Over lunch the ship had made the 26 nautical miles to Amsterdamøya – named after the city of Amsterdam. The island had been the heart of the Dutch whaling operation from as early as about 1614; by 1619 the operation had grown to a small settlement with proper fixed buildings – Smeerenburg was born (which is fittingly the Dutch word for blubber town). From here the whalers would go out to catch bowhead whales (aka Greenland right whales – i.e. the right whales for whaling) to then slaughter the animals and produce whale oil for the European market. The whaling station was abandoned around 1660 when there were simply no right whales left to hunt.

Today there are still some bits and pieces of the whaling station to see at the landing site – mainly the foundations of the blubber cookers. More important to us was the walrus colony at the beach on the other side of the island – which allowed some fairly close-up views of the animals. The suggested walk got us passed both spots and also a bit into the back country – all in the most perfect conditions.

The evening was a busy one again … starting with a polar bear guard talk, providing an overview of what it takes to become a polar bear guard – and also an opportunity to ask questions around the topic. Dinner was a special affair as well, as the menu put the cooks on the spot today, with every dish having the signature of a certain kitchen member. After dinner we were invited for a digestif (a Jägermeister Sour) and the full kitchen crew did come on stage – and we were able to put the faces against the dishes, we had just enjoyed.