The morning we spent in
Ymerbukta where we got the possibility to walk next and even on the Esmark
glacier! There was this very special morning light again before later on the full
sun broke through the dark clouds. From the moraine we got a good overview over
the glacier and the surroundings. During the last days we could not see so many
birds anymore. Most of them started their migration to the south in the
direction to Iceland already. Back on board we had the possibility to join
lectures again. All the information we received helped us to understand the nature
and everything we have seen so much better.
At 15:00 we recognized
the first time that our trip came to an end. Our Captain Rune Andreassen
invited us in the Observation Lounge to say farewell.
But there was still
the second landing of the day we could look forward to. At 17:00 we started our
landing in Brucebyen, a historical place next to the magnificent Nordenskjold
glacier. At the landing site we could still see some houses built in 1919 by
the Scottish polar scientist William Spiers Bruce and the company The Scottish
Spitsbergen Syndicate Ltd, as a base for coal explorations in the area. But the
highlight of the afternoon landing was a PolarCircelBoat-cruise along the
amazing calving front of the Nordenskjold glacier. What a wonderful end of a beautiful voyage!
Back on board we had
to pack to be ready for our disembarkation during the night. With different
charter flights we went home. We will need days perhaps even weeks to
understand everything we have seen. But for sure it was more than wonderful –
our circumnavigation of Spitsbergen.
