Hornsund, Spitsbergen
After leaving Storfjord last night, we rounded Sørkapp during the night and arrived on the southwest coast at the entrance to Hornsund this morning. We entered the fjord through a band of drifting sea ice and began our day of exploration.
Our first stop was in Burgerbukta, a side branch of the main fjord of Hornsund. We elected to take the Zodiacs into the sheltered waters of the fjord and we experienced an abundance of ice at every turn. The tidewater glacier at the head of the fjord had clearly been actively calving recently. In addition to numerous small bergy bits and growlers we encountered one large tabular iceberg – a form only rarely encountered in Svalbard. In addition to the ice a few seabirds put in an appearance including small numbers of one of the High Arctic specialists – the ivory gull.
The early afternoon was spent cruising through Hornsund with the highlight a sighting of a small group of beluga whales. Prior to this season these ivory-coloured Arctic whales were a rare sight for a Lindblad expedition to Svalbard, but they have been seen on a number of occasions this year. By mid-afternoon we were at anchor below the imposing rock buttress of Gnålodden. Here we landed and hiked over the rich and luxuriant tundra; plant life nourished by the steady rain of fertilizer in the form of guano from the thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots and black-legged kittiwakes nesting on the ledges of the sheer cliffs. Those who ventured furthest and gained some height experienced grand vistas of the expanse of Hornsund in beautiful afternoon sunlight (pictured) – ample reward for the exertion.
Returning to our home on board Endeavour we left Hornsund, pushed our way out through the ice again and headed north. We dined on the fine food offered in the special Filipino buffet and, satiated both by the food and experiences of the day, headed to our beds to rest and await the adventures of a new day in the Arctic.
After leaving Storfjord last night, we rounded Sørkapp during the night and arrived on the southwest coast at the entrance to Hornsund this morning. We entered the fjord through a band of drifting sea ice and began our day of exploration.
Our first stop was in Burgerbukta, a side branch of the main fjord of Hornsund. We elected to take the Zodiacs into the sheltered waters of the fjord and we experienced an abundance of ice at every turn. The tidewater glacier at the head of the fjord had clearly been actively calving recently. In addition to numerous small bergy bits and growlers we encountered one large tabular iceberg – a form only rarely encountered in Svalbard. In addition to the ice a few seabirds put in an appearance including small numbers of one of the High Arctic specialists – the ivory gull.
The early afternoon was spent cruising through Hornsund with the highlight a sighting of a small group of beluga whales. Prior to this season these ivory-coloured Arctic whales were a rare sight for a Lindblad expedition to Svalbard, but they have been seen on a number of occasions this year. By mid-afternoon we were at anchor below the imposing rock buttress of Gnålodden. Here we landed and hiked over the rich and luxuriant tundra; plant life nourished by the steady rain of fertilizer in the form of guano from the thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots and black-legged kittiwakes nesting on the ledges of the sheer cliffs. Those who ventured furthest and gained some height experienced grand vistas of the expanse of Hornsund in beautiful afternoon sunlight (pictured) – ample reward for the exertion.
Returning to our home on board Endeavour we left Hornsund, pushed our way out through the ice again and headed north. We dined on the fine food offered in the special Filipino buffet and, satiated both by the food and experiences of the day, headed to our beds to rest and await the adventures of a new day in the Arctic.
