HDS07-24, trip log, Around Spitsbergen - In the realm of polar bear & ice

Today we boarded our good ship Hondius at the Coal Pier just out of town. The gloomy and damp weather did not affect our spirits and it was with great sense of anticipation that we all arrived in Longyearbyen for our trip of a lifetime around the Svalbard Archipelago on Hondius. Many of us had arrived earlier today from Oslo, but some of us had already been spending some time in the picturesque town of Longyearbyen. The largest of the settlements on the island of Spitsbergen, it is home to c.2000 people (and a few reindeer!) in the summer months and has all the modern amenities and attractions one could wish for.

With Hondius docked nearby to town, it was time in the mid-afternoon to be welcomed aboard by the staff and crew. We settled into our cabins for the journey and got a quick moment to explore the ship and were soon called up to the lounge for a mandatory safety briefing.

Following on from our safety drill and a trip to view the lifeboats, we were again invited to the lounge for cocktails and tasty canapes and a welcome from Captain Artur who will be our navigator around the rocky shores of Spitsbergen. Then Hotel Manager Albert gave us some tips about ship life and lastly, we met the Expedition team, led by Marcel. Then it was time for our first taste of Hondius cuisine - a buffet of salads, baked fish and roast meat with plenty of fruit and a huge platter of cheeses to finish off. As many of us had been travelling in today from far and wide, it was time after dinner to rest our heads and prepare for all the adventures ahead in the realm of polar bears and ice!

We got our first Expedition Leader Wake Up Call, warmly announcing that a new day had dawned full of adventures ahead of us. According to the planning we would sail into Krossfjorden, which the captain did, but little was to be seen. Not even a single ray of sunshine was able to break through the clouds, so no signs of Krossfjorden. The clouds hung low above the water and the mountains, so we enjoyed the warmth of the ship a little longer. On board we got the last mandatory briefing, picked a pair of Muck Boots, leaving us ready to set off!

Around noon we got out to the unique science village of Ny-Alesund, where the scientists from eight countries take measurements of almost anything you can measure in the Arctic. It was our first experience with Zodiacs! We walked freely through the quiet streets in between the historic houses, paying a visit to the shop, museum, waffle stand and, for those with Chinese roots, a selfie with the Chinese Polar Institute, Yellow River. Some of us were lucky enough to see a cheeky Arctic Fox cross the streets and a Harbour Seal check out the Zodiacs, while the Arctic terns screamed goodbye when we were leaving.

Some of us took a guided tour to learn more about Roald Amundsen, the famous Norwegian polar explorer who started his life on skis, then changed to boats, then to planes and at last an airship. The “mast”, to which his airship “Norge was attached, still stands at Ny Alesund and is reminiscent of this great piece of history. Much to our pleasure, the drizzle cleared and was replaced by a few watery rays of sunshine – but only for a while. The Arctic, in the end, is mostly white: if not because of the ice, it’s because of the clouds.

Impressed with our first bit of wilderness, we steamed back out of Kongsfjorden, while the kind crew was serving some neat dishes to full our empty stomachs. Nothing was planned for the evening, but the captain steered the ship into the great wide open towards the whaling grounds. Fingers crossed if we’re able to see any! It took a while, but a minute before we called it a day, perseverance was rewarded by a glimpse of a whale fin. Two minke whales were happily feeding on probably on a meal of plankton, allowing us to enjoy the sight of their backs breaking the surface every so many minutes. After we lost track of them, the bridge closed, and the captain waved the last of us to a good night rest. Lots of impressions to process!

Calm, glassy water greeted us as we entered Magdalenefjorden, heading for our first true expedition day. We had a clear view of Gravneset to the south as we arrived in the fjord. After breakfast, the blue group was called to land at Gravneset, where the conditions were perfect. We explored an old gravesite of early British whalers, and Will shared stories of their hard lives. We also spotted some fantastic birds like Arctic skuas, snow buntings, and Arctic terns, along with Arctic poppies and other plants.

Meanwhile, the red group went on an adventurous Zodiac cruise deeper into the fjord to Waggonwaybreen Glacier. They saw stunning icebergs, glaciers – some even witnessed a large calving of the glacier front - and harbor seals. After this brilliant cruise, the Zodiacs returned to the shore, and the groups switched activities. Around 11:30 am, the brave polar plungers took an icy dip in the frigid waters, which made everyone hungry for a delicious lunch back on board.

After lunch, the red group headed out for a Zodiac cruise to the two islands of Danskoya and Amsterdamoya. At Danskoya, they cruised past the historical site of Swedish engineer Saloman Andree’s basecamp for his attempted North Pole Expedition. The expedition was a failed one and the lives of the three men ended on Kvitoya (White Island) way to the east. The Zodiac cruise then meandered towards a haul out of Walruses at Smeerenburg on Amsterdamoya. On the way there we managed to watched flocks of Arctic Terns fishing in the strong currents. At the haul out we then spent a long time just watching these magnificent creatures interact. Meanwhile, the blue group enjoyed a brilliant presentation from Dan about the local birds. Then, the two groups switched activities.

Back on board we had a briefing from Marcel and a delicious dinner from our hotel team! We then ended the day off with bags of popcorn in the lecture room and a streaming of the European League Final between England and Spain.

It was another memorable day in Svalbard as we explored the northernmost islands in the archipelago - Sjuøyane. Our morning began with a little too much wind and fog for the landing, so we had even more time to enjoy our wholesome breakfast. Luckily for us the weather soon improved, and we all headed ashore to enjoy the landscapes of Phippsøya. The landing was on a beautiful beach full of Siberian driftwood and had some lovely views from the surrounding ridgelines. Next to the landing site is a tiny emergency hut, one of many built by the Norwegian government throughout Svalbard in the 1930’s. They are collectively known as Merckoll huts after the German mining inspector who installed them. While some of us enjoyed stretching our legs and exploring the island, others of us enjoyed a brilliant lecture onboard from our Assistant Expedition Leader, Hazel, about her favorite Arctic animal, the Walrus! When half of us finished the landing, we then swapped so both groups could get time ashore and listen to Hazel’s insightful presentation.

Following on from the morning’s activities, and another brilliant lunch from the Galley team, it was time to head over to the neighboring island of Parryøya for a zodiac cruise. There was a large haul-out of Walrus on a rock just offshore the island of Parryøya, so we all got to enjoy some great views (and the smells!) of them. There was also a group of incredibly curious young males and females who decide it was time to follow the Zodiacs and get as close as they could, leaving us moving slowly away from them! It was an interesting role reversal when we are normally the ones looking at them!

After another wonderful day exploring, it was time to grab a drink and join the Expedition Team in the lounge for an educational and entertaining recap. Just as we settled in for dinner following recap, the sun burst through the clouds, and we were treated to a gloriously sunny evening sail north towards the ice. Hopefully a good omen for our day tomorrow exploring the frozen Arctic Ocean.

We awoke early this morning as we were excited for the day to come. Before getting started, we all attended the restaurant for a hearty breakfast. A true Arctic experience was ahead of us, our much-anticipated Sea Ice Day as we sailed North into the “pack” ice.

Pack ice is formed by the freezing of seawater. Seawater, because of the salt it contains, freezes in a different manner compared to fresh water. The density of seawater steadily increases as it cools, until it reaches the freezing point of around -2°C (although this depends on how salty the water is). At the onset of winter, cold air chills the surface waters until a relatively large layer of water at -2°C has formed on the surface. A soupy crystalline mixture known as “frazil” ice begins to form in the upper layer. As this soup thickens, a thin film of ice known as “grease” ice forms. This film is strong enough to support the weight of a seabird and can ripple with the waves passing beneath. As the surface temperature continues to drop, the ice forms a solid layer and is then called “pack” ice. Ice that forms each winter and melts each summer is known as annual ice and is usually about six feet thick.

Throughout the day, some of us took to the Bridge, and some braved the cold wind outside at the Bow or on Deck 8 with the clearest views. We filled our memories card with videos and photos as Hondius broke through the ice. The seascape was breathtaking, although often wreathed in atmospheric fog. The morning was the moment for an interesting lecture about Polar Bears, with Katlyn who explained all the details about these magnificent animals. After coffee and more photos of the landscape, Aitana gave us a lecture about the sea ice that surrounded us.

We continued sailing north until we reached the most northern point of the trip: 81° 22.7’N 017°.30.5’E The expedition and hotel team had one more surprise for us: Hot Chocolate and Baileys with whipped cream at the bow to celebrate our position! A lot of pictures, laughs and the amazing view made our afternoon fly by but not before Will helped us get to know the famous Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, and some of the Arctic expeditions in the late 19th century.

Later Marcel called us for the recap, talking about our plans for tomorrow and as we slowly left the ice over dinner, we reflected on another great day to remember.

After early wake-up call, this morning we arrived early at Alkefjellet or the Auk Mountain, or that is what the expedition leader told as everything was covered in a thick blanket of fog that didn’t allow us to see a few metres beyond the ship. Still, after a delicious breakfast, and embracing our best expedition spirit, we boarded the Zodiacs and headed off towards the cliff or where the guides thought the cliffs were!

The sight of the cliffs through the fog was magical. We started at the waterfalls where we met the first few pairs of Brunnich’s Guillemots of the nearly 60.000 that breed here. The weather turned out to be not so bad despite the fog. The was no wind and the flat ocean allowed us to get close to the cliffs, enjoying the wonderful scenery that opened up before us. You could see the different colour of the ocean where the glacial melt water was trying to mix with the water of the ocean.

Thousands of guillemots flew around the cliffs which were covered with nesting birds. We were told not to open our mouths in awe when looking up, to prevent the ingestion of special guillemot delivery! Around the corner we discovered a Glaucous Gull enjoying a breakfast of dead Kittiwake. A little bit further down, we discovered a couple of Glaucous Gull nests with three chicks.

When we arrived at the glacier at the north side of the cliffs, we still couldn’t see anything but the close cliffs. We decided to go back as a group with Jerry leading our way back to Hondius in the fog. When we were all safely onboard, Hondius took off to find our first polar bear. Our expedition leader Marcel had found a bit of land that didn’t have fog, so we headed that way. We sailed into Hinlopen Strait towards Wahlbergoya Island looking for bears, but it was still very foggy. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the sun started shining through the fog and all the islands appeared before us. Guests were quite excited and we had all eyes on the islands - guides and passengers alike!

Finally, after a long wait, we heard the melodic voice of Grant announcing that there was a polar bear. Hooray!! Soon after Daan spotted two more from almost 3 miles away! We managed to spot all 3 bears. Unfortunately, the bears were too high up the islands to be able to see them from a Zodiac, so we could not lower Zodiacs to get closer. However, the captain maneuvered Hondius in such a way we could get as close as possible. We spent all afternoon in beautiful sunny calm weather looking at these fantastic animals – the first we had seen on this trip!

We had a short recap as people could not get enough of the bears, rightly so! Grant gave a recap about the rocks we had seen in the morning that morning in Alkefjellet. We had dinner and everyone went to bed with a sense of happiness after such a successful day.

We woke in Freemansundet, the narrow channel between Edgeoya and Barentsoya. We had left the foggy days behind us. Bright sunlight filled our eyes. When we rounded the corner, we approached our first intended stop of Kapp Walberg. It had taken us 6 days to finally spot the white fluffy predator of the North, but from now on, we were plenty to be seen. When we approached the landing site there sat a large polar bear on the ridge exactly at the spot we intended to land. Clearly the landing was cancelled. We had a look at the bear and the Captain moved the ship towards Kapp Lee with our intention to land there in the afternoon. On our way towards this destination, another bear was spotted just at the point of Sundneset. It was knocking on the door of the Wurzburger hut! Luckily no one was home. Some of us thought it was a small bear until we saw it putting its front paws on the roof! Expedition Leader Marcel decided to launch all 16 Zodiacs and start to Zodiac cruise towards the bear. It appeared and disappeared behind rock ridges as we moved in closer but in the end the bear appeared on the beach at Sundbukta where we all had a fantastic view. It was a female, and she was very playful. She rolled on the grass, stepped into the water, swimming, and playing with seaweed, curious about this line of rubber boats that queued up to watch her from a safe distance. We loved to see her up close in her natural environment.

In the afternoon we went to the next landing site at Doleritteneset, just south of Kapp Lee. Unfortunately (or not!) there was another bear roaming the shore, so this landing was also cancelled. We decided to sail to the glacier front of Negribreen. We had a few hours of sailing so we had an impromptu lecture when Fran told us all we should know about the plants that adapted to the High Arctic.

When we arrived the 16 Zodiacs were launched once more. There were many, many icebergs in all different shapes and sizes. We had not seen such massive bergs before today. What a splendid colour they had - blue, green, white, yellow, and black. The shapes and textures of the bergs were very special with stripes, diamonds or heart shaped. We drove through to Negribreen to the sound of brash ice popping and crackling as it released gases during its slow melting. An enormous glacial front welcomed us which was very impressive. It is the third largest glacier of Spitsbergen. However, we also saw a lot of moraine debris and rock scars from a much larger glacier that lay here only a couple of years ago. We all got to see the impact on climate change.

When we were about to head out, Hazel called over the radio she found another bear. What?! It was even two bears - a mother with a cub. We drove for a while passing magnificent bergs on the way in. There we formed a carousel with the boats, passing quietly and cautiously so as not to disturb them. The cub was born this year and around 6 months old. They were laying on the beach just looking at us with the blue glacier in the background. We all had a long look at the bears because they really were at ease with us being there. When looking at the bears there were many ivory gulls and even the very rare Sabine’s Gull flying around. After what felt like a blink in time, we made our way back to the ship where the galley made us another splendid dinner. Despite all the changes we had a truly fantastic day in the polar regions!

On this Thursday 19th July, which in 1903 marked the end of the first ever Tour de France, we woke up to a Mediterranean sunshine, a blistering 13 degrees and a cloudless sky. Spitsbergen is not a prime cycling destination so we decided that today would be a hiking day, and there is no better place than the endless landscape of Russebukta. Home of the Russian Pomor hunters for centuries, where hut remains can be found, it offered a lush vegetation and a thriving wildlife population.

As we set foot on the shallow dark sands on shore, we were welcomed by Marcel who divided us in three groups, the long, medium and short hike. All three offered a spectacle - reindeer grazing peacefully in the valleys, some even curious enough to come dare a sniff for up close. Moulting foxes on the hunt, getting dizzy from the number of geese bobbing along on the many lakes scattered in the landscape. Along with the geese, a plethora of birds gave us much to admire and we trod along, sometimes in deep soggy terrain that must have claimed a pair or two of boots! Underfoot, summer had really arrived, and we saw plenty of colour from the tough, low-growing flowers of Svalbard – Arctic poppy, pale whitlow grass, moss campion, Polar dandelion, bistort, yellow marsh saxifrage, Polar cress and woolly lousewort – the latter being a hemi-parasitic plant that steals some of its nutrients from other plants in this barren ground. Along with the thick mosses in all shades of green and rust and orange, the somewhat drab colours of Svalbard were enlivened by the vegetation and blue skies. Back at the landing site, some of us who chose the longer hike came back satisfied and sweaty, they got a real workout and walked close to ten kilometres.

Back on board we enjoyed some well-deserved rest after a hearty meal yet again. A nap was allowed as our destination for the afternoon was three hours away. Boltodden on the east coast of Spitsbergen offers a rare opportunity to see dinosaur prints etched into the rock! Unfortunately, the sea conditions encountered at our arrival did not meet our safety standards and our expedition staff decided against a landing. Instead, the ship Hondius located to another fabulous glacier, Strongbreen, and whilst it did so, we heard from Daan about the lives of trappers life in Svalbard in the early 20th century and from Katlyn about reindeer, a truly well adapted Arctic mammal, then Valeria drew out a long piece of rope and showed us ‘how big the animals of the Arctic’ are, from the fox to the blue whale.

And whilst Albert gave us information about disembarkation, the barbecues on deck 5, which had laid dormant since the beginning of the trip, woke with fire, and the enchanting smell of cooked food made its way to the lounge. So straight to the Deck 5 where free drinks were provided along with some music. The food was exquisite, and the legs let lose! We danced for the better part of the evening accompanied by some crew and the Staff. A great day for all!

The glorious, jagged mountain scape of Burgerbukta was not the only thing that greeted us on the 9th and final morning of our trip - a few Humpback whales had come out to say hello as well! Due to their presence, Marcel woke us up a little ahead of schedule this morning and we hurried out of beds, cameras ready, to see the wildlife spectacle many had prayed for all trip. Four whales were seen blowing and feeding around the ship with a flock of Gulls, Kittiwakes and Fulmars behind them. What a fantastic start.

After breakfast half of us got into the zodiacs and braved the sunny, albeit quite wet and windy, drive out to Gnålodden for a morning landing. The whales were ever-present and some of us were even treated to a family of Beluga who had decided to visit the zodiacs landing area ashore. After reaching the beach we strolled along the coast admiring the bright flowers of purple saxifrages and moss campions and enjoying the breeding kittiwakes on the cliffs above. Some opted to walk to the nearby hut and hear a bit about the fearless female trapper who visited there, Wanny Waldstad, whilst others spent time enjoying a light leg stretch at their own pace.

After landing, a switch took place during which time the group ashore swapped with the group onboard who were enjoying a lecture from Daan about Climate Change and its effects in Svalbard. His insight as a former researcher from this area shed a new light on the area so many of us had now grown to appreciate over the course of our voyage. We were fortunate enough to have the whales feed around the ship throughout the morning and those of us coming back to the ship for lunch even caught a final glimpse of the whales enjoying their mealtime as well.

The mornings wind had dropped off by the afternoon and the vast glacier of Samarinbreen reflected in a calm and lake-like sea. At around 1430 we boarded the Zodiacs for a final cruise of this 20km wide glacier. Due to the calm and tranquil conditions, many of us enjoyed just observing the glacier in the sun and watching as chunks of diverse sizes calved off its face. It was a serene farewell to the snowscapes of Svalbard.

Back on board that evening we completed various administrative tasks like returning Muck boots, paying bills and packing bags before joining the captain and the expedition team in the lounge for farewell champagne. The real high of the evening was the post-voyage slideshow made by Grant, which had plenty of photos and videos from the last few days that captured a small snapshot of the memories, emotions, and experiences we shared as a group during the trip. It was truly a packed trip and one with encounters that will leave a mark on us for many years to come.

Slowly but steadily Hondius made her way into Svalbard’s largest fjord, Isfjord. Sadly, time had come to conclude our amazing trip around this remote Arctic Archipelago. The week we had spent between the frigid waters of the Arctic and the barren although wildlife-rich tundra of Svalbard was beyond expectations; great encounters, beautiful weather, sea ice navigation, hikes, Zodiac cruises but most importantly new friends with whom to share future travels and memories. Some of us left very early in the morning – their last Zodiac ride to the jetty at Longyearbyen - whilst others woke at a more reasonable hour and, once alongside Longyearbyen’s Kullkaia, we walked down the gangway, hugged, and shook hands with our new friends and the Expedition Team, before starting our way home.