Svalbard Summary

 Svalbard Summary

 

For the last two weeks we have circumnavigated the Svalbard archipelago and seen some amazing sights.  From polar bears on the beach to polar bears on the pack ice.  Walruses on the beach and swimming close to our zodiacs.  Spectacular glaciers kilometers long, others just a few kiilometers in length.  We have seen the remains of failed attempts to commercialize Spitzbergen, and seen the thriving communities that still exist.  The scenery is magnificent and at the same time is bleak and barren.  The seabirds are everywhere, there are occasional wild reindeer on the shore.  We are reminded of the failed North Pole attempts like the Andree Balloon expedition, with nothing but a solitary memorial on an isolated island to commemorate their needless deaths.  We have seen the reality of life and death on the pack ice.  We have also seen the spectacular feeding frenzy of the fin whales, with the seabirds picking up the remnants.   

What a magnificent experience.

 

We are now sailing SW across the Greenland Sea, headed for Jan Mayen Island.