the sunset, 300 active and noisy walruses, and 4 fox pups playing around.
In the evening, we went to a special place we knew many of the guests wanted to visit - Bråsvellbreen. A massive icecap with a glacier front stretching a mind-blowing 160km! It is also known for its waterfalls. We had perfect light and calm seas, even a full moon, and as the cherry on top - 2 humpback whales swimming around the ship. A day of pure Svalbard Magic that left even the guides speechless.
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.
