| Datum: | 12.06.2026 |
| Positie: | 78°14.6’ N / 015°32.6’ E |
| Wind: | N 3 |
| Weer: | Overcast |
| Luchttemperatuur: | +7 |
The sky above Adventfjorden was covered by a thick layer of clouds. At times they would sink lower, turning into fog and making the airport staff nervous; at other times they would rise higher, giving us a chance to admire the still snow-covered peaks on the far side of the fjord from Longyearbyen. The local residents, ignoring the otherworldly beauty around them, which had long since become familiar to them, hurried about their business, while those of us who had arrived in Longyearbyen the day before enjoyed the views and gradually grew accustomed to the cold realities of the far Arctic as we wandered along the pedestrian street in the center of the settlement, sat in cafés, or simply looked out at the street from the hotel window.
From time to time, the hum of a low-flying aircraft reached our ears, announcing the arrival of yet more travelers in Spitsbergen. Each plane, with its arrival, seemed to breathe life into the deserted airport — it would instantly come alive, filling with people, bustle, joy, and anxiety: many were worrying about the success of their upcoming journeys around the archipelago. Would the weather be kind? Would we manage to see whales? And, of course, everyone was tormented by the main question: would we manage to see a polar bear?
Ortelius was moored at the coal pier — a distant dock you could not even reach on foot, because that is prohibited. After all, what if a bear suddenly appeared from behind the cliff and you did not have a rifle with you? So a shuttle was arranged for us, departing from the main pier at 4:00 p.m. — safe, and no need to walk for half an hour.
And there she was, our ship! Standing there beautifully at the pier. The sailors were busy, members of the expedition team were hauling our luggage back and forth, and the hotel manager and his charming assistant were gradually collecting our passports.
Since it was impossible to check everyone in at once, a queue formed in front of the gangway. Pippa, the expedition leader’s assistant, kept a strict eye on us, making sure we boarded in groups of ten. It must be said that the process moved very quickly, so within about a quarter of an hour we were all on board.
Once we had all received the keys to our cabins and made sure that all our suitcases were with us as well, the mandatory part began — the safety briefing, followed by the abandon ship drill. We all gathered in the observation lounge on Deck 6, where a video covering all aspects of safe life on board was shown to us, after which Chief Officer Don addressed us. Then we were told to return to our cabins and, once the signal was given, take our orange life jackets and come back to the observation lounge.
The alarm sounded, and one of the watch officers addressed us over the loudspeakers, instructing us to begin the procedure for abandoning the ship. Needless to say, it was also made clear that all of this was taking place purely for training purposes. We were escorted to the lifeboats and then dismissed.
After putting our life jackets back in their place, we went out onto the open decks to watch the sailors busily winding up the mooring lines with the winches. The engine roared, Ortelius gently rocked, and slowly began to move away from the pier. The journey had begun!
After some time we were invited back into the observation lounge, where refreshments and a glass of champagne awaited each of us. Our hotel manager Vova spoke to us, as did our expedition leader Ali Liddle, and, of course, Captain Ernesto Barria himself.
And so, amid the bustle and in a fairly intense rhythm, the first couple of hours of our stay aboard Ortelius passed. At 7:30 p.m. we were invited to dinner, and after dinner we were given our Muck Boots. Meanwhile, Ortelius had left Isfjorden and set course north!
Forward, toward adventure!