Thursday, August 9, 2018 | 14th July Glacier, Svalbard | Forecast: Partly cloudy with late showers 5°C, 41°F Moderate breeze NW 10 knots | Midnight Sun (no sunrise or sunset)

In the afternoon we visited an area called 14 Julibree, or 14th of July glacier, named after the French National Day (Bastille Day) by Prince Albert of Monaco. We cruised on Zodiacs exploring the area – on the search to see kittiwakes, guillemot, skua and most importantly, puffins. And see them we did.

The puffins are affectionately known as “sea clowns” for their bright facial coloring. They are also known as “little brothers of the north” for the black and white hues of their bodies. They were busy flying to and fro, bringing small fish for their young ones on the cliffs. Puffin chicks are called pufflings. How adorable is that?.

14th of July is one of the biggest glaciers in Svalbard with a total area of over 127 sq km (really big) and the face of over 14km. Once you leave America, everything is metric.

Below are kittiwakes, the most abundant gull on Earth. Kittiwakes get their name from their own repetitious cry. They are also seen calling out from the cliffsides, where their young are usually safe from predators as long as they do not fall out of the nest.

And, of course, you cannot leave without pictures of the ice. The first one looks like a dog but what makes it so special is the purple ice (no filters used). It was the first time our NatGeo photographer had seen purple ice.

But this piece of ice was the other NatGeo photographer’s favorite shot.

I’m starting to feel bitten by the photography bug. Now it’s getting fun.