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| A map of our route around Svalbard |
30 June: Longyearbyen
Here we are inside the Arctic circle at 79° North. Surrounded by spectacular mountains in the picturesque small coal-mining towr of Longyearbyen, we got off our tour buses at the wharf knowing that this will be our last glimpse of civilisation for a while. Over the next 10 days, we are more likely to encounter a fox, reindeer or polar bear than another human.
We were greeted by the Aurora Expeditions team who took our photographs and helped us onto the zodiacs for a shuttle to the ship (getting in and out of the trusty zodiacs will soon become second nature!)
The warm and stable Greg Mortimer beckoned us on board, where we had our first experience of the mudroom, and then a welcome buffet prepared by our Food & Beverage Team. The stewards helped us navigate the decks to our cabins and settle into our "home away from home". After a welcome briefing from our Expedition Leader Howard, and speeches from our Hotel Director, Patrice, and Doctor Maria, we had the all-important safety drill. The sound of the ship's horn signalled us to grab our bulky orange lifejackets, our beanies and warm clothing, and muster in the lecture theatre. We followed our crew up to deck 7 where the polar class life vessels sit (they can hold 136 people each, for 5 days!). With the safety drill completed, we were all ready to head to the dining room for a delicious dinner prepared by our talented galley team and served by our smiley and welcoming waiting staff.
Even though we have faced the challenges of covid travel, the threat of airline strikes, and many of us are dealing with lost luggage, there was still a buzz of excitment in the air or maybe one of relief to finally be able to begin this Arctic adventure!
After dinner, the kayak team met for a briefing with guides Dan, Liz & Eamonn, to start the preparation for the great paddling adventure that lies ahead, whilst others headed to the observation lounge where the expedition team sprang into action reporting luggage details to the airline.
Together we total 79 passengers (30 from the UK, 24 Australians, 12 Americans, 8 Germans, 2 from the Netherlands, 2 Swiss and 1 Canadian,) along with 83 crew from all around the globe. In addition, we have 16 expedition team with variety of specialities, including polar exploration, polar bear safety, mountaineering, glaciology, climate science, geology, botany, history, marine and terrestrial biology, photography, medicine, and kayaking.
After the many hours of travel to reach the frozen top of the world, it's time to kick back, breathe in the sea air, and enjoy the marvels of this beautiful land.
1 July: Skansbukta
Our first morning on board the mighty Greg Mortimer finds us swinging at anchor in Longyearben harbour. After a breakfast exploring the delights of the breakfast buffet, we assemble in the lecture room for our mandatory activities. Last evening's lively embarkation has given us a foretaste of this morning's Zodiac briefing, while the AECO animation engagingly laid out many of the conditions guiding our visit to Svalbard.
A biosecurity check and cleanse of our outdoor gear is the final preparation for venturing out to explore the wonders of Svalbard.
Early afternoon sees us Zodiacing into a watery Grand Canyon to make our first landing. This is the amazing landscape at Skansbukta, on the side of Isfiord, just north of Longyearben.
As our Zodiacs crunched up onto the gravelly beach, it took a while to take in all that was happening here.
Myriads of birds swirled around the cliffs, looping around the powerful natural overdrop and there was the remains of the gypsum mine that was established here in 1918. Like many other mining ventures in Svalbard, this endeavour had a short life, being closed in the 1930s.
The twisted railway leading from the mine adit towards the loading platform on the shore gave us an idea of how the works operated. An old wooden vessel beached on the shore was perhaps an abandoned remnant from that time.
Two Svalbard reindeer grazed nonchalantly beneath the scree slopes that join the cliffs to the shore.
On the way back to the ship we cruised underneath gypsum cliffs where puffins were nesting, a great way to finish our first day on expedition.
Back on board, Captain Oleg Klaptenko introduced his officers and welcomed us to theship. As we headed out from Isfiord and turned north up the west coast of Spitzbergen, a gentle swell lulled us off to sleep, brimming with anticipation to see what the next day would bring.
2 July: Utre Norskoya (first polar bear) & Hamiltonbukta
After leaving Longyearbyen's waters last night, we sailed through the night, along the west coast of Spitsbergen, until we found ourselves at Ytre Norskeya in the early morning hours.
After a hot breakfast and getting ourselves outfitted for some hikes on land, a call came through to the team - a bear had been spotted!
We changed from landing operations to Zodiac cruising, advising everyone to bring an extra layer, as the wind chill could make things downright chilly!
As we made our way towards the location where the bear was last spotted, we were also making our way back in time. This region of Svalbard contains some of the archipelago's oldest rock: at least 1 billion-year-old basement rock that has literally stood the test of time. Granite, an intrusive igneous rock, is particularly resistant to erosion due to quartz in its structure and can stil remain standing, even in the face of glaciation.
As we Zodiaced past some old huts we kept a lookout for the bear along the shoreline, with no luck.
But, unbeknownst to us, it had made Its way from land to water when Liz, one of our kayak guides, spotted the bear swimming! It can be much harder to spot a bear in the water due to its low profile, so it was a lucky break.
We watched as the bear swam, came ashore briefly on a small rocky island, got back in the water, and eventually made landfall on another spit of land where we were able to view the bear in more detail in a round-robin Zodiac dance.
We soon made our way back to the ship for hot drinks, hot soup, and a delicious lunch.
After a few hours of rest, we headed out again, this time for a Zodiac cruise in Hamiltonbukta. Ancient billion- year-old granite formations greeted us again, this time outfitted with thousands of breeding pairs of kittiwakes and guillemots.
As we cruised along the shoreline of the cliffs, we eventually spotted some Arctic fox! They are quick and agile little creatures, blending in well with the dark rock, and it was a real treat to see them.
Onwards then we cruised to see the calving fronts of glaciers, the beautiful blue colours standing out against the overcast skies.
We were also able to explore rock formations that recent glacial retreat had revealed: more granite, this time well-polished and smoothed due to the glacial activity, as well as some metamorphosed limestone, called marble.
Back on the ship, we had a Q&A style recap on bears, ice and vegetation and then Howard provided us with a plan for the next adventure: heading up north to see if we can spot any polar bears in the pack ice. After a delicious dinner, it was off to the observation decks for a bit to look for whales and then off to bed, to be ready for another adventurous morning in the far north.
3 July: Adventure in the Pack Ice
Hi ho hi ho, it's north to the ice we go! Overnight we stayed on course to the north, searching for whales and seeing how far nature itself would allow us to go.
Early morning fog welcomed our arrival as we reached above 80 degrees north, making today the northmost distance that the Greg Mortimer has ever travelled! Now that's cool!
It was a treat for us all to watch how the ship moves in the ice while listening to the sounds being made as the ice hugged every corner of the ship.
When the fog lifted, the pack ice took centre stage. A few of us rugged up to endure a balmy -3 on the outer deck.
This ice we were seeing is annual - meaning that it grows every winter, up to a meter thick, and then melts away as the summer goes on.
As we probed our way further north, Ulyana started her lecture called "The Wonderful World of Ice", focused on ice sheets, ice caps, icebergs, and the changes seen in Svalbard in the last 75 years, showing stunning glacial ice retreat around the archipelago. Multi-year ice - ice that is in the range of 5 7 metres thick - is very important to the Arctic as it acts as a natural reflector of sunlight, year-round. The more this ice thins and disappears, the more water underneath gets revealed. This water, being darker in colour, is able to absorb more of the sunlight, as well as heat, causing the ocean to warm up faster.
Svalbard is one of the fastest changing regions on the planet, with most glaciers in retreat or shrinking, as well as becoming "unglued" from their frozen bases.
After the lecture, we were greeted by a single bearded seal on the pack ice, displaying an abundance of long curly whiskers as he enjoyed his morning break. Bearded seals are circumpolar in distribution and are permanent residents of the Arctic. We spent some time taking photos and then it was on to a delicious lunch as we continued punching our way through the pack ice.
After lunch the captain deemed it was safe to lower the hydraulic viewing platforms, giving us an even closer perspective to the Arctic world around us. For our citizen science enthusiasts, it was up to deck 8 to learn more from Dan about the cloud project with NASA and how we can participate. A group of 18 joined him on the back of deck 7 where they collectively made observations and sent that data off to NASA.
Mid-afternoon we met back in the lecture theatre for Ben's lecture on "Whales & the history of Svalbard". Fascinating illustrations accompanied the many stories of what life was like back in the day when whaling was at its mecca.
As we left the lecture theatre, we were treated to a wonderful display of afternoon tea in the Elephant Island Bar. Cookies, cakes, sandwiches, candy to name a few. A big thank you to our hotel team for the delicious spread.
With one or two bites left on the plate an announcement came over the PA system; it was Rosie's voice, and she was ready to get us plunging! A brave 28 including 10 expedition team and crew took a quick dip into the icy waters of the high arctic. Cheer squads formed on outer decks as Scott's camera captured the optimal last facial expression of each of our plungers.
We finished the day with a recap and briefing followed by another delightful meal sharing stories with new friends. If one quote made today possible, it was this one below.. “We're going to head for the ice and just see where we end up". Howard Whelan
4 July: Karl XII Oya & Foynoya
Overnight we headed out of the Pack Ice towards Svalbard's polar desert and Nordaustlandet. Svalbard's barren Northeast is characterised by a lack of precipitation that instead falls over Svalbard's Northwest. Svalbard's annual pack ice recedes last in the East leaving behind intricately shaped growlers and icebergs that are drawn by currents into the shallows.
Our morning's outing was at Karl XII Ova - the archipelago's northernmost island, visited by Swedish explorer Dr Otto Nordensjold in 1861, who named the island in honour of the Swedish king.
We headed out for a zodiac cruise, weaving our way along the coastline and enjoying the summer sunshine we had missed since leaving Longyearbyen.
We saw potential polar bear tracks along the north side of the island but alas. the bear remained hidden from our binoculars.
Our birders were enthusiastic about the common eider ducks that we could see alongside the shoreline around the far side of the island and the kittiwake nests perched on the cliffs far above. Male eiders are distinguishable by their black crown, belly and tail while the rest of their plumage is white; while females are mottled brown. Eiders will typically nest and incubate their eggs on the shores of these isolated islands once the annual sea ice has receded away from any potential predators that can cross using the ice such as the arctic fox.
We saw various red algae growing underneath the bird cliffs as well, resilient to the minimal sunlight these islands typically have throughout the year.
A delicious lunch prepared by our dining team was interrupted by a call from the Bridge, confirmed by Howard. A blue whale, the largest animal ever to have lived! We rushed to the outdoor viewing platforms, taking some incredible photos of its' enormous blow - up to 12m high, straight and bushy.
Dani and Joselvn were there to answer all our marine mammal questions, while the blue whale entertained us on both our port and starboard sides around the ship. These enormous animals can grow up to 28m long and weigh up to 90 tonnes, while they produce possibly the loudest noise in the animal kingdom with low frequency sounds travelling hundreds of miles underwater. With only 3 to 12 thousand of these incredible mammals on earth; what an incredible sighting!
The afternoon saw us head to Foynaya, in Svalbard's far east, named after a Norwegian entrepreneur who invented the exploding harpoon which revolutionised whaling technology.
In 1928, Noble's second overflight of the North Pole on the Italia crash-landed on Foynoya on the 25 June, while successive rescue attempts using seaplanes also crashed on the island. Noble and his surviving crew managed to erect a 'red tent' using materials from the crash sites, while all remaining survivors were not picked up until a Soviet icebreaker passed on the 10 July.
Nowadays, Foynoya is resident only to kittiwakes and polar bears in the summer, trapped by the receding sea ice in late Spring.
We took to the zodiacs for a cruise around the island, while some zodiacs spotted promising tracks and "bear slides", and even an abandoned den, any potential bears eluded our keen spotters.
Some zodiacs were fortunate to be joined in their exploration by some shy walrus who swam between and beneath us; while others checked out the impressive dry-dock' iceberg near the Greg Mortimer.
We climbed back aboard for steaming cups of hot drink and cocktails; while Ben entertained us with a thrilling tale of Andre's failed hot-air balloon attempt to cross the North Pole as we set sail for Kviteya, where the survivors, including Andre, perished likely from one of those elusive white marine mammals!
5 July: Andreeneset & Kraemerpynten
Kvitoya, otherwise known as the White Island' is the real ‘Wild East' of Svalbard: a polar desert, rugged, cold, desolate - you get a true sense of what surviving in the arctic is like upon visiting this island. It is difficult to imagine the conditions of Solomon Andree's last few days attempting to survive on Kvitoya. After surviving the crash of his balloon the 'Ornen' and drifting over 300 km on an ice flow, Andree and his companions only lasted a few days at their camp near present day Andréeneset in 1897.
The island was enveloped in a dense fog as the Greg Mortimer approached the coastline this morning. However as breakfast wrapped up, the fog lifted and one of our guests spotted a Polar Bear on the snow! The Expedition Team confirmed the sighting from the zodiacs and our fleet of boats went out to observe the bear, who was dozing in the snow upon the massive Ice cap of Kvitoya.
Walrus - amongst them huge males and females with tiny calves - were bobbing up and down in the water like synchronized swimmers as the boats cruised along the shoreline.
The expedition team scout boat went ahead to look for wildlife and encountered another Polar Bear, walking straight towards the monument commemorating the ill-fated Andree expedition. We were all amazed when the Bear walked straight up to the monument - as if to investigate if Solomon Andree was still around! - sniffed the monument for clues, and continued on his way.
The Greg Mortimer repositioned along the East coast of Kvitoya to Kramerpynten - the most eastern point of Svalbard - for the afternoon's excursion. The white of the ice cap was stunning with the contrast of the bright blue sky and the dark gray of the seas.
Immediately upon reaching the shoreline, the zodiacs discovered a bear walking towards the beach; and, two minutes later, a mother and a yearling cub popped up from their hiding place directly in front of the other bear - 3 bears just in front of the ship! We watched in awe as the cub snuggled lovingly with its mother on the shore. The wind was raw and cold but nobody seemed to notice and we cruised along the shoreline amongst Bergy Bits and growlers which had calved from the ice cap. Walrus surprised us every now and again, popping their heads out of the water.
A thick bank of fog began rolling back in from the North, as the zodiacs began returning to the ship - a true expedition day in the wild wild east of Svalbard!
6th July: Brasvellbreen & Torellneset
The sun was bright, and the glare of the ocean was blinding as we awoke to another endless day in the Arctic. Imposing ice cliffs lined the coastline presenting the face to the third largest ice cap on the planet.
Today was going to be all about the ice. And little did we know it was going to get better as our morning progressed. The sea was calm, with almost no wind, conditions were perfect to explore nature's impressive sculptures.
Meandering along the coastline stopping to admire the intricate shapes, layers, hues and textures of the many icebergs that had calved from the ice shelf over time. Each section more beautiful than the last and exploring them from the zodiac, we could take in all the different angles and perspectives as we looked to the East and West along the icy barrier.
As we peered around the corner of the ice shelf, nature reminded us of its power as thousands of litres of water poured into the ocean from a series of spectacular waterfalls created by the ice melt above.
It was the crescendo to a perfect morning and to witness the true essence of nature was a privilege to say the least. Our day was just beginning.
Torellneset is a special kind of place and what made it even more special from the outset was a sighting of a Polar bear moving along the coastline at a steady pace. As we watched from a distance the bear, unperturbed by our presence continued his journey.
Further down the coast walrus were hauled out on the shore, and big social groups were in the water, moving together, bobbing but of the water and interacting with each other. As soon as they spotted us, their curiosity got the best of them, and they slowly grew bolder which each pass. Closer and more curious, the large groups, no doubt feeling confident by their numbers, investigated our zodiacs and in an instant would dive and disappear below the surface. This game went on for what seemed like hours, but it was entertaining for all involved.
To wrap up this amazing day, we were treated to an extravaganza of fine food and good company at our BBQ on Deck 8. There is nothing more surreal than sitting outside in the middle of the Arctic having a hearty BBQ dinner. Not to mention some hot toddy to warmthe body while we enjoyed our feast.
Not your typical day up in the Arctic, but one that few of us will ever forget. The Arctic makes you fall in love with walrus, polar bears, reindeers and ice, but it also feeds your sense of adventure and passion for this amazing remote part of our world.
7th July: Kapp Lee & Arnesen/Berenike
We woke up this morning all ready to go for a walk on land for the first time in 45 days when Howard announced that a Polar bear had been spotted near to our morning's destination. That meant it wouldn't be possible after all, but later he announced that given its location etc, it might be possible after all. Not long after that though he was back on the PA system to tell us that yet another bear had been seen and so there was no choice but to call a halt to our plans for Sundneset and find an alternative site for the morning's activity.
Fortunately, the site of our planned afternoon landing was free and not too far away so that became the new location for our long anticipated landing. After coming ashore at Kap Lee, Ben told us some of the history of the Pomor people who had occupied the site and then we went in our groups to a small lookout to see the walruses hauled out on the adjacent beach. There were around 50-70 big animals near the water's edge, not far from the old huts on the wide sandy beach.
We ventured further up and inland past a group of Svalbard Reindeer who were grazing on the green tundra quite close to where we were passing.
The long-walkers went much higher and further inland while the rest of the medium-walkers took it a bit easier and headed up to a vantage point over the bay to admire the view in the lovely sunshine. Both groups came to grief with some boggy ground leading to some getting stuck and having difficulty extracting their boots from the muddy ground, but after a bit of straining and pulling and a bit of digging all managed to get out OK, although a bit grubbier, with the exception of one of Jack's boots which wasn't able to be retrieved.
After lunch, we headed west across Storfjorden to the mainisland of Spitsbergen to find a location for our afternoon's activity.
In the end we settled on a small bay where the Arnesen and Bereznikov glaciers come together and spill into the waters. It was going to be a Zodiac cruise until Howard managed to scout around and found a very small bay at the edge of the glacier where we could land and take a short walk up onto the margins of the glacier itself.
Surrounded by a very different landscape, with hummocks of dark moraine left by the retreating ice, and driving through coffee-coloured water laden with silt and mud, it was a memorable end to our day.
8 July: Samirinbreen & Gnalodden
What a glorious day! Full sun and calm waters met us as we gazed out on the spectacular scenery of Hornsund and ultimately the glacier front of Samarinbreen dead ahead of the ship. It's hard to imagine more perfect conditions for a zodiac cruise and we soaked up every minute of the peaceful morning.
Some of us spent time playing hide and seek with a ringed seal near shore and discussing who made what tracks through the snow along the moraine snow bank, while others slowly made way through the snap crackle pop of the brash ice watching kittiwakes resting on beautifully sculpted bergy bits. The glacier was rather active in the sun, sending various booms and cracks echoing across the fjord. After one impressive calving a group of zodiacs gathered around our glacier oracle Ulyana to find out when she thought a particularly enticing pillar of ice might give way... and precisely at 11:06 on her call a few chunks indeed did shatter and slip into the icy deeps.
It was a morning to be still and take in the grandeur of our surroundings, gazing up at the tallest peak on Spitzbergen- the 1480m Hornsuntind. It was difficult to agree to return to the ship instead of continue sunbathing in the zodiacs but our next destination was calling, and our feet were itching to yet again touch terra firma.
The lovely glen of Gnälodden welcomed us: the kittiwakes were calling, wildflowers ran rampant on the slopes, and Ben invited us to explore the historic hut where intrepid trapper Wanny Wolstead spent several winters in the 1930’s - and sometimes even invited her husband and children to stay! The sun and mild conditions continued through the afternoon, inspiring some to climb the steep slopes and get closer to the cacophony of the bird cliffs while others simply found a cushy moss hummockand lay down to bask in the sun and imbibe deeply through all senses the gloriousness of the experience. Spending a few moments watching the tundra plants may have revealed a variety of insects going about their business visiting flowers and even mating--all part of life's frantic activity during the short Arctic summer.
We certainly have been lucky with abundant bear sightings this voyage but it felt like we were in luck that the big furry animals were elsewhere this afternoon, allowing us a special few hours ashore in an idyllic location where each one of us could take the time to connect with this special place in our own way and our own pace.
9 July: St Johnfjorden and Tundra hike
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