Svalbard Cruise Day 7: Deep Water Whale Sightings and Citizen Science in Burgerbukta
We were up early on the top decks as we were passing through deep water which could increase the likelihood of whale sightings. There was a pretty stiff breeze on top deck and hot drinks were the order of the day. We were rewarded with a rare blue whale sighting, alongside humpbacks and fin whales in the deep Arctic water – they were not close but the blowholes help you identify them. A definite benefit of a marine biologist up on deck with you!
Due to the aforementioned weather, the original landing site wasn’t possible due to the wind and the weather so a decision was made to land at Burgerbukta which was in the south of Svalbard and part of South Spitsbergen National Park.
Climbing Glacial Moraines and Collecting Seawater Data
Here we walked along a beach before climbing up a glacial moraine to reach a lookout point where we could look out over the glacier in the bay. We were also booked onto the science boat this day. This involved going out to take different samples for research. A plankton net was used to sample the water, there was a conductivity, temperature and depth device used to measure properties of seawater and then the Secchi disk. The Secchi disk test helps measure water clarity., which helped identify the abundance of phytoplankton. Again this was a choice to partake or not but was really interesting and the data is collated centrally.
A leisurely evening dinner was interrupted by shouts of whales and then the entire restaurant decamped to the outside deck– a pair of beautiful humpback whales made a brief appearance. To be fair I needed a little breather between my main course and dessert and I personally think a humpback is an excellent palate cleanser!
Svalbard Cruise Day 8: Wild Reindeer in Hemsedalen and Sailing Sveabreen Glacier
This was our final day before we docked back in Longyearbyen. The morning was spent in the Hemsedalen area which is located in Isjford. The area has lots of mountains due to glacial activity. We got to walk up to a high waterfall and admire the views. It was at this location we spotted wild Svalbard reindeer grazing in the distance but still visible with binoculars or a long lens on a camera. The weather was overcast rather than the previous glorious weather we had been lucky to have had.
The afternoon was spent doing a Zodiac boat cruise directly in front of the massive Sveabreen glacier . This glacier was also busy with multiple carvings seen from a safe distance. We scooped up a small piece of glacier ice which was just so clear. The wind and rain appeared with gusto making it was a very wet and slightly chilly cruise but this was the only poor weather we had in 8 days which the team advised is very lucky!
A warm up and relaxation with coffee was much needed. The last evening was spent with a captain’s farewell which included a very emotional photography video. Neither my husband nor I have ever felt such peace as we did in the Arctic. It’s a feeling I do hope to experience at least once more in my lifetime.
Svalbard Cruise Day 9: Longyearbyen Dog Sledding and Final Reflections
We said a sad farewell to the boat and the fantastic crew, expedition and science team. We were all handed a packed lunch for our onward journey. We enjoyed a final excursion visiting an Arctic dog sledding team in Longyearbyen. This was followed by a wander around the town and some gift shopping. The majority of time was spent in quiet reflection about what we had just done over the last 9 days.