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Day 1 - August 12, 2011 - Tromso, Norway
If the weather and ice conditions remain as predicted, we should have an incredible journey.
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Day 2 - August 13, 2011 - At Sea, En Route to Bear Island
At 7pm, Captain Alexander Golubev hosted his traditional Welcome Cocktail Party, where he introduced his senior officers and officially welcomed our guests on board.
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Day 3 - August 14, 2011 - Bear Island, Svalbard Archipelago
Once again nesting birds are the primary attraction but with particular interest in the puffin nesting colonies. They too are fully protected on Bear Island but still hunted in a few other locations around the world.
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Day 4 - August 15, 2011 - Diskobukta, Kapp Lee, Walter Thymansekta, Svalbard
We saw many flukes sticking out, and some interesting behaviour such as flipper slapping and lobtailing. It was truly a unique and rare sighting – the number of bears, their behaviour, the setting – everything was just perfect. I will never forget my first close views of these Polar Bears in wild and remote Svalbard!!
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Day 5 - August 16, 2011 - Isispynten, Svalbard
What we hadn’t expected was an amazing experience with a beluga whale. Actually – with two beluga whales – a mother and her 1-month-old calf.
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Day 6 - August 17, 2011 - Storoya and Kvitoya, Svalbard
Between the 13 members of the Expedition Team, we have many decades of experience in Svalbard, but none of us had ever been able to set foot on Kvitoya, and we did it today - the first time for us and the first time for the Silver Explorer!
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Day 7 - August 18, 2011 - Lagoya and Alkefjellet, Svalbard Archipelago
After hitting the water, which is only a few degrees above freezing, everyone rises quickly to the surface with a gasp, then swims rapidly back to the swim ladder, towels off then heads back into the ship for a hot chocolate.
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Day 8 - August 19, 2011 - Palanderbukta, Faksevagen, Svalbard
Upon reaching the ridge, the views were magnificent: the fjord, some icebergs dotting the water, glaciers in the distance, and of course the Silver Explorer at anchor.
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Day 9 - August 20, 2011 - Monacobreen, Svalbard
But the highlights of the Zodiac cruise were the massive ice calvings that we witnessed. One such event in particular sticks in my memory - a huge section of about 500m of cliff came crashing down.
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Day 10 - August 21, 2011 - Fjortende Julibukta and Ny-Ålesund
This morning we sailed into Krossfjorden, known to be one of the most beautiful fjord areas in Svalbard thanks to its dramatic alpine landscape. At the end of this fjord there is a glacier called -oddly enough- 14th of July glacier.
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