Our guides are blogging from our ships in the Arctic, and this time can you read more about the fantastic adventures our travellers get to experience on the small and popular ship M/S Stockholm.
What a wonderful day we had! It contained almost all the fine treats Svalbard has to offer. Already during breakfast, we were able to enjoy amazing views as we sailed through Sørgattet; the narrow strait that make the entrance to Spetsbergen's north wester corner. At Svitjodbreen we put the Zodiac in the water and made a cruise, passing by several glaciers. We spotted the king eider, and some of us even managed to get caught in the ice, M/S Stockholm had to do some rescue work.
Just after our wonderful midsummer lunch with herring and Swedish "nubbe" we drove into the pack ice. The sun was still shining and there was barely no wind at all as we ventured further and further into the ice sheet. Here we saw several fascinating animals; minke whale, walrus, and last but not least - the king of the Arctic! A polar bear, who just had caught a seal which it protectively looked after between its naps. A lovely sight! After a while, we turned off the engine and drifted peacefully amongst the ice during nighttime.
The sun was still shining radiant as we woke up amongst the pack ice, and we took the chance to make a brief excursion with our Zodiac. We even managed to step ashore on an ice floe where we conducted a ”democratic” snowball war in true PolarQuest spirit. The ones who felt brave enough threw themselves into the freezing water – the polar plunge was on! After lunch, we took another last turn amongst the ice, before leaving it behind for good. The evening landing took place at the exciting site of Virgohamna, known as the starting point for Swedish balloonist Andrée’s fatal attempt to reach the North Pole. In the warm light of the evening sun, we also went to Smeerenurg, a place with lots of historical remains from the early days of a whale hunt, and a group of charismatic walruses. While some in the group chose to stay with the walruses, the rest of the group went for a walk and got to have a close look at the birds nesting this far northward; red-throated loons, aggressive Arctic terns (maybe a bit too close?) and brünnich’s guillemots. During night time we headed south after passing the narrow Sørgattet once more.
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.