Edgeøya – walruses, reindeer and hiking on the Arctic tundra
After having sailed through the currents of Freemansundet, we anchored by Kapp Lee on the northern part of Edgeøya. Kapp Lee is an old trapper station, where whales and walrus were hunted and killed by the thousands from the 17th century and onwards.
Remains like bones and skulls from all sorts of animals from those days are scattered around the peninsula we land on. The cape and the walk up on the slope are surrounded by green, lush tundra. A small Arctic fox meets us almost immediately when we step ashore. The fox are runs around and is a bit curious but keeps its distance to us all the time. The contrast to Nordaustlandet is great. The tundra on Edgeøya is very green and full of Arctic flowers. We aim to walk up to a cliff with beautiful view over Storfjorden. On the way up there, we meet a little group of Reindeer. A couple of curious calves carefully close in on us and we get a chance to get good pictures of them. Today the water in Storfjorden is calm and the sun reflects in the southern swell. Tomorrow will sail deeper into the fjord and explore the east coast of Spitsbergen.
/PolarQuest's guides on M/S Sjøveien, 28 June 2022
Magnus Danbolt
Guide and Expedition LeaderRelated trips
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Expedition Svalbard 2023
M/S Sjøveien 12 passengers11 days 10 nights on ship USD 10 790LanguagesDepartures: June / July / August 2023 -
Svalbard Adventure 2023
M/S Sjøveien 12 passengers9 days 7 nights on ship USD 8 490LanguagesDepartures: May / June 2023
Destinations
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Since 1999, we have taken travellers on once-in-a-lifetime trips to Svalbard. From May to September our three small expedition ships, carrying only 12 and 51 passengers, explore this magnificent Arctic archipelago. Unpredictability and flexibility are the main keywords when you travel with PolarQuest as the exact route depends on weather, ice conditions and wildlife encounters. Sometimes you might be woken up in the middle of the night if a polar bear has been spotted on the ice.