A day in Hinlopen
This day M/S Stockholm spent in Hinlopen - the gap between the two largest islands of Svalbard, Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet.
Shortly after breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs for a cruise along Alkefjellet - Svalbard's largest bird mountain. About 65,000 pairs of Brünnich's Guillemots nest here along with thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes. The bird mountain is a vertical cliff that plunges into the sea which is a truly impressive sight.
Among all the birds, we also managed to spot an Arctic Fox foraging along the steep slope.
After this fine morning, the journey continued to the eastern side of Hinlopen and into Wahlbergfjorden while the guests enjoyed a lunch. Once in the fjord we were met by pack ice. While M/S Stockholm carefully navigated among the ice floes, the guides were constantly looking for wildlife, which at times was hampered by fog.
After a couple of hours we saw a female polar bear with her young cubs some distance away. They followed the starboard side of the ship for a short while before moving on into the foggy pack ice again. A fantastic experience and a memory for life for everyone on board.
Later in the afternoon, we again joined the Zodiacs for a cruise among the pack ice. The fog that surrounded us added a certain mystique to the adventure into the unknown.
Please note: We always follow strict wildlife guidelines to ensure that we do not cause any disturbance.
Related trips
-
-
Svalbard Adventure 2024
M/S Stockholm 12 passengers9 days 7 nights on ship USD 9 390LanguagesDeparture: June 2024 -
Expedition Svalbard 2024
M/S Stockholm 12 passengers12 days 10 nights on ship USD 11 990LanguagesDepartures: July / August / September 2024
Destinations
-
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 50 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.