On our last full day in Svalbard we awoke to a glorious sunny day along the northwest coast of Spitsbergen. The port-side view from the Endeavour revealed jagged mountains lining the scenic coast, and glacier after glacier spilling into the sea.
Glassy calm sea conditions allowed us to make a landing at Hamburgbukta, a remote bay that is home to thousands of Little Auks. Also called Dovekies, these loveable seabirds make their nest along the base of high cliffs carved by the glaciers from Svalbard's basement rock, which is called the Heckla Höek group. Also found here is an old hunter's cabin and a number of graves possibly dating back to the time of Dutch whaler's who plied these waters in the late 1600's.
As we listened to the wonderful sounds of the Dovekies swarming from the cliffs, it was the perfect moment to reflect on our Arctic adventure together.
