Arctic Expedition, Day 7 : Scouting for Whales & Searching for the Elusive Arctic Fox at Alkhornet

After spending time with the walruses at Poolepynten, we headed south back toward Longyearbyen. Since it was our last evening on the vessel, I spent most of the time on deck looking for whales, but there was no sign of them. We only saw a few puffins flying by. After a few more attempts, I gave up and went to bed.

Me & the spotter looking for whales together

A puffin flying by

On the last day of our expedition, we explored Alkhornet, a prominent mountain known for its large bird colony. The cliffs here are home to many bird species, including guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, and peregrine falcons. It’s a busy place during the breeding season, with birds nesting on the steep rock faces.

Arctic foxes are often seen in this area too. They hunt for bird eggs and hatchlings during summer by quietly sneaking into the bird colonies and catching their prey. Despite searching carefully, we didn’t see any arctic foxes ourselves. One of the guides mentioned spotting one right after we landed, but it disappeared quickly.

There were also several reindeer grazing nearby, calmly moving through the tundra. It was a great way to end this trip of a lifetime.

The Bird Colony at Alkhornet