The World’s Svalbard Expedition: A Grand Finale Under the Arctic Sun

This morning brings our last day of the Svalbard Expedition 2018 aboard The World. It is always bittersweet as things draw to a close, but glad to have one last day in the incredible arctic sunshine to explore yet another area in the Svalbard archipelago. We saved one of the best for last.
Hornsund was our area of exploration for the day with a backdrop of dramatic peaks and fjords setting the stage. The Expedition Team posted sentries on the high points surrounding the landing beach, surveying the area carefully and constantly to make sure no polar bears were able to swim into the landing site and surprise those on shore. Our polar historian told tales of a famous female trapper who used the trappers’ cabin on the beach, and the cabin was also able to be explored.

 
Kayakers toured the coastline, weaving in and out of the rocky islets along the shore. A curious bearded seal came by for a view of the kayakers as they rafted up for a photo opportunity amongst the ice sculptures offshore – a raft of neon boats make for an interesting addition to the wild world of a seal here in Svalbard. A humpback whale was another highlight of the morning, spotted swimming leisurely offshore – another species to add to our ever-growing list of sightings.
 

 
Zodiac cruising Burgerbukta was our grand finale during the late afternoon. Meandering towards the glacier front, the Zodiacs slipped easily between icebergs and bergy-bits, allowing for one last spectacular view of the ice and all the hues of blue. Sitting on the calm water at the end of this fjord we listened to the glacier creak, groan and thunder; the sound reverberating around the bay.
 

 
It was a grand finale indeed. We headed back to the Ship with minds filled with incredible memories of our Svalbard Expedition, topped off with our beautiful last cruise under the arctic sun in Burgerbukta.