We woke on the west coast of Svalbard navigating our way into Krossfjord under spectacular blue skies and sunshine. This area is protected due to its important bird populations, many of which we saw streaming back from foraging trips ahead of the ship. Our first destination was Fourteenth of July Glacier (named by the Duke of Monaco after the French Bastille Day) to explore by kayak and Zodiac. Conditions couldn’t have been much better as the snow-covered mountains were mirrored in the glassy waters. After a BBQ in the sunshine, we headed for Lilliehook Glacier, and the 10 km face was absolutely breathtaking. Next up, 80 degrees North, with ice for toasts and hopefully some more furry wildlife.
6/15/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard
This morning, National Geographic Resolution explored the northeast coast of Spitsbergen Island. On approach to our landing, the ever-watchful spotters on the Bridge found a mother and cub polar bear on fast ice at a comfortable distance from our landing site. On shore, we divided into casual, moderate, and long walkers and set off into the high arctic tundra to explore the barren beauty of this high latitude. The long walkers made it to a high point with an amazing view of the ship and fjord, while the casual and moderate walkers explored the fjord-indented coastline. After lunch, we hopped into Zodiacs for an amazing cruise along the bird cliffs at Alkefjellet. The highlight was the thousands of Brunich’s guillemots nesting on dolerite ledges and covering every available space. Birds, birds everywhere! It was truly a sight to see and hear. We found an arctic fox cruising along the rocky shoreline and incredibly steep terrain, looking for anything (eggs, chicks) falling from the sky. Most of these bird cliffs have a resident fox den beneath them, as the abundance of birds helps sustain them. It was another incredible day at Latitude 79 North!
