National Geographic Resolution began the morning in far north-eastern Svalbard. As National Geographic Photographer Tommy regaled us with stories of climbing Mt. Everest, the expedition team prepared for a Zodiac exploration of the remote coast of the island of Storøya. Views of eider ducks, guillemots, and beautiful ice made the conditions enjoyable.
As we continued east after lunch, Gail, our expedition diver, spotted a polar bear! While watching delayed our afternoon plans, we all enjoyed observing the bear as it walked across and swam between ice flows.
Late in the afternoon we arrived at Kritøya, located in the eastern most part of the Svalbard Archipelago. With a fast ice landing, we all felt privileged to be some of the very few people to ever visit this remote island. After dinner, thanks to naturalist Kristen, we learned the history of how this island became the final resting place of the lost Swedish polar balloon exploration team led by S.A. Andree.
