Day VIII, Day IX, Svalbard.

7-21-15 ALKEHORNET, SVALBARD: This morning was filled with ‘end of voyage’ activities, settling accounts, packing, etc., but in the afternoon we did a last hike. We are farther south than we have been for a while and the terrain here is grass covered. That is more vegetation that we have seen so far. Grass includes small flowers, mosses, sedge, lichen, not unlike my lawn in NJ. The day was another warm, sunny one with little wind.


Morning ship's position, heading Southeast.

Expedition winds down...

The Vavilov waiting for us to come back...

The horns of Alkehornet and grassland...

With mosses and tiny flowers...

More flowers.

We saw a reindeer shortly after landing and later a second, both enjoying the grass. The landing site is beneath a huge glacial col that disrupted metamorphosed sedimentary deposits. The top of the mountain was formed at the bottom of the ocean and later uplifted. Beneath the grass is rocky soil from remnant moraines. We went to a fox’s lair, so we were told, but the fox failed to keep his appointment with us.


Mature reindeer.

Younger reindeer.


A short, zodiac cruise after the hike flushed some eiders, terns and guillemots.


Eider female nesting.

Northern fulmar dining on its catch.

Black guillemot.

Brünnich's guillemots. There is a Common guillemot, Murre, also.

Then we were back on the ship for a cruise review and slide show followed by the final banquet. For some reason we were at the Captain’s table. He and the Hotelier mate are Russian, but have good English. We talked about the cruise and navigation in the Arctic.

7-22-15 LONGYEARBYEN, SVALBARD: We all disembarked this morning, and after a coffee in Longyearbyen, we will all fly to Oslo and some of us on to Newark tomorrow. Actually a lot of the guides are on our flights because this was the last Svalbard cruise of the season.