Early in
the morning we entered through Bellsund into Recherchefjorden. Low clouds and
fine rain did not stop us from going ashore. The tide was very low, but one or
two days earlier the high tide must have been very high since a couple of
meters of the moraine that is bordering the outflow of the lagoon had been
washed away.
Many
kittiwakes again and again were flying up the outflow, landing on the water and
then let themselves drift down while carefully watching for small fish and
other food.
With the
high tide that had reached into the lagoon many ice blocks drifted ashore or
grounded close to the shoreline.
Many
passengers were interested to learn about the birds the surrounding geology and
having the great view over the lagoon towards the Recherche Glacier, they of
course wanted to learn about the ice.
After a
lunch break we landed at the neighbouring Ahlstrandodden to visit the former
Beluga hunting station "Bamsebu" which means "The polar bear's
hut". At this place in the 1930s a group of men from Norway, led by
Ingvald Svenson, carried out a more or less land based whaling method. They
caught belugas by fixing one end of a net ashore and rowing with the other end
out into the bay. When belugas were swimming into the net the men rowed back to
the shore and slaughtered the animals. Their blubber was cooked for oil and
also the whale's skin was used. The men piled up the bones of an estimated 550
belugas along the beach.
While doing
a walk with the passengers the sky cleared a bit and we could see the wonderful
succession of sediments from Permian to Tertiary on the northern side of Van
Keulenfjord.
On our way
North towards new adventures we passed by some fin whales with their blows
shining in the evening sun.
