Day 4 - 12th August 2023

  Day 4 Saturday

Woke up at about 5.30 then back till 6.15, got up, went to the shower and washed my hair. Then up on deck until breakfast. During breakfast, David called an Ivory gull.  Most of us jumped up,and went on deck. The gull had passed forward but another flew up from the stern and headed quickly past. The usual birds were around with an increase in Black guillemots. The ship moved to an bay where there was a Trackers hut. We were third off and then walked along the beach to,the hut. It was built by Hilmar Nois . It was called the Texas Bar as he really wanted to visit Texas and this was the closest thing. The others walked over the brow of the hill and then walked along a trail with fox trails and some flowers. Along the way there was a bird colony with kittiwake, bulk guilt, glaucoos gulls and reindeer poo. After returning to the boat, we set sail for a brief visit to the Monanco glacier. There was a lot of sea ice/ icebergs and it was fascinating to watch them as the bow wave hit, some turned over, some just bounces and some didn’t move. Our next stop was for the hot springs. 

Our group were second off the boat and we collected on the beach before walking up the slope towards the pool. The pool was at the top of a yellow coloured mound, formed from the minerals that have been extruded by the hot pool. We weren’t allowed to walk too close, as past visitors had eroded a lot of the mound. There was a small pool to the left which drained down the hillside in a small trickle. The others went on for a walk to a second pool and then on to the next bay before catching the boat back. I stayed and spent a bit of time looking round at the flowers before w walked back down to the coast. Standing on the beach there was a seal swimming just offshore  . We spent quite a bit of time watching it and trying to photograph it. It was identified as a Bearded seal and the photos proved it. When it was time to get the boat the driver was asked to try and take us nearer the seal. The driver took it very gently but it dived, we waited and it popped o just behind the boat, however, the other two boats roared off the coast so it dived and we returned to the ship.

Sail to Morden, blue whales, walrus 80th meridian, champagne.