It was a little tough for this photo instructor to be sidelined with a knee injury when I’m used to getting out and about with guests on landings and Zodiac cruises. On the bright side, it gave me even more time to contemplate the stunning landscape of Svalbard from the outside deck. At recap, I gave a short presentation on features of the iPhone camera that many people don’t know about—how to adjust the exposure to best capture high-contrast scenes, for instance. All the images in this report were taken with an iPhone. It’s a wonderful and convenient tool for telling the story of an expedition, and as the saying goes, “the best camera is the one you have with you when inspiration strikes.” More often than not, in this digital age, it’s the one in your pocket.
6/20/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Kognsfjorden
During the night, National Geographic Resolution traveled quite a distance along the northwestern parts of Spitsbergen and in the morning stopped near Sarstangent, a narrow and long sand spit where walruses often haul out. The scouting from the bridge confirmed their presence. For the morning activity, guests were offered landing with, visiting, and observing the walruses resting on the beach. From time to time some of the walruses, probably well rested, moved away and disappeared in the water, others replaced them, coming from the water and joining the group on the beach. After lunch the ship relocated to a nearby Kongsfjorden, offering a spectacular view of a couple of glaciers with ice-covered mountains in the background. The guests had options of a strenuous hike to the top of a mountain for a panoramic view or Zodiac cruising. Large numbers of blue icebergs were scattered in the fjord. Nests of kittiwakes and glaucous gulls were attached to a concaving igneous cliff, providing an excellent shelter from precipitation. Curious harbor seals could be seen around the fjord. The nearby glacial front represented heavily crevassed ice and calved every few minutes. After dinner the guests had a chance to watch the presentation of the voyage slide show. However, the day was not yet over. Later in the evening a few blue whales were spotted near the ship, a very rare observation around Svalbard.
