PLA10-24, trip log, Around Spitsbergen - Kvitøya, In the realm of polar bear & ice

Today is the day! It is finally time for us to embark upon our Arctic adventure! In the late afternoon, we arrived at our ship, m/v Plancius, our new home for the next ten days. She rocked gently against the peer as we climbed the gangway onto the decks. The day was quite remarkably warm, with shorts being seen in the town. We all checked in and were quickly escorted to our respective cabins. We excitedly started exploring the ship and wandering the decks, enjoying the views of the harbor. Puffins were spotted!

Once aboard, we were invited to the lounge to participate in a mandatory briefing and abandon ship drill. Appropriately, we cast off at the very start of the drill and were on our way.

While the crew made sure we left the harbor soundly, our expedition leader, Ali, invited us back to the lounge for the Captain's Cocktails. There, we met Hotel Manager Ingrid Van De Loo, Captain Evengy Levakov, and the expedition team. We celebrated our expedition with bubbles and canapes before we were called for the final activity of the day: dinner!

We all filed down to the restaurant for a delicious buffet and an opportunity to meet all our fellow travelers. Our day was not done yet, however, as after dinner, the scuba divers met in the library, and we located the Boot Room and collected our rubber boots. We were another step closer to being able to start our off-ship activities.

Just as we reached the open sea and were thinking about bed, a call came on the PA system – a whale had been spotted. Very quickly, it was determined that it was a blue whale, and Plancius turned in the hope of getting a closer look. Our hopes turned to reality as the whale surfaced very close to the ship. We were thrilled to see the size and power of this magnificent animal as it made two passes alongside. Then, even with the never-ending daylight, it was time to return to our cabins to prepare for tomorrow's adventure.

First wake-up call on board! This morning, we were woken by the voice of Ali, our expedition leader. In her gentle way, she gave us the first information about the day. The weather was fine, the temperature pleasant, and we were ready for breakfast.

After a solid breakfast, Ali invited us to the lounge to watch a presentation on Zodiac safety, how to equip ourselves, and the right gestures and reflexes to adopt when embarking.

Then, the activities began, and we were all very excited. Plancius stopped and anchored in the morning in the Krossfjorden, opposite the Fjortende Julibukta (14th of July) glacier. Divided into two groups, we started with a landing or a Zodiac cruise, then switched mid-morning to enjoy both activities.

The Zodiac cruise allowed us to get close to the small cliffs on the fjord's edge and see many seabirds nesting or resting there. The Atlantic puffins, with their brightly colored beaks, were easy to identify. Many flew back and forth from the cliffs to the sea to feed. Brunnich's guillemots also gathered in small groups on small ledges. A few black guillemots, easily identifiable with their white wing patches and entirely black bodies, were flying around, sometimes very close to the Zodiacs.

We then approached the glacier. Groups of kittiwakes were resting on small icebergs. The glacier was showing off all its colors—the blue was magnificent with the clouds in the background. What a spectacle!

We swapped places and disembarked on a small beach near the hanging garden. There are some lovely little places with a vast variety of plants. Flowering time is short at these high latitudes. We spotted an Arctic fox on the heights. An Arctic skua was also flying over the kittiwake colony. We then climbed back aboard Plancius for lunch.

In the afternoon, we headed for Ny Ålysund, the most northerly of the towns in Svalbard. This large village is a base for scientists of many different nationalities. This is also a place steeped in history, where miners worked in the 19th and 20th centuries to exploit coal. Life was organized at this end of the world. A museum recounts the past. Ny Ålysund was also a key site for launching exploratory activities in the northern Arctic. You can still get close to the airship launch mast, from where several expeditions departed. One was led by Umberto Nobile.

Unfortunately, when they reached the North Pole, this mission crashed on the return trip. Roald Amundsen proposed himself to be part of the safety team, flying north to try to find the expedition survivors. The plane disappeared on the way, and Amundsen was lost. A large bust to honor him stands in the center of Ny Ålysund. Nowadays, Ny Ålysund also offers a chance to send mail from the post office. Many of us posted postcards on this very special site.

Back on board Plancius, Ali gave us a presentation on the next day's program, and Ursula talked to us about the behavior of the whales, revisiting our great sighting of the blue whale the day before. Ben told us about his experience of living and working in Ny Ålysund a few years ago as a student. All this before Ingrid, our hotel manager, called us for dinner. The first day of activities has fulfilled its promises.

Last night, we sailed a very long way; we went north around Albert Island, the northwestern tip of the archipelago of Svalbard, then past Woodfjorden and Wijdefjorden before turning south into the Hinlopenstreet. At first, the day didn’t look very promising; it was windy and very foggy at the Hinlopen, but things looked brighter when approaching the entrance to Lomfjorden and even better when we arrived at our morning destination, Faksevågen.

This site had a south easterly facing ridge taking in the morning sun and heating up enough to burn off the fog that tried to engulf it. It was very atmospheric, and the fog rolled out as the morning rolled in. We then could scout with good visibility for polar bears and decided to proceed with a landing. We had three different groups - long, medium, and short hikers. We all focused on hiking along a SE to NW running ridge with great views towards Lomfjorden and the Hinlopenstreet. We could see a mantle of fog running below us over the water and the windier conditions at sea. We were in a beautiful bubble of sunny weather with not-so-happy conditions around us.

During the hike, we saw reindeer and our first sighting of Svalbard’s only year-round resident bird, the rock ptarmigan. Trappers have historically hunted these for their great taste and to be used as bait in Arctic fox traps, a practice that continues today.

We also took some time to enjoy the silence and hear the Arctic soundscape; it was beautiful.

Finally on our hike down we had a short section of fog before boarding our Zodiacs for a ride back to Plancius.

After lunch, we intended to check Alkefjellet and see if there was any possibility of a Zodiac cruise at the stunning bird cliffs. On our way there, big surprise! We spotted our first and second polar bears on the trip. One was lying on top of a cliff by the sea, not noticing our presence as it enjoyed a nap under the sun. On the other hand, the second bear was high up on the mountain on a grassy patch in the shade of the peaks. This bear roamed for some time on the steep mountainside, showing us how high and far they move and why our guides are so cautious when scouting possible landings and when on land.

After observing these beauties, we decided to leave and proceed to Alkefjellet. Unfortunately, this Zodiac cruise was not to be today. The wind was powerful, with 40km gusts,, and it was foggy. Ali and Lawrence quickly came up with an alternative, and we landed at a new place, Hingstletta. This was back in Lomfjorden and sheltered from the worst of the wind.

This site was a wide-open plain with a glacier not far behind. Since we had little time, a safe perimeter with armed guards on the outside was organized. We were able to roam freely inside their protective ring. We took in the views and looked around for skeletons. We found whale bones and even a skull we suspected belonged to an orca! The Zodiac shuttle for this landing gave us one of the most exciting moments. The swell was very confusing, with waves coming from all sides. It was a bumpy ride, and we all got sprayed with seawater at least.

After another long and activity-filled day, we were ready for our delicious and well-deserved dinner.

There it is! A sliver of white on the horizon – the polar pack ice. A frozen land is floating at the top of the world. As we sailed closer, the southern winds pushing us north, we passed more and more pieces of ice in the dark blue water. We pressed on and eventually approached the frozen edge.

It was colder up here, north of 81°, and the swells rocked the ship gently back and forth. The sun was shining, and the reflection of the ice and snow was intense. Waves crashed into ice flows, and there was a lot of noise at the edge. Our plan for the day was to scout along the ice's edge to hopefully see one of the many Arctic animals that survive and thrive in this inhospitable environment. And as luck would have it, we didn’t need to wait long. At 7:20 in the morning, we received the best wake-up call yet: a polar bear was spotted from the bridge. We rushed outside just in time to observe the large bear eating its breakfast, a seal. The captain steered the ship a few hundred meters into the ice, and we were able to have a great view of the bear. There were fewer waves and wind on the ice, and it was almost completely silent.

While the bear enjoyed his meal, many of us also ate a quick breakfast. After a quick nap, the bear checked out our ship and wandered closer. We stayed in place for a long while, observing and enjoying this fantastic experience, until the bear decided to move on. Then we headed back out into open water and continued scouting, heading northeast.

After a bit of downtime around lunch, we had the second sighting of the day, this one even more unbelievable than the last: A bowhead whale! These large baleen whales are scarce to see, as only a few hundred are in the North Atlantic. This whale was resting close to the ice edge, and we could observe it for a good while from the ship. The water was so clear that we could even see the fluke and the head shining white under the surface. Even the captain came out to take a picture!

In the afternoon, wind and wave conditions improved, and we were invited on a spontaneous Zodiac cruise among the sea ice. Navigation between the ice flows is not always easy, and the conditions have to be just right to do so safely. We sailed past oddly shaped icebergs and gathered all 11 Zodiacs for a floating group picture.

What a wonderful day on the ice!

A soft voice gently slipped into our ears early in the morning as Ali announced that another day had begun. Soon followed by the smooth and firm translation by Sabrina, her use of the German language was truly admirable. Plancius had found a spot to anchor at Phippsøya, a desolated place with mountains covered by low-hanging clouds. The island seemed to be covered in large boulders and rocks. A hostile, eerie environment and our landing site for the morning!

We got rid of our lifejackets and started to explore the island as soon as we disembarked the Zodiacs on the sandy beach. A tiny hut stood by as a reminder of what happened here in the past. It was made clear to us that we had to stay close together as it was known to be often visited by bears - the only animal that seems to thrive in these chilling surroundings.

Proof of that was found quickly, as several groups found polar bear skulls, bones, and footprints. Seeing the thick skull and teeth glistering in the bleak sun that peered through the mist was astonishing. A bit further on, the single tusk of a walrus was found, almost a meter long and quite heavy. The animals were around; we could see them observing us as we sat in the Zodiacs. These walruses were curious and not too shy, following us along the beach as we headed toward the landing site. In turn, we were also very interested in the blubbery animals and observed and photographed them as much as possible.

The afternoon was glowing in golden sunlight. An ideal time to board the Zodiacs for a tour of something we all liked to see: Walruses on a rocky island! Near our earlier landing site was a rocky outcrop sticking out of the ocean filled with hefty ladies. Some juveniles were even spotted as we gently approached the group. It was a great way to finish the day.

In the evening, we learned more about the animals we had seen huddled on the rocks, as Sabrina explained everything during the recap. Ursula invited us into the world of the Bowhead whale, the gentle giant we saw yesterday. All the while, we sailed south onto new adventures.

Breakfast was a buzz of chatter. While Plancius relocated further south during the morning, we had a rare chance for education. We split into our language groups for talks from Ali and Ursula on Polar Bears.

After an early lunch we made a landing at Wahlbergøya.

Our overnight cruise south through the Hinlopenstretet ended with an early morning booking for the bird cliffs at Alkefjellet. We missed our opportunity earlier on the voyage due to wind and fog. Thanks to Ali's foresight and the generosity of our sister ship, Hondius, sharing her booking, we snuck in before them. This meant a 6:00 a.m. start and a cruise before breakfast, but it was so worth it.

The landscape is like something from the Lord of the Rings, with towering basalt cliffs flanked by a glacier at one end and cascading waterfalls at the other. In between are the birds. The experts say that 60,000 pairs of Brunnich guillemots breed here. They make no nests but rather perch on the ledges of the towering cliffs. Most of the chicks had fled this season, but we saw some on the ledges. The air was simply full of birds.

The activity, noise, smell, and energy of the place were amazing. Many times, it seemed certain that a bird would collide with us in the Zodiac as it swooped low going to and fro, but somehow, it never happened. Glaucus gulls took guillemot chicks to feed their chicks and kittiwakes high overhead. Even the light rain that started as we finished was not enough to stop our smiles.

Breakfast was a buzz of chatter. While Plancius relocated further south during the morning, we had a rare chance for education. We split into our language groups for talks from Ali and Ursula on polar bears.

After an early lunch, we made a landing at Wahlbergøya. The landing was near the point of a large, flat plain.

At this point, a large group of male walruses hauled out and into the water. The weather seemed to say, "Remember that you are in the Arctic" with a cold wind and passing heavy rain showers. Each walking group quietly approached in turn and got quite close to the group. They were very active. Several times, walrus in the sea came to the beach and seemed to want to have a look at us. It was interesting to contrast this group of males with the females we had seen yesterday.

The walking groups toured the plain. One attraction was the "graveyard," where the bones of several polar bears and whales had been deposited as the ice retreated. Ultimately, the weather cut the landing short, but not before we had experienced a unique corner of Svalbard.

Our full day of activities started early and continued after dinner as we cruised the enormous glacier front of Bråsvellbreen. We traveled toward the part of the 45-kilometer-long ice edge that streams southwards from the ice dome that covers most of the island of Nordaustlandet, passing a number of icebergs along the way. When we arrived at the ice edge, it was obscured in fog. Too bad, but it didn't detract from our wonderful day.

During the night, we made good ground southwards, leaving the Hinlopenstraight. In the early morning hours, we reach the Freemansundet, a vast stretch of water separating Barentsøya, the smaller island to the north, and Edgeøya, the larger island to the south. Those standing on deck at around 6 o’clock were already treated to a polar bear. We kept moving as it was too far away to jeopardize our planned landing on Barentsøya.

While we ate breakfast and stored energy for today’s activities, the expedition team landed to do an extended scouting at Kap Waldburg. Right away the guides spread out in all directions and especially on top of the canyon to check out the hidden places where bears could be.

Fortunately, none of the scouts discovered a furry animal and Ali announced to the gangway: “All good to go. Please board the Zodiacs.”

In groups, we walked into the canyon where hundreds of kittiwakes, nesting on small ledges, have raised their chicks during the past months. Quite big, they sit beside the parents on the soft nests built from grass. Their plumage differs greatly from that of the adults. Standing high, we looked at them at the same level, which made this encounter even more special.

Inside the canyon, a little Arctic Fox ran back and forth, its head moving up and down and back and forth, looking for potential food. It hardly took notice of our presence. What a place to be eye to eye with wildlife. Those who hike up to the plateau are gifted with a top-down perspective on the bird colony and an amazing view over the vast Freemansundet. The water surface was as calm as a mirror.

We are all well aware of how lucky we were to have visited this place where wind and bears often hinder a landing. We were back on board by lunchtime while Ali discussed the afternoon plan with Captain Evgeny. Soon, a new plan was presented. Instead of landing at Kapp Lee, where fog reduced visibility to less than a meter, we headed to Sundneset, a beautiful site at the southwestern corner of Barentsøya.

Just when the last Zodiac hit the sandy beach, Tanja announced over the radio, “We divers have seen two polar bears who are feeding on a walrus carcass.” Right away, the decision was made to abandon the landing and go and see the King of the Arctic by Zodiacs. The team and crew worked so well together that the transition happened smoothly. No time was wasted, and we were off to see the bears.

In Zodiacs, we enjoyed an exceptional bear encounter. They had climbed from the carcass over the hill to a small hut. A large bear, later identified as the mother, investigated the building, sniffing, searching, and even standing fully upright. Pwoahh… its size is impressive. Later she walked near the shore. She was fully aware of our presence and showed no visual signs of disturbance or curiosity. Her second-year cub also wandered around to explore the surroundings. Walking uphill, it approached two grazing reindeer who hadn’t reacted at all. Not until the bear had passed did they suddenly start running downhill. The bear finally found a cozy spot on dark brown rocks to rest, just like its mother a couple hundred meters away.

Soon, it will have to leave its mother to face the challenges of living in the vast Arctic.

We stayed longer to take in the beautiful landscape and the two bears sleeping. What made this encounter very unique was the variety of behaviors we observed. Silently, we wish them all the best when heading back to the ship, where this incredible day ended following our routine.

Falling asleep, the thoughts of many wandered back to the bears who were now all alone in their natural world, without ships, Zodiacs, and humans.

Overnight, Plancius had made excellent progress around the southern tip of Spitsbergen (Sørkapp), and those who woke early enjoyed a coffee in the Lounge while enjoying the wild seascapes of the approach to Hornsund.

A strong offshore wind was sweeping white caps off the tops of large ground swells rolling into the fjord, a dramatic scene made all the more impressive by the scudding low clouds racing through the large peaks surrounding Hornsund. Those not yet awake were roused from their slumber by Ali’s routine wake-up call, and shortly after, it was time for breakfast. Meanwhile, the Expedition Team scouted Hornsund from the Bridge – checking for Polar Bears and assessing conditions to see if a landing was possible. Captain Evgeny brought our ship deeper into Hornsund, out of the worst of the wind, and we found ourselves anchoring off the eastern side of Gnålodden, our destination for the morning.

The Zodiac ride-in was a little breezy. When we arrived at the beach, we found that there was a bit of a wave surge on the shoreline, so we timed our disembarkation from the Zodiacs carefully, stepping ashore onto a lovely little pebble beach at the foot of the impressive cliffs here. Once ashore, we were free to roam around the perimeter, which included several rocky peninsulas, the hut occupied by Wanny Woldstad (the intrepid Norwegian hunter and trapper), the remains of a Pomor building, and a grave. John was on hand to talk us through the story of Wanny and of the Pomors and to give insight into what it might have been like to live here for years, trying to make a living from this unforgiving landscape.

There was also plenty of wildlife to see; the cliffs above us were crammed with Kittiwakes, and the constant noise, even audible over the strong gusts of wind, was a lovely background to our landing (Gnålodden gets its name from this sound as it is Norwegian for murmur). We saw Arctic skua on the tundra close to the hut, several large flocks of barnacle geese, purple sandpipers foraging along the small shingle beaches, and several glaucous gulls patrolling the cliffs on the look-out for an unguarded chick to pounce upon.

Several times, we saw glaucous gulls descending to the sea with their kittiwake prey. They found prominent rocks to settle on and devour their kills – gruesome, but fascinating. Many of us climbed the large grassy slopes at the back of the landing site, earning an incredible view over the mouth of Hornsund, and a closer encounter with the large flocks of kittiwakes circling overhead. After a glorious morning ashore, we returned to Plancius for another excellent lunch. Suitably recharged, we headed out again, boarding the Zodiacs for a cruise into West Burgerbukta, a steep-sided fjord that cuts into the northern side of Hornsund. Almost as soon as we boarded the Zodiacs, we heard that Tanya and the divers had spotted a small pod of beluga whales, so we headed to the fjord wall to watch these lovely white whales. We kept our distance to avoid disturbing them, but we got good views of their backs as they surfaced and could see their small blows backlit by the bright light against the steep, dark fjord walls.

After 10 minutes, we carried on, deeper into the fjord, and found ourselves marveling at the incredible deep blues of recently-calved icebergs and gazing up into the monstrous hanging glaciers towering hundreds of meters above us on the fjord walls. We also found a spectacular waterfall emerging from a conduit cut by the water into the soluble limestone walls. At the head of the fjord, we found the mighty Paierbreen, a large marine-terminating glacier with an impressive calving front some 30 meters above sea level. As we cruised past the front, taking care not to get too close, we saw several small chunks of ice fall off.

Conditions were excellent in the fjord; it was mostly flat and calm, only interrupted occasionally by a brief blast of cold air gusting down from the surrounding glaciers – a nice example of a katabatic wind. Finally, it was time to head back to Plancius, but not before we encountered several groups of curious puffins on the water; these beautiful little birds added a welcome splash of color to the otherwise largely monochrome seascape near the mouth of Burgerbukta.

The weather deteriorated rapidly, showing us just how lucky we had been today, and over a quarter of an hour, the wind strengthened, and the rain started to pour down. However, this wouldn’t dampen our enthusiasm, and after the recap, we dressed warmly and made our way to the aft deck for an Arctic barbecue! The food was excellent, the company even better, and a free bar seemed to unlock a trove of hidden dancing talent.

Before long, most of us were gyrating to Ingrid's tunes, and the evening finished up with an epic conga, weaving through the mooring stations and into the restaurant once the music finally finished. A lovely bookend to another beautiful day of expedition cruising.

Polar winds blew against the ship, and foamy waves splashed Plancius's deck as we neared Bamsebu, the landing site for this morning. Nobody noticed, as only the bridge team and Ali were awake at 05:30 this morning. Thirty knots of wind and gusts even stronger made this landing impossible. So, Ali started plan B: A landing at Snatcherpynten.

In the lee of a mountain range lay our destination for the morning. A lovely beach surrounded by a beautiful landscape. A big two-story hut stood at the beach, leaning like Ali before her first coffee. Incredibly, the thing has not collapsed completely. The hut was once meant to boost local tourism in the early 1900s. It involved reindeer hunting. It never proved successful. Surrounding the hut, we found mining carts, another activity that had never gotten to a start in the area.

Some graves were found from the mining era. Snatcherpynten is sure a place full of history. The groups dispersed into walking groups, some reaching the top of the mountain while the others explored the mountains.

In the afternoon, we made landfall for one last time. This time at Recherchebreen. Or rather, the moraine peninsula in front of the glacier, we could walk around in a wide perimeter to explore what once was below the glacier's ice. A lagoon separated us from the eternal ice, and we could watch from a safe distance the fifty shades of blue it threw at us. What a great way to end our polar voyage on this last day.

Back on the ship, we needed to start packing. But not until we had our farewell drink with the captain and a moving review of the past few days in the form of a slideshow. To top it all off, we had our final supper from Khabir. We will truly miss his culinary exploits when we get back home. The extra kilos on our bodies will remind us of those better days.

All too soon we arrived back in Longyearbyen and it was time to say our goodbyes. The staff and crew took care of our luggage, placing it carefully on the dock. We had our last breakfast aboard Plancius then gathered the last of our things and headed for the gangway. We said goodbye to the whole team onboard and alighted the bus waiting for us to start the long journey home or to our next adventure.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and support, but most of all for joining us on this exploratory North Atlantic voyage. We hope to see you again in the future, wherever that might be!

Total distance sailed: 1205.0 nautical miles

Farthest north: 81°43.5’N / 022°54.3’E

On behalf of Oceanwide Expeditions, Captain Evengy Levakov, Expedition Leader Ali Liddle, Hotel Manager Ingrid Van De Loo, and all the crew and staff of M/V Plancius, it has been a pleasure travelling with you!