Thick-billed Murres on the Alkefjellet Cliffs, Svalbard

One of the greatest laws of nature: there’s safety in numbers.

Swirling above the basalt cliffs of Alkefjellet in Svalbard, tens of thousands of Thick-billed Murres gather during the brief summer thaw.

Also known as Brünnich's Guillemots, the birds build nests on the cliff face — out of reach to most predators.

Soaring. Swooping. Swishing. Spinning.

They seem to attack the vast ocean below, as they search for food.

Accomplished divers at just 41cm long, the birds are underwater torpedoes.

They can stay submerged for up to 4 minutes at a time.

These soldiers of the Arctic are constant companions to all those who journey to the region in the summer months.

A bucket-list spectacle, nothing can rival the image of these seabirds, as they swarm in their thousands overhead.

Find out more about Brünnich's Guillemots on the Alkefjellet Cliffs: https://discover.silversea.com/destin...