In summer 2007 I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go on a 9-day trip to Spitsbergen on the Grigoriy Mikheev, a ship run by Oceanwide Expeditions. This trip sailed up th west coast and along the north coast at the edge of the pack ice as far as 80 deg north.
The weather was mixed but fairly sunny, highlights were many and included Ivory Gull - Little Auk and Brunnich's Guillemot colonies - Walrus and Bearded Seals - and 3 Polar Bears. Breeding waders included Purple Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone and Red (Grey) Phalarope - wildfowl included Barnacle Goose and Long-tailed Duck, also King Eider.
The landscape is very bleak and impressive but there was less sea ice than I expected.
photos;
Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Spitsbergen
midnight sun leaving harbour
G Mikheev entering Krossfjorden
glacier, Krossfjorden
zodiac cruising, Krossfjorden
statue of Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer, at Ny Alesund
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