Tuesday 23 July 2013

From Ice to Hunters


We spent the morning in Liefdefjorden were we could see four glaciers named: Idabreen, Emmabreen, Seligerbreen and Monacobreen.  We did a polarcirkle-boat cruise through the ice cruising along the Monacobreen ice wall.  We had a unique view to the wall and was literally thousands of birds around, mainly  Kittiwakes, Glaucous Gulls, Artic Terns , but the occasional Fulmar, Artic Skua and others did show up.

During the afternoon we visited Mushamna “the mouse bay” also there is a hunters/trapper hut, that now belongs to the Svalbard Government. The area has 3 small lakes that contained Eider Ducks and some Red-throated Divers (Loons). In the Tundra were Purple Sandpipers breeding as well. The tundra at this period of time also contained many small flowers such as the Tufted Saxifraga.

 
 
 
 

Late in the evening we reached 80 degrees north our highest latitude on this voyage at Moffen Island were we observed Walruses laying on a beach.