Belonging to Norway (since 1920), Svalbard is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, and it is first mentioned in Icelandic saga from 1194AD. These remote, freezing places have long histories! The name comes from Old Norse for "cold coast" [Lonely Planet]. Its latitudes extend from 74o to 81oN so it is very north indeed. Indeed, our visit here will be as close to the North Pole (about 1000km) as we will get on this expedition, and it is much deeper inside the Arctic Circle than our previous northern record, Barrow Alaska USA.
17-18thC whalers based themselves in Svalbard, but gave it up. The 20thC saw coal mining and several permanent communities established. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 assigns Svalbard to Norway. No one is required to have a visa or residence permit on Svalbard. Regardless of citizenship, persons can live and work here indefinitely, which is possibly why, as we discovered later, returning to Norway after being in Svalbard involves full passport control.
Storfjorden, where the Arctic comes true...
Svalbard comprises a number of islands, and the NG Resolution's first venture was up a central waterway called Storfjorden (meaning 'great fjord', but not the only one so called in Norway) with the main island Spitsbergen looming large to the west. We then "made our way", with Captain Martin at the helm, through the dense drift ice of Freemansundet between two large eastern islands Edgeoya [5073km2] and Barentsoya [1288km2]. Edgeoya is mostly glaciated and its west facing slopes are largely ice and snow free exposing black Triassic shale, we're told. The expedition leader, Peter, pointed out that the NG Resolution, thanks to its superior specifications, can go this route when other expedition ships cannot. [Later that evening, Peter showed us a map of Svalbard showing the locations of cruise ships and expedition boats. The NG Resolution was on its own in Storfjorden on the east side of Spitsbergen - about 8 or so others were all on the west side of Spitsbergen. And at the end of the voyage, Captain Martin confirmed was the very first vessel to transit Freemansundet after winter. That sort of achievement clearly pleases Martin no end.]
Anne, indigenous Sami, guide, naturalist and Zodiac pilot. [6786]
Doug, a naturalist and guide who we first met on a previous expedition, Antarctica maybe? [6876]
Cieran, an Irish naturalist with a particular strength in birds. He can spot them out of nowhere! [6881]
Eva, an Englih guide and naturalist who has made her home in Iceland to pursue her love of arctic regions. Unfortunately, she sprained her ankle on one of our walks and was confined to the ship for a few days. [6920]
Expedition Leader Peter, an Irishman, recapping the day's activities and predicting tomorrow's, in the Lounge of an afternoon. [6968]
Not at anchor, but continuously dynamically positioned, the NG Resolution awaits our return from Zodiac cruising in a corner of Storfjorden. [6885]
The first thing we, the passengers, noted is that the Expedition Team were "winging it" which is to say they were deciding and modifying the activities according to conditions and observations, and we witnessed many changes of plan. All of them yielded great results, and Peter's team's flexibility plus the boat crew's experience and willingness gave us splendid days here, compounded by the sunny, still conditions at a balmy 1OC! The water is mirror smooth. The first change of plan gave us a Zodiac tour to close up views of a huge huddle of walrus, lounging unglamorously on the beach with a few frolicking in the water.
Safe from having his features stuffed into bedwear, this eider scoots away when approached by a Zodiac. [6793]
Walruses lazing about on their private beach on the shores of Storfjorden. [6814]
This walrus seemed to have popped up to look at the strange contents of a Zodiac nearby. [6834]
The mirror smooth waters of Storfjorden relect the snow and shale of the fjord walls. [6908]
The first afternoon, while ploughing through the drift ice of Freemansundet, the NG Resolution stopped at a polar bear sighting. Great credit is granted to the "spotter", and in this case, it was Captain Martin himself. He set the bridge, already crowded enjoying the push through the drift ice, on fire when he called it out! This bear, however, wasn't keen to see us and quickly retreated across the ice. A second bear, spotted at 2am that "night" (bright sunshine) by the Navigation Officer, Natalie (Ukranian, looks like a teenager, her parents must be very proud). Again, the ship was stopped and the Expedition Leader gently woke us up. This bear was closer and was toeing the water and sniffing the air, but eventually he went away too. From the bow of the ship, many good photos were taken of both bears.
The Resolution's passengers crowd the Resolution's bow to watch it gently plough through the dense drift ice of the Freemansundet passage.. [6898]
Lit from behind, the wake of the NG Resolution, as it carves through a field of drift ice. [6905]
From inside the large NG Resolution bridge as the ship makes its way through Freemansundet. [6912]
Captain Martin always seems to find himself at the wheel when the going is tough or exciting. [6926]
Clare studying the drift ice as our ice-breaker rated ship pushes it aside. Each bump in the ice is felt throughout the ship. [6916]
The Resolution stopped in the drift ice as soon as we spotted our first polar bear. [6940]
Is this polar bear wondering what this huge blue monster is that has appeared in his drift ice? [6938]
These birds liked trailing the Resolution as it breaks up the ice cover. Maybe hoping to spot some startled fish? [6964]
Spotted at 2am in bright sunshine, this polar bear sniffs the air, probably detecting the smells on food on our ship? [6979]
We thought he might dive into the water, but the presence of the ship might have made him bashful? [6987]
Eastern Svalbard
Having traversed Freemansundet, we headed north into a bay between Spitsbergen and another big island, Nordaust-Landet or Gustav Adolf Land and passed huge and spectacular ice cliffs, reminiscent of those we saw in Antarctica some years ago. We were in awe as we passed close by this giant wall, kilometer after kilometer, in brilliant morning sunshine. For at least these few days in Svalbard, we have experienced just perfect weather in slightly sub-zero temperatures.
Tall sheer vertical cliffs that seem to go on forever. [7005]
Ice cliffs reflected in the Resolution's windows, together with one of the igloos available for guests to sleep in. [7006]
On the lee side of the Resolution on a sunny day we were treated to a barbeque lunch. [7026]
Eventually, we pulled up to a large ice shelf (ice cap), a vast plateau of fast ice (ice fields locked fast to land). Unlike earlier days, ships are no longer allowed to plough into fast ice for easy landing of passengers because the damage caused makes life more difficult for polar bears, already suffering the loss of fast ice. Thus, we Zodiaced the 50m or so onto the fast ice and were allowed to walk in a marked area previously scouted and guarded by armed naturalists. [Our fast ice walks in Antarctica did not need these precautions, of course.]
NG Resolution passengers walking gingerly on the softish fast ice. [7045]
No going outside the marked perimeter on the fast ice as scouts watched for polar bears from the ground and the bridge. [7050]
The traditional 'polar plunge' took place at the ice shelf. Passengers and crew jump one by one into the frigid waters under supervision of the ship's Doctor (Dr. David) and with plenty of help to get them out if they have been stunned into paralysis (no-one was). We maintained our previous record of not participating, and did not participate again!
Many brave passengers and crew took up the polar plunge challenge. The ship's Doctor told us that this is what he dreads most on the voyage, but he and his partner dived in together anyway![7058]
Alexandra, the assistant Expedition Leader, an Iceland native, relished the cold water more than any other participant, and proudly (and unknowingly) advertised an (once?) Aussie swimwear brand! [7066]
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