It’s now the third day in a row that we’ve been spoiled with glorious sunshine – what a great day, and not only because of the weather.

We started with scenic cruising in our Zodiacs at Monacobreen (named in honour of Prince Albert I of Monaco, a pioneering Arctic explorer and oceanographer who conducted scientific expeditions to Svalbard in the early 1900s). The highlight? A bearded seal – basking on a small piece of ice, letting the sun warm its belly. It barely acknowledged our presence as we drifted nearby. That calm, quiet moment in the golden light felt almost magical.