Polar bear hike

Many were looking forward to do a longer hike today at Kapp Lee, Edgeøya. But as the landing was about to start a "yellow moving rock" was spotted from the bridge. A polar bear had decided to do our hike and we stayed safely down at the beach together with the walruses. Edgeøya and Barentsøya have a long history, the independent whalers did their hunting in this area in the 1600. The whalers that did not belong to a big company were not welcome on the other parts of Spitsbergen. The Pomors (the Russian trappers) were the first that started with land based trapping and one can find old trapping stations many places on the Island. Norwegian later learned the trapping tradition from the Pomors and there are still today active Norwegian trappers.

At Kapp Lee we had a closer look at a hut build by the crew from the vessel Elvira. As many buildings on Svalbard this has been used later for other purposes. A Norwegian trapper Bjørnsen stayed here in 1920. The Russian-Swedish expedition used this as a base for some time when they did the scientific expedition to determine the shape of the earth in 1902. They measured the angles between the surrounding peaks to collect data to prove that the earth was not completely round.

On board the vessel there was a full program for those who were still hungry for information. The Expedition team was present on the observation lounge to answer question about nature and history. The Expedition Leader was of course asked to share the experience from the camping some days ago when the staff members had a close encounter with a polar bear. After an hour of questions and answers many where still eager for more knowledge and attended the lecture either about Longyearbyen or the one about the penguins of the north. The ship was surrounded by 30 humpbacks and fin whales that put on a spectacular show for us.

This evening we saw the expedition team and the crew from a completely different angle. How would have known that they are all professional models? With a big smile they presented clothing from the shop on board.

Arctic summer weather

After a day of lovely sunny weather we again woke up to rain and fog. At 07:00 we reached 80N and Moffen Island. This small island is a haul-out place for Walrus, and we saw two big groups sleeping on the beach. This is a nature reserve and we must keep a distance of 300 meters from the island.  During the morning the wind increased and we experience wind up to 21 m/s or 41 knots. White caps were everywhere,  make landing in the polar circle boats too dangerous. The Artic summer weather is unpredictable. Our first landing, which was supposed to be in Kinnvika, was unfortunately cancelled. In Kinnvika are ten buildings from the Swedish-Finnish research expedition during the International Geophysical Year 1957-1958. This was the greatest international scientific effort the world had seen to date. We could see the buildings as we passed by.

At 14:00 we sailed passed the impressive Alkefjellet where 300 pairs of Brünnich's Guillemots (Murres) nest during the summer. We could see many on the water and some up in the cliffs. Manuel could told us about their way of living and that the whole colony is quite synchronize and all the chic’s would leave the nest on almost the same day!

We continued our travel towards Torellneset, where we hoped to have a landing and maybe have a closer look on the walrus that often rest here. The weather was still bad, and landing too dangerous. Safety first! Even the walruses had taken a hint and had disappeared from the beach.

We enjoyed the day inside Fram, enjoying lectures about glaciers, polar bears and the historical FRAM expedition in 1893-1896. I imagine those guys also experienced all kinds of arctic summer weather!

3x Polar Bear

This day started with ice cruising in front of the beautiful Monacoglacier in small boats. We enjoyed the view of the 5 kilometer glacier where big chunks of ice calf off leaving the surface bright blue. The boat driver maneuvered very elegantly between all the ice filling the bay. It was amazing to get so close to the glacier and hear the crackling from air bubbles bursting in the ice, the many kittiwakes screaming and we should even enjoy the sun warming our bodies. Then came the message; a Polar bear was spotted some kilometers away. Quickly we took our last pictures of the Monacoglacier before we rushed over to get a closer look at the Polar Bear. It was a nice healthy female bear sleeping, only lifting her head to scan the area once in a while. On the way towards the bear we passed the passengers that had chosen to do the kayak excursion today. In their small kayaks they had a fantastic experience paddling in front of Ida glacier. Back on board it was lecture time, and what could fit better than a polar bear lecture? At the same time Manuel the charming bird man did a lecture titled Quack Quack.

The sun was still shining when we reached Mushamna. On land the story about the Norwegian trapper Reidar Hovensrud was told. He was passionate trapper that built the station here in Mushamna in 1987. In 1997 the cabin was sold to the Governor of Svalbard and anybody with an interest for trapping can apply to run this cabin. So if you are up for the challenge it might be possible spend some winters here hunting artic fox, reindeer, seal and collect Eider down.  The last years however the governor hasn't lent out the cabin and apparently this is not because the lack of application. A polar bear also decided to visit the area around the old trapper station. It was swimming towards us for a while, but luckily it decided to go in another direction so we could look at it on a safe distance.

This evening the galley crew was putting on an ice and fruit carving show for us. The ice was of course picked up from the Monaccoglacier and was now shaped in the most amazing ice sculpture. The melon, carrots and apples was transformed to birds and other creatures.

Fram has been camping in Antarctica the last season with great success and many happy campers. Therefore this is something we would like to start offering here on Svalbard as well. Some of the members of the Expedition Team gladly volunteered to do a test trip and spend the night on Reinsdyrflya. We found a very nice camping area and enjoyed an evening hike. As we have seen earlier today there are many polar bears on Svalbard and it`s always needed to have someone awake to keep a look out for polar bears. As those who were not designated to do the polar bear watch was getting ready for a good night of sleep, polar bear number 3 showed up.  It was a young curious bear who wanted to have a closer look at the camp site. To avoid the bear coming all the way over to the camp we had to fire four flares with the signal pistol to scare him off. The bear slowly moved away from the camp and we packed up our gear and got back on board.

Arctic research station, whaler’s graveyard and vegetarian polar bear

During breakfast we sailed into Kongsfjorden heading for Ny Ålesund. The sun was still hiding behind low clouds, and it was raining. Ny-Ålesund is one of the world’s northermost year-round communities. Coal mining was the original reason for settlement here, but mining was put to an end after a serious accident in 1962, leaving behind numerous cultural remains of technical and industrial importance.  Ny-Ålesund has also been the starting point of several historical attempts to reach the North Pole. Names like Amundsen, Ellsworth and Nobile are strongly linked to Ny-Ålesund. The place has been a centre for tourist operations, with several hotels located in town. Today, 20 000 tourists travelling by cruise ship visit Ny-Ålesund on a yearly basis. Since 1964, Ny-Ålesund has also been a centre for international Arctic research and environmental monitoring. A number of countries run their own national research stations here, and research activity is high in the summer. We enjoyed a guided walk around the settlement, and some also walked out to the air ship mooring mast.

After our visit in Ny Ålesund we headed north towards Magdalene fjord where we had our first landing with the polar cirkle boats. This fjord was used by English whalers over 400 year ago. We could still see the remains of the blubber oves on the beach. Gravneset where we had the landing, is also a big cemetery and over 300 whalers found their last resting place here. Some of us had a longer hike towards the Gully glacier, and where lucky to observe both the barnacle geese, artic skuas and even a bearded seal. Some others tried out and Artic kayak experience, gliding silently between blue icebergs that had calved off the glacier.  Some brave people got really close to the elements and had a swim in the Arctic Ocean, even though the temperature of the water was only 2 degrees Celsius!

Some of the passengers also had chosen to join in for an extra trip to Virgohamna, and left Magdalenefjord with the Polar Cirkle boats. In Virgohamna they had a historical walk and could see the remains of the many expedition towards the North Pole who started from this place, especially Andrès’ attempt to reach the north pole.

As a super end of an exciting day we spotted a polar bear on one of the islands in the Sørgattet strait! He was not stressed or afraid at all and the ship could come quite close so we all could have a nice view of him. He lifted his head, and smelled into the air, maybe longing for the nice dinner we had onboard? After a while he did lie down and settled with a kelp salad instead. What a great polar bear encounter!

Welcome to Svalbard. We are from Russia

Longyearbyen wasn’t much like an Arctic desert today. Rain was pouring down when our new passengers entered the ship. The adventure started with a guided bus trip around Longyearbyen. The community here on 78 degrees north has only 2000 inhabitants, but it was a lively scene this rainy Thursday. Students at the university are starting a new semester these days, new roads are being built, a research station is building new satellite antennae, miners that are off duty are enjoying their free time, and kids that has been on the mainland for summer holiday are skating in the city centre.

Onboard the ship everybody was quickly checked in, got the blue expedition jacket, participated in the mandatory emergency drill and Fram was ready to set sail for the Russian settlement Barentsburg. Dinner was served on the 2 hour sail while Captain Rune Andreassen welcomed everybody onboard. For a week we will all be curious explorers under his command. On the pier in Barentsburg local guides where waiting for us to give us a tour around their town and sharing stories from their daily life. It's funny how you just 2 hours from the multicultural Longyearbyen you can be in Russia. Without presenting your passport at any border suddenly the population speaks Russian. Both Longyearbyen and Barentsburg are under Norwegian sovereignty where Norwegian laws apply.

Our guide explains that the locals never use cash in Barentsburg. They have their own Barentsburg card which they use for all purchases here. This would be a great souvenir to bring back home and one of us asks if it is possible to get this card. With a smile on his face the guide answers that the only way to get this card is to sign a 2 years contract with the mining company running this town. After completed a contract they do get 2 months holiday and flights to Russia for free. According to our guide this is a good place to be and many of the inhabitants has already been here for 10 years. Many of the building here have been renovated and look very impressive. One of this is the hotel where we enjoy some time in the hotel bar, where we are also offered localy brewed beer.

For the grand finale we are invited to a folklore show in the community house. The dancing and singing is very impressive and going down the many stairs back to the ship we are all humming on the song “Welcome to Svalbard. We are from Russia”.

Veni, vidi, vici

We came we saw we conquered, and no weather whatsoever could stop us! Not heavy snowfall at Alkhornet nor never-ending rain at Brucebyen. Regarding the weather this season is indeed a very special one. One and a half day of blue sky and sunshine in the past four weeks. The rest? Guess...

It started snowing early in the morning when we were heading towards Isfjorden. By the time the first polar circle boat reached the beach the plain below Alkhornet started to change from green to white. We took our positions that the passengers had a safe area to walk and explore. Some reindeer strolled through the area. Their insulation is as good that the snow on their backs does not melt. The richer season for them seems to come to its end. The snow layer on the green will soon increase in thickness.

During lunchtime we had some more lectures on board on the way to Billefjorden. In the far end of this fjord, opposite of the abandoned Russian mining village Pyramiden, there is a group of four buildings and some tens of meters of a small railway. They are the remains of a settlement that was put up in 1919 by the Scotsman William Bruce. He had initiated the Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate Ltd. to do exploration for coal mining.

Bruce was an oceanographer and polar explorer. He had become famous for his participation in the first two of the four expeditions of Albert I of Monaco in 1898 and 1899, for several further expeditions to Svalbard, but also for leading the Scottish Antarctic Expedition with the ship "Scotia". His coal mining activities were not as successful and when he returned to Brucebyen in 1920 he got ill and died short time after returning home. Another sad story from Svalbard's history, today framed by a rainy afternoon.

The Full Set: Bruceneset and Graveneset

This morning at 08:30 we landed at Bruceneset.  There was a fresh snowfall.  At sea level it was hardly more than a dusting of snow but higher up everything was covered in a blanket of white.  Along with the snow, as one would expect, there was a bit of a bite to the morning air. It was -1°C.  We are very high in the Arctic. 79˚ 44’ N.  Our weather reflects that fact.

Once on shore, the Expedition Team established a perimeter within which we were free to wander.

Right beside the landing site stood a small trapper’s hut.  It turned out that the hut was open.  Many of us poked our heads inside. Hm. Cosy for one. Two's a crowd.

Not far from the hut is a very old grave, probably the grave of a whaler. It seemed a cold and lonely place to end your days.

Bruceneset left a strong impression on our minds.  The severe landscape, the whaler’s grave and the onset of winter combined to remind us of the harsh nature of life in the Arctic. 

Our next landing was scheduled for 16:00 at Graveneset in Magdalena Fjord.  As usual, sea time gives us an opportunity to put on our lecture program. We had several lectures in the afternoon.

We arrived at Graveneset right on time. Today the hike was divided into two groups.  The first group would have an emphasis on covering as much ground as possible in three hours.  They  were designated the fast group.  Their aim was to see what there was to see and to get some really great exercise at the same time.  A second group was also going hiking but theirs was to be a moderate pace.  They would have plenty of time to photograph, admire the scenery and to learn about the region.  It turned out that both groups had lots of time to hike right onto Gully Glacier.

As we were engaged in hiking, others had opted to go touring in sea kayaks. Although the temperature was hovering around the freezing point, the kayakers were nice and warm in the top notch gear that was provided to them by Fram.

Meanwhile, those that chose to remain near the landing site had the pleasure of a guided historic walk that investigated the various artifacts left over from the whalers.

Lots of people went for a frigid swim at the end of the landing.  Yikes!!!  I'm sure the sauna was very busy back on board Fram when we lifted anchor.

In the evening the crew put on a high energy show for everyone in the observation lounge.  There was lots of singing, dancing and even juggling!  A good time was had by all!

Liefdefjorden and Mushamna

This morning when we entered into Liefdefjorden, it was snowing that one couldn't see where we really were. Of course the bridge knew exactly with all their equipment but looking out from the breakfast table it was all white and light grey around. At position in front of Monacobreen all of a sudden there were some lighter spots and the mountains were visible.

For some time it changed repeatedly between white and a little bit of visibility - slightly improving. So we decided to start with the polar circle boat cruising in front of the glacier. The right decision, because within the next hour the visibility improved further. In this light situation with a thin layer of clouds and snow on the mountains almost all the way down to sea level, the glacier front appeared in intense blue colors.

Ivory Gulls

Black-legged Kittiwake

Arctic Tern

During lunch time we left Liefdefjorden, crossed Woodfjorden to the eastern side to land at Mushamna. The hut was built during the late 1980s by Reidar Hovelsrud. He started the construction in the inner part of Wijdefjorden, but he was forced by the administration to move to another place in the northern part of Woodfjorden. When he arrived with the ship that carried all the construction material it was not possible to land there and the decision was made to land at Mushamna where the hut and its later extensions and additions are today located.

Part of the passengers went on hikes into the valley behind Mushamna, others enjoyed a walk around the buildings and along the shoreline of Woodfjorden.

Later in the evening we arrived at 80 dregree North where the small island of Moffen is located. This time there was a big group of walruses ashore and not as lazy as they sometimes seem to be ashore.

Two More Bears!!

This morning we visited Ny Ålesund, one of the northernmost communities in the world.  At 08:30 we began to assemble in language groups on the pier.  It was a pleasant relief to have the sun beaming down upon us. Still, it was a chilly morning at about 2ºC. There was a fresh blanket of snow covering all of the mountain peaks. August 11 and Old Man Winter was already waking up.   Soon enough we lead on a walk through the small but fascinating town. As we strolled about town, the Expedition Team told us stories of tragedy and death and stories of grand adventure. The town was built for coal mining.  Over the years there were many accidents the last of which was in 1962 when 21 miners died in a methane explosion. After that the mine was shut down. In the years that followed that tragic event, Ny Ålesund has enjoyed a history of Arctic science and research. As many as 15 nations conduct research here annually.

We were also told about the great race to the north pole This is where Roald Admundsen launched his Zeppelin in 1926 and successfully flew to the north pole and back. It is where Umberto Nobile’s subsequent challenging expedition ended in death, intrigue and tragedy.  It was where Admiral Byrd flew to the north pole 2 days before Admunsen, cheating him from being the first.  The thing is, historians agree that Admiral Byrd cheated. They don't believe he made it to the north pole.

After the guided walk, many people took the opportunity to send post cards. It is unlikely that their friends and family will ever receive another piece of mail from such a northerly destination. There was ample time to explore Ny Ålesund, whether it be a visit to the  gift shop or just wandering about on your own.

By 11:45 everyone that went into Ny Ålesund was back on the ship. Fram cast off her lines and moved slowly into Kongsfjord. Fram positioned where we could more expeditiously retrieve the last of the hikers at Conway Glacier as well as the kayakers. By about 13:30 everyone was back on board and we were on our way once again.

As we approached Fjortende Julibukta our intended landing site for the afternoon, it bacame apparent that there was too much wind and too much wave action at the beach to make a safe landing.  The decision was made to abort the landing here and move on to another site about 1 hour's further travel.

Enroute to Kollen Fjord  we encountered two Polar Bears, a female with a coy (cub of the year). The two were about 700 metres from the ship on the side of a hill of moraine. Outside the weather had taken a turn for the worse.  It was blowing a gale with a mixture of sleet and snow. Most people chose to observe the bears from the comfort of the Observation lounge on deck seven. The bears however are perfectly adapted to such inclement weather.  The two lay down in the moraine and observed us observing them.

As it continued to blow outside it became more and more clear that to attempt a landing in such conditions would not be the possible. The timing of these bears could not have been better.

After about 45 minutes we left the bears and mounted a schedule of lectures to fill the late afternoon and early evening. One of the challenges the Expedition Team faces when in Svalbard is to actually find time in our busy schedule of landings to put on lectures!

Glacier, Lagoon and "Polar Bear's Hut"

Early in the morning we entered through Bellsund into Recherchefjorden. Low clouds and fine rain did not stop us from going ashore. The tide was very low, but one or two days earlier the high tide must have been very high since a couple of meters of the moraine that is bordering the outflow of the lagoon had been washed away.

Many kittiwakes again and again were flying up the outflow, landing on the water and then let themselves drift down while carefully watching for small fish and other food.

With the high tide that had reached into the lagoon many ice blocks drifted ashore or grounded close to the shoreline.

Many passengers were interested to learn about the birds the surrounding geology and having the great view over the lagoon towards the Recherche Glacier, they of course wanted to learn about the ice.

After a lunch break we landed at the neighbouring Ahlstrandodden to visit the former Beluga hunting station "Bamsebu" which means "The polar bear's hut". At this place in the 1930s a group of men from Norway, led by Ingvald Svenson, carried out a more or less land based whaling method. They caught belugas by fixing one end of a net ashore and rowing with the other end out into the bay. When belugas were swimming into the net the men rowed back to the shore and slaughtered the animals. Their blubber was cooked for oil and also the whale's skin was used. The men piled up the bones of an estimated 550 belugas along the beach.

While doing a walk with the passengers the sky cleared a bit and we could see the wonderful succession of sediments from Permian to Tertiary on the northern side of Van Keulenfjord.

On our way North towards new adventures we passed by some fin whales with their blows shining in the evening sun.

A Female with a Cub!

This morning we had a more leisurely start to the day.  the first item on our agenda was a welcome speech and cocktail with the Captain in the Observation Lounge.  Perhaps it was a trifle early for a glass of champagne but I didn't notice anyone complaining.  The Captain gave a brief but warm speech welcoming them to Fram and then a toast to a happy voyage.  He then introduced key members of the ship which was followed by the Expedition Leader introducing the Expedition Team.

At 11:15 it was time to be fitted with Muck Boots™.  Almost all of our landings in Spitsbergen are wet landings.  Proper foot wear is essential.  

At approximately 13:00 the Captain announced from the bridge that two Polar Bears had been spotted on the port side.  The dining was full and everyone rushed over to the large picture windows on the port side in the hopes of getting a view of Ursus Maritimus, the single most charismatic quadri-pedal mega fauna in all of Svalbard.  Outside the bow deck quickly filled with people. Everyone was anxious to get a glimpse of the iconic animal of the Arctic.  But certainly more than a glimpse was possible.  everyone got excellent views of the female swimming with her cub in her wake.  At one point the two climbed onto an ice floe but without hesitation they immediately jumped back into the polar sea.  It was our best bear sighting so far this season!  I am sure it is sight  indelibly printed on everyone's mind.

The bear sighting put our schedule back by about 45 minutes.  As we approached Gnålodden the clouds lowered, enveloping Fram in a blanket of misty grey.  It was on everyone's mind, "would we be able to land in the fog"?   

It turned out that by the time of the afternoon landing at 15:00 the fog was a little thinner.  The visibility was at least 400 metres.  No problem.  On shore at Gnålodden we were able to climb to within 100 metres of a huge colony of raucous Black-legged Kittiwakes.  Glaucous Gulls soared in their midst as did Fulmars.  Now and then a Puffin would go whirring by.  The Guillemot chicks were old enough to take their first flight and icy plunge into the sea.  Occasionally you could see a fledgling escorted by a parent or two descend down to the sea.  What a stirring sight.

The mist was so heavy that it was borderline rain.  Within minutes your outer garments would be dripping.  However modern day textiles are such that a heavy mist is not even a mild inconvenience.

The last Polar Cirkel boat left the shore at 19:00.  Soon after we heaved anchor and headed somewhat into the open sea.  We were headed for the drop-off zone where we hoped to see whales.

Tune in again tomorrow to find out if we had any luck spotting the leviathans of the deep.