The day began early as MS Spitsbergen approached Moffen Island under soft morning light. From the deck, guests gathered quietly with binoculars and cameras, watching a large group of walruses hauled out along the island’s pebbled shore. The animals lay in a tangled heap, occasionally shifting or lifting their heads. Their sheer size and presence were a striking sight in the stillness of the high Arctic.

Moffen is a protected nature reserve, so no landing was permitted, but the distant view was more than enough. The walruses, undisturbed by our presence, continued their slow, grunting rest while Arctic terns and skuas circled overhead.

Shortly after, the ship crossed 80° North, deep in the realm of ice and polar wildlife.