OTL05-24, trip log, East Spitsbergen and Bear Island, in the realm of Polar Bear & Ice, Cleaning the Shores, Including Long Hikes

Finally! The day had come, it was time for us to board our new home for our expedition, the Ortelius! We arrived at the port in Longyearbyen with to see calm, glassy waters. Some of us only had landed a few hours before and now we were about to start our set for our adventure! The hotel staff and crew had brought our luggage aboard and taken it to our cabins earlier in the day. So, all that remained was for us to take a few photos of Ortelius while we made our way up the gangway. It was a particular warm day, most of us arrived in our t-shirts and there was almost no wind! Not yet what we expected.

We were warmly welcomed by all the crew and staff who assisted us in finding our cabins. With some time left, we explored the ship and get our bearings and grab a tea or coffee in the bar.

Once everyone was onboard, it was time for the mandatory ship safety video and briefing presented by Expedition Leader Claudio and Chief Officer Romanas. We were given all the information we needed such how to move safely around the ship, the things we could and could not do, and how to put on our emergency life jackets. With this in our minds, it was then time for an abandon ship drill. So, after hearing the seven short and one long blast of the ship’s horn we went to our cabins, got our lifejackets, and proceeded to our muster station in the bar. Then we were led to our lifeboats so we would know where to go in case of a real emergency.

With the drill complete, we headed to the bar where Hotel Manager Vova and Expedition Leader Claudio welcomed up. With briefing formalities concluded, it was time to join Captain Per in the bar to raise a glass in celebration of the voyage. Our expedition leader Claudio and Captain Per switched uniforms in an attempt to prank us, but we quickly saw through them…Cheers everyone! After this came our first evening meal - a delicious buffet selection provided by Chef Heinz and his galley team, served by our friendly dining room staff. After dinner, we were given our muck boots which we would use for going ashore; comfortable but also, very importantly, waterproof for our wet zodiac landings!

After a long day of travel for most of us it was time for bed to get some rest before the first full day of our trip tomorrow.

Wow. A beautiful morning sailing into Hornsund and a spectacular introduction to the Arctic and Southern Spitzbergen. A few early risers were greeted by the sights of a minke whale and belugas. After breakfast, we were asked to join Claudio in the bar for the last of the mandatory briefings, which included the AECO regulations, polar bear safety and Zodiac operations.

10:15 - All done, and we are ready to explore. Our first activity was a Zodiac cruise in the beautiful west fjord of Burgerbukta. Named after the Austrian photographer, Wilhelm Burger that mapped the area. This trip started off with a great surprise…. belugas!! We were greeted by a pod swimming around in very close proximity to the ship. Some were very curious and swam close by our Zodiacs, treating us to a close view of these majestic creatures.

Cruising further into the 7km long bay we were greeted by flocks of kittiwakes sitting on ice flows, eider ducks and Arctic skuas. The magnificent glacier stretches about 3km wide. On our way back we passed a hanging glacier, and some spectacular waterfalls. We were treated to a final goodbye to the belugas who swam by.

Lunch onboard and a quick rest, recovery and photo-scan while the Bridge team navigated to Treskelodden. On our way we were greeted by Humpback whales.

After a short Zodiac shuttle to shore, we divided into groups for different levels of hiking. Various species of saxifrage. especially the purple variety were in full bloom – stunning! Some fossils were seen in the sandstone and nearby, two skuas were guarding their nest, making sure nothing approached. Those on the long hiking activity were spoiled by breathtaking views of Hornsund from the top of the ridge and an old cairn. At the end of the landing, we were treated to four Humpback whales constantly fluking in the bay.

Back onboard and our first daily debriefing and recap. Claudio outlined the plans for tomorrow at Bear Island, and Misha introduced all the different species of whales around Svalbard that we might encounter. After dinner, one of our fellow guests, Pieter, gave a presentation on his vision of the Arctic and how we can think about conserving and saving this beautiful nature.

A truly magnificent first day!

Good morning, M/V Ortelius!

After a smooth night sailing, we woke up in a very special location; Bjørnøya, or Bear Island. Not many ships visit this remote speck of land on the map, and that made our activities for the day even more special. For the morning a Zodiac cruise was planned and in the afternoon, we would try to set foot on land and tick this location off of our bucket lists.

The Zodiac cruise turned out to be very special and spectacular one. We were cruising steep and high cliffs along the south side of the island. And when we say high cliffs, we mean high cliffs. We found ourselves gazing at immense stone walls, more than 400 meters high and despite their steepness, full of life. A wide variety of birds use these cliffs as a breeding location. We saw common guillemots, Brunnich’s guillemots, northern gannets, puffins and kittiwakes to name a few. Most of these birds have their breeding locations on these steep cliffs. They don’t actually build a nest, but they find small and narrow edges where they lay their eggs. And as the best breeding edges are in high demand, we could see birds congregating in the smallest places. Like in human real estate, with these birds it’s also all about location, location, location. The reason why they seek these cliffs is to protect themselves and their eggs from predators such as Arctic foxes and polar bears, but also birds such as glaucous gulls and skuas, which seek to steal the eggs, chicks, or even weak adult birds.

The scenery this morning was stunning and hard to accurately put into words. Even capturing it on photo or video was difficult, seeing it with one’s own eyes was simply the best way. The fog came slowly down adding a mystical and dramatic feeling of this location and It didn’t take much imagination to picture King Kong, or some Hollywood dinosaurs living atop the cliffs ;).

The icing on the cake this morning were the arches and long caves or tunnels formed by ocean swells over thousands of years. The swell allowed our Zodiac captains to drive through some of these arches with the highlight being a 150-meter-long tunnel that ended in paradise. At least that’s how it felt and looked like!

After almost 2 ½ hours we gradually started to feel cold, so we slowly made our way back to the ship for a warm lunch and an extra sweater to warm up quickly.

Due to the fog and high swells on our next landing site, we had to put plan B into action. But it turned out to be a really great alternative. We received permission from Bjørnøya’s weather station to make a visit. Visiting the station was fantastic, we found whale bones, old machinery that was used a long time ago and of course there was also a small post office. And although we were the first ship in a long time to visit the station, they did have a small souvenir shop. Many of us took the opportunity to buy postcards and stamps and send some old-school holiday greetings home.

The cherry on the cake for this afternoon was the surprise of breeding puffins close by. We found many puffins sitting in front of their burrows, and they posed perfectly for us. The puffin is such a beautiful bird with their bright orange beaks and faces that look like they have been painted with clown paint. Expedition leader Claudio arranged that we could extend our stay to have a bit more time with the birds.

To thank the people at the weather station, Oceanwide had organized a much needed thank you basket filled with beer, wine, and some snacks. For sure the station will welcome us back next time!

Today has been a very special day with many unforgettable impressions and beautiful memories. Tired, but happy, we went to bed smiling.

Good night!

We awoke this morning to the most brilliant blue sky, the sunshine permeating and warming everything. After a sumptuous breakfast, everyone prepared for our landing at Koefoedodden, the southern tip of Hopen Island. This island is one of the breeding places for Svalbard polar bears wand was once e a preferred hunting spot for this ferocious animal. Notably, Henry Rudi, a famous Norwegian trapper, used this place and its cabin as one of his hunting grounds.

As our Zodiacs went to shore, you noticed the intense green of the soft moss covering this patch of land like a woolly carpet. There was not much wildlife, kittiwakes and eider ducks were flying overhead, the occasional skua could be spotted, and the place was littered with goose droppings, showcasing its importance for these migratory birds. However, with the perimeter we made, everyone had time to simply stand still, find a patch of land and enjoy the beautiful weather we were having, unheard of in Hopen.

Some took part in photo sessions around the lighthouse; others were simply laying on their bed of vegetation contemplating their life choices. It felt a bit like a beach holiday, time slowed down a bit, which, with the enormous tempo of these trips, was not a bad thing at all, as it is good to decelerate from time to time. Once lunchtime approached, we got everyone back to the mighty Ortelius to ravage the buffet.

Everyone feeling slightly heavier than usual, we set our eyes to the landing at Nilsebu, or Hopen Radio, the permanently manned Norwegian station on the island. They only allowed 20 people ashore at a time, so we opted for a staggered approach by dividing people into Zodiac cruises and landings.

On shore, you could explore some of the grounds, write a postcard and buy some souvenirs, as well as admire Suggen, the station dog and look at the eider ducks nesting right by the buildings.

Then on the Zodiac cruise, we approached the bird cliffs littered with thousands of kittiwakes nesting, some glaucuous gulls, Brunnichs guillemots, and others.

The weather was still perfect, and it just felt like a gentle repose after the craziness of the past days, while still offering the beautiful landscapes of Hopen’s sedimentary mountains. As soon as everyone had done their rounds at the station, we returned to our lovely vessel, rested, attended the briefings and recaps, and ended the day with dinner and a cold, invigorating drink. Sunny days in Svalbard are few and far between, and we were lucky enough to be the witness of one.

Good morning, Ortelius!

We have a special day ahead of us today. We will spend the whole day in the southeast. After a wake-up call from our expedition leader Claudio, the day began with a delicious breakfast, after which we ventured onto the outer decks and the bridge to enjoy the beauty of the Arctic, as well as admire the wild animals living in this polar region.

As always, the first who met us in the morning were the birds of the Arctic: Northern fulmar, black-legged kttiwake, Brunnich guillemot, black guillemot, Arctic skua, but the main highlight, to the delight of fans of marine biology, was a meeting with walruses.

Today our first destination was the landing on Andreetangen.

The plan was a split landing and Zodiac cruise. On land we saw an old hunter's hut and a lot of bones and skulls of walruses left here from the time of the trappers. After landing, we went on a Zodiac cruise through the icy waters to watch walruses resting on the ice and swimming around us in the water. Already on the way back, we were lucky to spot Steller's eider, a very rare bird for this region.

After we returned on board, Peter Prokosch gave his presentation on "The East Atlantic Flyway of Coastal Birds", from which we learned a lot of interesting things about the work of ornithologists in the Arctic, after which we went to lunch.

Immediately after, we spotted a polar bear on the shore of Ardalstangen and decided to go on a Zodiac cruise. The bear was magnificent, as were the arctic fox, walruses, beluga whales and reindeer. It was an incredible cruise, we got a good sight from the water, and it even looked like the bear posed for us on the rocks! After this incredible encounter we needed some time to process, while cheering as we got back on board.

At 19.00, our expedition leader Claudio summed up the day, and we also learned about our plans for tomorrow. After the recap, we enjoyed a fantastic barbecue dinner outdoors with stunning views of the Arctic expanse, and even some very enthusiastic dancers.

An amazing end to a great day. Good night, Ortelius. Tomorrow we will have another day full of new discoveries.

We awoke to a dull, damp, and windy day as Ortelius romped along in a very strong tail wind off southern Spitsbergen. Expedition Leader Claudio gave us a weather update during the wake-up call, which informed us that the wind speed was more than 45 knots. Good thing we were going with it! The strong northerly winds brought us cold air off the Arctic Ocean and resulted in a temperature that struggled to rise above 1º Celsius. A visit to the Bridge revealed that Ortelius was weaving her way through a maze of broken ice, which kept the Bridge lookouts busy. The wild scene outside reminded us how lucky we had been with all the good weather of the previous days. As Ortelius gently rolled along, breakfast was announced, where it was noticed that a few seats remained empty!

It was not a day to be outside, so Captain Per decided to use this period of inclement weather to gain some miles back in the general direction of Longyearbyen. He and Claudio hoped that some shelter might be found in one of the fjords near the southern end of Spitsbergen, where we hoped to arrive sometime in the afternoon. In the meantime, a couple of lectures were on offer from the highly talented expedition team. First up was expedition guide and marine mammalogist Misha with an enlightening presentation about ‘Marine Mammal Acoustics’. Later in the morning we enjoyed an enthusiastic presentation by expedition guide and geologist Annelou who talked about one of her favorite subjects - Ice.

The lunchtime announcement soon echoed around the ship, as the ever-attentive hotel department served up another fantastic meal. Ortelius, meanwhile, was entering the relatively sheltered waters of Hornsund, the southernmost fjord in Svalbard that cuts some 25km into the western side of Spitsbergen. The name “Horn Sound” dates back to 1610 and was given by an English ship whose crew returned from an excursion ashore with some “deeres horne” (reindeer antler).

Renowned for its spectacular scenery, it was shelter that we sought in Hornsund today. The low cloud and rain hid the towering mountains from view, but that didn’t stop a good number of hardy adventurers from donning their raincoats and heading for the outer decks where they were met by a cold, bracing wind. Ortelius headed deeper into Hornsund and took a turn to the south into Samarinvågen, a small fjord of about 5km in length. Much to everyone’s delight, the shelter we sought was found, and the wind fell away. Ortelius came to anchor in just over 85 meters of water at the head of the fjord directly in front of the Samarin Glacier (Samarinbreen).

Although we had lost the wind, unfortunately the heavy rain continued. Claudio, our ever-considerate expedition leader sensed limited enthusiasm for an excursion, so offered a mixed program that was sure to please everyone. The divers and kayakers were given the chance to indulge in their passions, and a Zodiac cruise was offered for those prepared to brave the elements. Finally, there was an on-board program for those who just wanted to relax on this cold, wet Sunday afternoon. Expedition guide Koen shared his top tips for wildlife photography with a lecture full of stunning images, and later in the afternoon a moving polar bear documentary was accompanied by popcorn.

Those that ventured out in the Zodiacs returned with the good news that the rain eased off for them, and they were treated to a cruise along the edge of very thin fast ice that was still locked to the land and glacier front. The breath-taking wall of ice that is the face of the Samarin Glacier, is backed up by a colossal 14km of ice. Both the glacier and the fjord into which it flows are named after a Russian fisherman from the White Sea region, who was attached as a craftsman to the Russian element of the Swedish-Russian Arc-of-Meridian Expedition to Spitsbergen in 1899-1902 that was based nearby at a spot called Gåshamna.

Back on board, we got ready for the briefing that would prepare us for the next day’s activities, before heading off to dinner. And so, ends another expedition day in the high Arctic, which saw us go from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C, as the Svalbard weather flexed its muscles. That’s what true expedition cruising is all about, and it’s what Ortelius does so well.

We started our day with an amazing breakfast in the dining room of the M/V Ortelius, setting the tone for another exciting day of exploration in the Arctic wilderness of Svalbard. Energized and eager, we prepared for our first adventure, boarding the Zodiacs, and setting out to find a sheltered area to land, as the strong winds presented a challenge.

Our persistence paid off as we found a more protected spot and landed in front of a stunning glacier in Fragerbukta. The icy scenery was breathtaking, with beached icebergs and growlers dotting the shoreline. Some guests chose to explore these natural ice sculptures up close, while a small group embarked on a longer route towards the nearby cliffs. The beauty and silence of the Arctic landscape left everyone in awe.

After our morning excursion, we returned to the ship for a delicious lunch, where the conversation buzzed with excitement from the morning experiences. Refuelled and ready for more, we set out in search of another landing site for our afternoon activities. The wind continued to challenge us, but our determined crew managed to drop the long hikers ashore for their adventure.

Meanwhile, the rest of us attempted to go ashore at Bamsebu, a historic beluga whaling station. Unfortunately, the weather conditions were too severe, and we had to abandon our plans to land. However, the day was far from disappointing. Back on the ship, Allan offered an amazing historical lecture about Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition, where he and his crew drifted on the ice for an astounding 2.5 years. The tale of endurance and exploration captivated everyone.

The day concluded with the daily recap, where the plan for the next day was outlined, filling us with anticipation for more adventures to come. We then enjoyed a great dinner, sharing stories and reflecting on the incredible sights and experiences of the day. As the Arctic night settled in, we retired to our cabins, grateful for the unforgettable memories made aboard the M/V Ortelius.

After all the wind we had yesterday, it was a relief to wake up with almost utter silence around us! With a very calm sea and almost no clouds it promised to be a very good day. The long hikers got a second opportunity today to make some kilometers. Everybody who was feeling less adventurous, got the opportunity to land ashore and halfway swap for a Zodiac cruise for the bird cliffs. Onshore were many historical remains of the old mines that used to dot the landscape here. A modern hut was also present, which was privately owned. Next to the hut was a beautiful patch of boreal Jacobs-ladder, a plant native to the high Arctic and one of the first of this summer season. Some also spotted some reindeer up on the slope.

For the Zodiac cruise going to the bird cliffs, a lot of puffins were spotted!

For those who felt brave enough, or crazy enough, the polar plunge was organised. With only a few clouds and calm seas there would not be a better chance to enjoy some fine refreshing Arctic water. For those who did not dare to go, it was some good entertainment.

After a good lunch, we arrived at Adolfbukta. Adolfbukta is located in Billefjorden, near Longyearbyen. We did a Zodiac cruise near the Nordenskiöld glacier, where we soon spotted a very tiny ring seal! We also got the special treat of the long-tailed skua, quite a rare species. As the wind picked up quite a bit, we got some choppy swell with all the consequences of that, some of us got soaked! Most of us did not mind, as we were weathered by our expedition now. Returning to the ship, Ortelius did a fly-by of the ghost town of Pyramiden. Pyramiden used to be a Russian town focused on mining, but at the end of the 20th century it was abandoned. Sara, one of our guests who has been living in Longyearbyen for 12 years and also an experienced guide, told us more about this fascinating ghost town on the bridge as we passed it by.

After this last cruise and fly by, it was really time to set sail to Longyearbyen. We toasted with champagne (and snacks of course) with our Captain Per and expedition leader Claudio. A round of applause was held for the expedition team. Juan showed us the slide show he had been making during the trip; a beautiful compilation of all our memories we had made so far. Lucky for us, we can take them home! During dinner, we finally got to see almost all the crew; everyone who has contributed to this amazing adventure. Our final evening of the trip was at an end!

After eight superb days, our Svalbard expedition was over, but the memories we had made would live with us forever. With our luggage left outside our cabins ready for the staff and crew to take down the gangway, we headed to breakfast. After saying goodbye to the dining room crew, we took our remaining belongings and disembarked onto the coal pier. There was just enough time to say farewell to the expedition team before we boarded the buses and left for our onward travel.

Thank you all for such a memorable voyage, for your company, good humor, enthusiasm, and patience when the weather decided we should do something different. We hope to see you again in the future, wherever that might be!

Total distance sailed on our voyage: 1052 nm

On behalf of Oceanwide Expeditions, Captain Per Andersson, Expedition Leader Claudio Ghiglione, Hotel Manager Volodymyr ‘Vova’ Cherednychenko and all the crew and expedition staff, it has been a pleasure travelling with you! We look forward to seeing you again on one of our ships for another adventure.