Tuesday, 10^th August, 2010

Isbjørnhamna & Burgerbukta,

Hornsund

“The most remarkable mountains I have seen, are

situated near Horn Sound, . . . Horn Mount, or

Hedge-hog Mount, so called from an appearance of

spines on the top when seen in some positions,

takes its rise from a small tract of alpine land, on

the southern side of Horn Sound.

”William Scoresby, An Account of the Arctic Regions

0630

Early morning tea, coffee and pastries are available in the Lounge/Bar

0700

Wake-up call

0730

Breakfast is served in the Dining Room

0845

We hope to land at Isbjørnhamna in Hornsund

Hornsund is the most southerly fjord in Svalbard and offers spectacular scenery with the calving fronts of eight large glaciers entering its waters. Jonas Poole, an English whaler (1610), named this area for a ‘deer’ horn that was brought back to his ship. The bay we intend to visit is named for a ship, Isbjørn that was attacked by German aircraft in 1942, near Barentsburg.

We plan to walk up towards the breathtaking Hansbreen glacier, observing the high ice cliffs of its front, and then continue to a breeding colony of little auks. It is estimated that tens of thousands of birds breed in this area, underneath the boulders and scree, which are the appropriate size to prevent predation from foxes and glaucous gulls. An interesting statistic is that each little auk provides approx. 250g (½ lb) of guano each breeding season. That’s a lot of natural fertilizer!

1230

Lunch is served in the Dining Room

1400

We hope to zodiac cruise at Burgerbukta

The east and west arms of this bay (“bukta”) end in dramatic glaciers, each around 2 km wide. Their calving fronts on occasions deposit blue glacial bergs and brash ice, which we may hear crackling as the small air bubbles are released when the ice melts. Steep-sided mountains encircle this bay and provide a habitat for nesting seabirds.

This part of Hornsund was a popular area for fox and bear hunters. One of these was the adventurous Wanny Woldstad, the first woman to overwinter in Svalbard during the years 1932-37.

Later

We hope to ship cruise other bays of Hornsund

We will enjoy the magnificent scenery of Hornsund while we may cruise through Brepöllen (“glacier bay”) and Samarinvågen (named for a craftsman on the Swedish-Russian Arc-of-Meridian Expedition, 1899-1901). This stunning panorama is surrounded by high mountains, interspersed by dazzling glaciers.

1630

Afternoon tea is served in the Lounge

1800

Maxwelcomes you to the Bar for Happy Hour

1900

Please join our Chefs for an Arctic-style Barbecue, served on the Stern Deck.

Enjoy the Arctic scenery during this unique experience

Please remember to share a few of your photographs for the “Favourite Photos DVD”. Photos can be placed onto the computers in the Presentation Room.