As we made our way towards Smeerenburg, the ship dropped anchor and the zodiacs were launched. The first zodiac set off to scout the planned landing site. Everything was in place for your first step ashore—until the announcement came: our very first polar bear, spotted close to where we were supposed to land!

You could watch the bear from the decks or via the onboard live stream. But the surprises didn’t end there—while many of you were watching the walruses resting on the beach, a second polar bear appeared, even closer to the landing area. A truly unforgettable start to the day.