Our final day provided us with a wonderful blend of history, nature, excitement and inevitably, souvenirs. Yes, we had reached Ny-Ålesund, where we participated in guided walks to learn about the history of this fascinating ex-coal mine, now a multinational research settlement. The day was interrupted in a very exciting way - 12 gleaming white beluga whales arrived at the stern of the ship and for over half an hour gently swam and even seemed to sleep close to the ship. This meant our departure for our short trip across Kongsfjorden was delayed but nobody minded! Later we arrived at the interesting and remarkably complete former marble mine of Ny London where we had a short landing. In the evening, after returning our muck boots, we enjoyed an exuberant Captain's Farewell, a lovely final dinner and a happy evening with friends old and new. However the story didn't stop there because at approximately 18:30 there was an announcement from the Captain that whales had been spotted near us. Sure enough there were and we were treated to the sight of the fastest whale in the world, the fin whale and two minke whales.