Ålesund and Geiranger

The view of Ålesund from Aksla mountain.

We had an early start today in Ålesund, the Venice of Norway.  Weather-wise it was our nicest day so far.  We had brilliant sunshine all day.

Ålesund is one of my favourite cities in Norway.  The water front area is beautiful and on a day like today it was great to just wander the streets and admire the  Art Nouveau architecture for which Ålesund is famous. 

One of the many splendid views on the long hike.

A lot of people went on a bus tour from Ålesund to our next port of call, Geiranger, where they met the ship again. Everyone had good things to say about the all-day tour. And why wouldn’t they?  They had perfect weather and some of the most amazing scenery in all of Norway.  Many people went on a walking tour of Ålesund while still others took a trip to the islands of Giske and Godøy which featured an old stone church built in 1150 and a beautiful old lighthouse.

Fram at anchor in Geiranger

We left Ålesund at 11:00 and arrived in Geiranger at 15:30.  That 4.50 hours of sailing was through some of the most spectacular scenery of our entire voyage! Geiranger is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  It is breath taking.  The small town is perched on the side of a well forested fjord that rises steeply from the sea.  Waterfalls cascade down the mountain. The leaves are just beginning to change colour as cool autumn takes a grip on the land.  There is fresh snow covering the mountain tops.

Sea kayakers returning to Geiranger.

Our day in Geiranger was sheer pleasure.  It seemed a Norwegian paradise.  Our timing was perfect.  It was a beautiful day and the tourist season is almost over.  Geiranger is one of the main tourist attractions in all of Norway. In peak season this stunningly beautiful community receives thousands of visitors daily. 

I was envious of those that took the opportunity to go sea kayaking.  The conditions could not have been better.

Brekstad

We are in Central Norway.  We had spectacular scenic cruising throughout the morning as we weaved our way through many narrow passages between countless islands in beautiful Stokksund.  At times the shore seemed no more than 30 or 40 metres from the ship.  The scenery here is more rural than rugged Norwegian Fjord frontier.  There is more agriculture evident now as we ply our way further south.  We see fields where the crops have been harvested and where cows are grazing.  

Not only was the scenic cruising really good in the morning but we also had the option of attending several lectures.  At 09:45 Tessa Van Dries told us all about everyone's favourite celestial light phenomena, the aurora.    At the same time Steffen Biersack gave  a lecture in German about the principles of navigation.  At 11:00 Andrew Wenzel gave an interesting talk entitled, Demons From Hell - Killer Whales. At the same time Ralf Westphal gave a fascinating talk in German about Haudegen, the last German Arctic weather station in the 2nd world war.

At 13:00 we dropped anchor just outside the charming small city of Brekstad.  It was a beautiful day.  A light breeze was blowing and the sun was shining through large gaps in the cloud cover.  The Brekstad Hotel and community cultural centre was open for us.  Inside there two different galleries for us to explore including a great exhibit featuring the famous Norwegian artist Hannah Ryggen.  The hotel offered us Aquavit to sample and a variety of Norwegian foods.  There was also lots of opportunity to explore the community on our own.

Several people went on a bicycle excursion along the shore line while others went on a motor coach tour of the area which culminated at Austrått Manor.

At 18:45 the last Polar Cirkel boat was back at the ship and Fram weighed anchor.

In the evening we were entertained by the crew singing some classical popular songs in the Observation Lounge.

Alstahaug and Vega

The Expedition Team at Alstahaug
(Photo © Joe Decker)

We are now south of the Arctic Circle.  We passed that significant point of latitude at 05:00 this morning.  Most of us were sleeping rather soundly.  About three hours later we arrived at Alstahaug a borough of approximately 7500 people spread over 917 islands and islets.  The landscape has changed from the high, craggy fjords of Raftsundet to many low lying islands.  

Inside the church in Alstahaug where Petter Daas the poet parson
worked.  (Photo © Joe Decker)

There isn't a pier for Fram in Alstahaug which meant of course that we would use the trusty Polar Cirkel boats to tender everyone in.  A light rain was falling when we arrived and continued on and off throughout the landing.  The stop here featured an old church which we could visit and the Petter Dass museum.

The church is one of only seven Northern Norwegian medieval churches that been preserved.  The church's initial construction was in the year 1200.  the oldest parts of the church are built in the Romanesque style with soapstone.

The Petter Daas museum in Alstahaug (Photo © Joe Decker)

Petter Daas was the parson poet that lived and worked in Alstahug from 1689 until his death in 1707. The museum was not open  but the building itself was a marvellous piece of architecture and the installation of the building quite a feat of engineering. 

The bucolic setting was very peaceful. Sheep grazed in a nearby field.  Glaucous Gulls soared along the sea side and Hooded Crows called back and forth.   One felt restful just being there.  It was easy to see where the great poet got some of his inspiration.

In the afternoon we stopped at the small community of Vega.  A light rain was falling as we rode the Polar Cirkel boats to a pier in a small marina.  Many people went on a motor coach tour to learn about the unique relationship between the Eider Ducks and generations of fishermen/farmers.  Over the last 1500 years the local people have harvested eider down.

There are 6500 islands in the Vega Archipelago.  These islands have a relaxing beauty that is quite different from the dramatic fjords we experienced earlier in the voyage.  Vega itself is a sleepy little community.  If you didn't choose to go on one of the local excursions there was a pleasant walk which led through the marina around the community and back to the pier again.   

At 20:00 we lifted anchor and once again turned our bow to the south.

Trollfjord, Solvaer and Henningsvaer

Fram, and Polar Cirkel boats with Captain Andreasson in Trollfjord

This morning we wove through the picturesque narrow Raftsund Strait.  You could feel Fram leaning into the turns of the tight passage.  At 08:30 we arrived very near the entrance to Trollfjord.  There waiting for us in his own small boat was one of the Captains of Fram, Rune Andreasson! 30 lucky passengers had booked an excursion aboard our very own Polar Cirkel boats and Captain Andreasson was going to lead our small Norwegian Armada into Trollfjord and then on a long tour ending in the port of Solvaer.The mouth of the Trollfjord where it joins Raftsund Strait is a mere 100 meters wide and at its widest point is only 800 meters. The mountains surrounding Trollfjord are 600 to 1100 metres high and the fjord itself is 72 metres at its deepest point.

Needless to say it is spectacular.  To make it even more exciting two very large White-tailed Sea-eagles were soaring around inside the fjord.  We got some really good looks at these magnificent birds of prey.  White-tailed Sea-eagles are closely related to Bald Eagles.  They are the fourth largest eagle in the world. The largest population of these majestic birds is along the coast of Norway.  There are approximately 10,000 pairs in the world.

Rainbow in Trollfjord

As Fram exited Trollfjord back into Raftsund the Polar Cirkel boats went on their own route to Solvaer.  A shallower route that Fram wouldn’t be able to follow.  About two hours later at noon, Fram and the Polar Cirkel boats rejoined at the pier in Solvaer.  No matter whether you went on Fram or in the Polar Cirkel boats it was one of the more spectacular sections of scenic cruising in the world. 

Fantastic scenery on the way to Solvaer

Fram spent the afternoon in Solvaer but there was a shuttle available throughout the afternoon to the picturesque community of Henningsvaer.  It is one of the larger fishing villages in the Lofoten Isands and a very busy tourist attraction in the peak summer months.  We were able to take a stroll through the attractive town, visit a coffee shop or stop in one of the gift shops that were still open.

At 20:15 we left the pier of Solvaer.  After a summer of 24 hours of daylight 7 days/week it was strange for it to be so dark.  But maybe, if the clouds parted just a little we would get a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis.

All Day In Tromsø

View of Tromsø from Storsteinen Mountain

It was warm today.  At mid-day you could comfortably explore the streets of Tromsø without a jacket.  It was partially cloudy but when it is partially cloudy it means that it is also partially sunny. The people of Tromsø told us that this was definitely not the norm for this time of year.   

There are trees.  Lots of trees. The trees are changing colour in Norway.  It is only eight days until the first day of autumn. We are experiencing darkness now. As I write this it is 20:30 and it is really dark.  All of these marvellous things are a product of moving further south and changing seasons.  In many ways Norway reminds me of Canada and today I had a slight pang of homesickness. The leaves at home would also be beginning to change.

Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø

We were in Tromsø all day - 09:00 until 19:00 which meant there was time to go on one of the excursions on offer and to explore beautiful Tromsø on your own.  Many people went on the motor coach tour. The tour wound through the city and eventually brought us to a cable car.  The cable car whisked us up to the top of Storsteinen Mountain, 420 metres above sea level where we had a wonderful panoramic view over the city and the surrounding waterways and mountains.  We also visited the very stylish Arctic Cathedral which was built in 1965.  Other people chose to go on a Sami Culture adventure or a walking tour of the city which ended at the famous Mack Brewery - the northernmost brewery in the world.

Pipe organ in the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø

Beautiful day in Tromsø

Today we had the rare treat of being in port, side by side (or actually end to end) with one of Hurtigruten's other ships, the MS Midnatsol.  She is quite a bit larger than Fram but with a very quick glance she looks similar as the colour scheme is the same but... 

Now we are heading down the beautiful coast of Norway.  Our next destination the famous Lofoten Islands!

Nordkapp and Honningsvåg

Southward bound. We enjoyed some really fantastic scenic cruising on our way to Nordkapp and Honningsvåg this morning. At 12:00 we cruised slowly by Nordkapp. The impressive cliffs rise to 307 metres (1,007 ft).  Nordkapp is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe however there is some disagreement over that.

Nordkapp (Photo © Andrew Wenzel).

There were many birds still nesting along the cliffs including a large colony of Gannets.

The scenic cruising got better and better as we sailed through narrow passages between islands.  Green hills and mountains rose up on both sides of Fram.

We arrived in Honningsvåg at 15:30.  Even though we were still very far north, we could feel that the air was appreciably warmer. When we first arrived it was raining fairly hard but it wasn’t the cold rain we had experienced on Bjornoya and it certainly wasn’t enough to keep us from enjoying the beautiful town of Honningsvåg.  It is really a picturesque community and like practically all of Norway, extremely well kept.  One never finds so much as a gummer wrapper out of place.

Cliffs beneath Nordkapp (Photo © Joe Decker).

Lots of people had booked an excursion to Nordkapp and others went for a king crab feast.  By all reports everyone enjoyed both immensely!

Those people that had not booked an excursion explored Honningsvåg on their own.

At 17:46 Fram had to leave the dock for just over an hour to take on more fuel.  Once that was accomplished we went alongside the pier and picked up all those that hadn’t made it back to the ship yet.

Honningsvåg harbour (Photo © Joe Decker)

When we departed the pier for the last time 19:15we were involved in a series of drills dealing with medivac procedures by helicopter.  It was quite interesting to watch and comforting to know that on Fram, safety is always priority number one and that nothing is left to chance.

Bjornøya

“The 12^th of June in the morning,  wee saw a white beare, which wee rowed after with our boate, thinking to cast a rope about her necke; but when wee were neare her, shee was so great that wee durst not doe it.”  Willem Barents’ journal entry from his 1596 voyage.

Bjornøya revealed through the mist (Photo © Joe Decker).

We had many miles to cover through the night and all of the morning before reaching the southernmost part  of Svalbard, the island of Bjornoya.  As usual, sea time meant lecture time!  Both lecture halls were kept busy from 09:30 until noon.

At approximately 11:00 we had our first glimpses of the rugged beauty of Bjornoya.

We were again experiencing heavy sea fog. The craggy coastline was revealed a little at a time through gaps in the mist.  It looked bleak, inaccessible and relatively barren.  Perfect for another Arctic adventure!

Fram at anchor at Bjornøya (Photo © Joe Decker).

We had experienced a very favourable current throughout the night.  Our arrival here was a full two hours earlier than expected. We cruised down to the south end of the island where we found a very sheltered and scenic bay within which to drop anchor.  At 13:30 the Expedition Team headed to shore to prepare the landing site.  Even on this isolated island there was a chance of encountering Polar Bears.  While the risk of running into a bear here in the summer time was far less than further north in Svalbard it was better to be safe than sorry.

It took about ten minutes in the Polar Cirkel boats to reach a beautiful and very sheltered gravel beach.  Just up from the landing site were some historical artifacts left behind by whalers.

Bjornøya (Photo © Joe Decker).

There were still Fulmars at nest sites along the cliffs but most of the sea birds had already headed out to sea.  They were fun to watch as they skimmed down low just above the cliff tops.

We had a really large area we were free to explore.  For those that wanted a little more exercise there was a long uphill climb to an excellent view point.

Despite the constant, cold rain that was falling, everyone had a big smile on their face.  There were still a few wildflowers in bloom and a surprising number of mushrooms.

Coastline of Bjornøya (Photo © Andrew Wenzel).

At the end of an hour and a half we were getting pretty soggy.  We returned to the cozy confines of Fram where we could enjoy warm up in the sauna, the jacuzzi or perhaps with a hot toddy in the Observation Lounge.

Ny-Ålesund

Approaching the pier in Ny-Ålesund (Photo © Joe Decker)

A light rain fell in the morning as we set foot on the pier in Ny-Ålesund. We assembled in language groups and then were lead on a short tour by the Expedition Team through one of the world's  northernmost communities.  We learned that all of the land here is managed by Kings Bay AS, a Norwegian state-owned company. It is the successor to the Kings Bay Coal Company originally founded in Ålesund  which we would be visiting later on this cruise.

Ny-Ålesund’s mining history is steeped with tragedy.  There were many serious accidents over the years the last of which resulted in the deaths of 21 miners in 1962.  The mines were closed shortly after, never to be opened again.

Taking advantage of the world's most northerly post office.
(Photo © Joe Decker).

Ny-Ålesund has a fascinating history of Polar Exploration as well. It was the starting point for Roald Amundsen’s  expeditions to reach the north pole with the sea planes N24 & N25 in 1925.  Amundsen’s first attempts were not successful but then in 1926 he left Ny-Ålesund with Umberto Nobile in a giant Zeppelin.  He was able to fly over the north pole all of the way to Alaska and then back again.  In 1928 Nobile made his own attempt to fly to the north pole in his airship called The Italia.  On his return his airship crashed killing half of his crew.  Amundsen flew from Tromsø to join the search for Nobile.   His plane crashed somewhere on route.  There were no survivors.

Old locomotive used to haul coal from 1917 to 1958
 (Photo © Joe Decker)

Now Ny-Ålesund exists as an international Arctic research village.  In the winter it is a quiet place with only thirty residents.  In the summer the population explodes to about 150.  Ten nations have permanent facilities here and usually another four or five nations conduct research in the summer months.

Our guided tour terminated at the tall air mast where Amundsen and Nobile tethered their massive Zeppelins in 1926 and 1928.  It now served as a monument to the glorious and also tragic days of polar exploration.

After the walk we were free to wander about Ny-Ålesund on our own.  We were advised not to go outside of town by ourselves as there was always a risk of encountering a Polar Bear.  In town there was an excellent museum and information centre to explore. Lots of people used the time to send post cards from the northernmost community in the world.  

As we prepared to leave Ny-Ålesund a band played on the pier marking our departure.  We were the last ship to visit Ny-Ålesund this summer!

Gravneset and Moffen Island

One needs a good sense of humour when
 swimming in the Arctic at Gravneset
(Photo © Joe Decker)

This morning at 09:30 we all met in the Observation Lounge.  The Captain warmly welcomed everyone and toasted the start of our voyage.  He then introduced us to key member’s of the ship.  It was then The Expedition Leader Karin Strand’s turn to introduce the Expedition Team.   We have a very large team for this voyage with nine regular Expedition Team members and three guest lecturers.

While we were being introduced to the Officers and the Expedition Team we cruised slowly into Magdalene Fjord, past the whaler’s grave site at Gravneset to drop anchor in Trinity Harbour.

The scenery was impressive.  Jagged mountains rose on three sides.  Several glaciers ripped a path through themountains and down to the sea.  We could see our landing site, a low sandy beach, just ahead of us.

We began landing operations at 10:15 and by 10:30 the first passengers were on shore.  We had lots of time we could spend at Gravneset so we sent in those people that wished to go on a long hike of three hours duration first.  After the long hikers were off the short hikers went ashore where there were Expedition Team members stationed at key points of interest and where they could survey the area for Polar Bears.  And we indeed did find bears.  Three of them were spotted on the opposite shoreline.  they were far enough away where they posed absolutely no threat to us.

At our muster stations during the mandatory safety drill.
(Photo © Joe Decker)

During the long hike someone fell rather awkwardly and suffered a bad fracture to their wrist.  Arrangements were soon made for a helicopter to come to the landing site from Longyearbyen. 

It seemed ironic that while we waited for the helicopter to arrive we had scheduled our compulsory safety drill.  It was an interesting procedure to watch and in which to participate.  The crew was very efficient in their jobs.  They have obviously gone through this same drill many, many times.

Shortly after 16:00 the helicopter set down on the beach at Gravneset and the patient, along with his wife were on their way to the hospital in Longyearbyen.  They were hopeful that once his injury was attended to that they would rejoin us in Tromsø.  Stay tuned to this story as we all hope for a happy reunion in Tromsø.

Polar Bear in Trinity harbour (Photo © Joe Decker)

When we were exiting Trinity Harbour the navigation officers brought us closer to the three bears we had spotted earlier.  Now that was exciting.  Our second day in the journey and we were lucky enough to see three Polar Bears.

As we sailed further north towards Moffen Island (which would the northernmost point on our journey) the skies cleared progressively.  At 19:30 we slowly approached what looked little more than a big sand bar.  It seemed boastful to call this an island.  As we faced the island on the right hand side, was a group of approximately fifty Walrus.  It was an inspiring sight.  The Captain guided the ship very slowly close to shore.  At our closest we were no more than 100 metres away.  A gorgeous pink sunset bathed the island in soft warm light.  It was a scene that would be indelibly etched in our minds.

Embarkation Day

Occupied and abandoned buildings in Barentsburg

It was a fine sunny morning in Longyearbyen.  For most people joining us today there was a morning briefing in the hotel outlining the plan for today and tomorrow and describing how various systems and procedures function on the ship. 

Lunch was at the hotel which was followed a bus tour of Longyearbyen.  The comprehensive tour took us to a gallery and a museum and gave us a good understanding of what life in a high Arctic community might be like.  We arrived at the ship at 16:30 and before too long we had been issued a photo I.D. card and were escorted to our cabins.  At that point we could choose to open up a cruise account at reception, get a blue jacket (which was included with the trip!) or try on a pair of Muck Boots. The Muck Boots were part of a new boot rental program on board. So far it has been really successful.  People seem to love their Muck Boots.  

Sign in Barentsburg

In the dining room we enjoyed the first of many sumptuous meals to be prepared by Chef Johan Ludwig and his fabulous team in the galley.

At 20:00 we arrived at the pier in the curious Russian coal mining community of Barentsburg. Barentsburg is unique.  From the moment you step on the pier it feels like you have entered another world.  

Fram at the pier in Barentsburg

Mining for coal started here in 1916.  Ownership of the mines changed hands a couple of times but was resold to a Russian company in 1932.  The mines were nearly completely destroyed in WWII by the Germans but were rebuilt in the 50’s.  During the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s work was sought after in Barentsburg.  It was very well paid and food was free.

Now Barentsburg is a community of 450 people.  The architecture is Russian.  Many of the buildings are abandoned and in a state of decay.  It has a feeling of a ghost town except people live and work there all year round.

We were met on the pier by two local Russian guides and were lead on a 30 minute tour of the community.  After the tour we were invited to a beautiful old  theatre where we were entertained with Russian folk dancing and singing.

We were reminded to be back on the ship by 22:45 as the ship was leaving at 23:00.

Alkehornet and Flintholmen

Windy day at Alkehornet (Photo © joe Decker)

This morning we landed beneath an impressive triangular-shaped white cliff called Alkehornet.  High above us in front of the cliff face the last of the Kittiwakes circled, shrilly calling their own names, “kitti-wa-ake!  Kitti-wa-ake! Kitti-wa-ake!”  Sleek and powerful Parasitic Jaegers would occasionally go streaking by.  In the U.K. Parasitic Jaegers are referred to as Arctic Skuas.  They are the F18s of the Avian Arctic.  They make their living by stealing the food from other sea birds.  Not a lot fun if you are a Puffin, Guillemot or Kittiwake. Forgive the anthropomorphisms but there is an elegant, edgy, cool factor to Jaegers that other sea birds just don’t possess.  If I was a sea bird I would definitely be a Jaeger. 

Lush vegetation at Alkehornet (Photo © Joe Decker)

There were several groups of Svalbard Reindeer quietly grazing on the very lush vegetation.  Rutting season begins in September. Males with large racks of antlers accompanied females with large calves.  

The wind augmented throughout the landing.  It seemed fine when we walked inland but on the return, suddenly you were blasted in the face.  Instead of an undetectable fuel for life, air became an invisible physical presence you fought against. Each step felt like pushing against a barrier.  It was another reminder that summer was over and that winter would soon be here.

It wasn't surprising that the surf had picked up at the landing site.  It was a bit tricky to get back in the Polar Cirkel boats and it was certainly a cold, soggy ride back to the ship. 

Svalbard Reindeer at Alkehornet (Photo © Joe Decker)

In the afternoon there was time for a couple of lectures which was followed by a landing at Flintholmen at 18:00.

This was the only landing we made here all season.  It was really a nice place!  We made an easy landing on a broad cobblestone beach.  The most interesting thing about this site is that were fossils to be found almost wherever there was exposed rock.   One only had to stroll along the beach and it was easy to spot rocks loaded with fossilized shells.

A light rain fell throughout the landing but the winds had dropped to almost nothing.  It was much warmer as well.  On the beach, Tom and Andy were there to assist everyone in crossing a glacial stream.  Indeed, anyone without Muckboots were practically thrown across the river - much to everyone's delight!!

There was a short walk to a small but beautiful waterfall.  Our geologist, Steffen Biersack was there to greet everyone.  He enthusiastically explained the key elements of geology that shaped the surrounding landscape and had several fossil samples to show to everyone.

Welcome to The Twilight Zone!

Today we were enshrouded by fog all day long.  It was like an episode from Rod Sterling’s: The Twilight Zone.  Was there really a world outside of that white wall of mist?

Samarinvågen glacier in the fog (Photo © Joe Decker)

We weren’t scheduled to land at Gnålodden until 14:30. Many people chose to attend one of the lectures we had scheduled from 09:30 until 12:00.

At 14:30 it was plain to see that it was too foggy to land at Gnålodden.  Like I mentioned yesterday, playing peek-a-boo with Polar Bears in the fog is not exactly the safest thing to do.  Exciting? Yes!

It was an easy decision to cancel the landing and seek out a landing site with good visibility.  It was a good plan, but the fog persisted.  There were moments of sheer beauty like when the sun poked a hole in the fog blanket to illuminate parts of the glacier at Samarinvågen.

Samarinvågen glacier in the fog (Photo © Joe Decker)

Heavy sea fog near Gnålodden (Photo © Joe Decker).

A very big part of a vacation on a ship can be the ship itself.  Fram is a very comfy vessel.  A day like today was a day to pamper one’s self.  After all we had been kept hopping with two landings just about every day. There are two excellent jacuzzis outside on deck seven and up high on deck eight there are the nicest saunas I’ve seen on any ship. There are also plenty of places to sit quietly to read a book. The gym was busy for much of the day.  Perhaps people were using the opportunity to burn some of the extra calories they had been consuming while on board. 
A day of complete relaxation today, means energy to burn tomorrow! Hah!

A Day of Exotic Wildlife.

Female Polar Bear with two cubs on a whale carcass.

If someone had told you when you were a troubled teenager that one day you would be high in the Arctic watching Polar Bears and Walruses in one of the remotest wilderness areas in the world, what would you have thought? Would you have believed them? I certainly didn’t imagine that I would be so privileged.  Privileges like that were reserved for Marlin Perkins and Jim on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.  I was wrong.  Today we experienced the wild kingdom first hand.

In the morning starting at 08:30 we were able to watch Polar Bears along the shoreline from our Polar Cirkel boats. We were in Freemandsundet between Edgeøya and Barentsøya Islands. Despite a heavy fog, the Expedition Team was able to find three bears, a female with two cubs, near an old whale carcass.  It was difficult to identify the species of whale but it was possibly a small Fin Whale.   Most of the carcass had been stripped clean although there were enough scraps left to keep the bears interested.  

Later when the fog began to lift, the Expedition Team discovered another three bears! To be able to see one of the most powerful and beautiful predators on the planet in its natural habitat was an experience that none of us will ever forget.

Male walrus hauled out at Kapp Lee.

In the afternoon we sailed further south to Kapp Lee on the north west coast of Edgeøya.  From the ship we could see a group of at least twenty Walrus hauled out on shore.  At this landing site we had planned the options of going on a long hike or short hike.  For the long hike we had hoped to go to the top of the escarpment at Kapp Lee but there was a heavy fog layer part way up the slope.  Hiking in the fog in Polar Bear country just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense so both hikes were restricted to lower elevations. 

Whether or not you chose a long, or short, or no hike at all, there was plenty of time to go visit those crazy Walruses.  I mean crazy in the cool, outlandish, extreme kinda way.  If you were to design an animal that specializes in eating clams and lives in cold water, would you have come up with a Walrus?  Lounging on a soft sandy beach, not more than 40 metres away in a big, grumbling, snorting pile, was a group of approximately twenty heavily tusked pinnipeds. Occasionally one of the bigger animals would decide to move from the periphery to the interior of the pile, possibly because it is warmer in the centre.  This procedure involved sharply poking the bloke in front of you with your tusks which of course resulted in much grumbling from the pokee and loud grumbling from all of the disturbed neighbours.  It was fascinating to watch how they sorted themselves out.  Several of the Walruses had broken tusks.  A couple of them even had two broken tusks.

Eolusneset in Sorgfjorden & Torellneset

At 08:30 we started landing operations at Eolusneset in Sorgfjorden which is located in north east Spitsbergen near the entrance to Hinlopen Strait.

Pooling surface water due to permafrost at Eolusneset

There was a lovely gravel beach to land on with a long narrow lagoon just above the beach. Beyond that a huge flat area stretched for several kilometres.

Overlooking the landing site there was a cross on a small hill.  It was placed there in 1855 as a memorial to the fallen whalers in the famous sea battle between the French and the Dutch in 1693.

The terrain was extremely flat. In such a flat area there is little chance for the water to runoff nor can the water penetrate the permafrost.  Since the water has no place to go, it tends to collect and lie at the surface.  These wet areas did not pose a problem.  It was easy to walk around them.

In the distance we could see a herd of approximately twelve reindeer. It was getting close to rutting season so the reindeer were starting to gather in small herds.

Many people chose to walk around the entire perimeter set by the Expedition Team. At a leisurely pace it was accomplished easily in an hour’s time.

Hiking across the tundra at Eolusneset

We were all back on board the ship by noon.  We had about 50 nautical miles to cover before our next proposed landing at 18:00. While we enjoyed an afternoon of scenic cruising there was also the option of attending a couple of lectures.  

As we headed south down Hinlopen Strait the wind picked up imbuing a respectable chop to the previously calm seas. 

At 18:00 we dropped anchor off of Torellneset.  From the ship we could see that there were two large groups of Walrus hauled out on the beach.  Now that is exciting news!  It was still quite windy which meant for a very wet ride to a protected beach where the landing was then accomplished easily. 

Male walrus hauled out at Torellneset

 We walked about two hundred metres along the shoreline to where we had excellent views of the walruses.  What astonishing animals they are!  At one point two walrus that were in the water came really close to people standing by the water’s edge. The curious walrus sat in the water looking at the strange group of blue people on shore. They were at most five metres away! It was an experience that those who were lucky enough to be so close to those magnificent beasts will never forget.  I know, because I was one of them.

Now as we sail southward in Hinlopen strait it is 22:00 and it is getting dark.