Landing on the east coast of Svalbard

Last night we decided to go south to circumnavigate Spitsbergen as the ice chart finally showed that the ice had moved eastward, away from the northwest corner and the mouth of Raudfjorden which was still filled with solid ice. It’s not an easy choice because the weather and the conditions in Storfjorden is very changeable so it’s a bit of a gamble. As we approached the ice edge we heard from another ship that four polar bears had been seen in the last two days. 

But in the morning we are sailing through the Heleysundet with a little bit of tidal current against us. In the narrowest part, M/S Stockholm is only making 1,2knots forward! But slack tide is coming and then we will fly through the sound.

On Boltodden the whole area is old, exposed rock from the epoch of Crite/Jura and we are on a special hunt here. We know that somewhere on the shoreline there is a flat rock with footprints of a dinosaur that walked here and the footprints have been preserved for the last 65 million years.

Our whole little gang spread out on the beach and after a short while, we find the footprints. Its three marks in the old rock that almost look like giant bird feet. It’s fascinating thinking of the animal that took these steps at a very different time.

Please note: Depending on the lens used for a photo or video shot an animal may appear to be closer than it is. We always follow strict wildlife guidelines to ensure that we do not cause any disturbance.