I wake up a few times during the night from sounds of things crashing down and doors slamming, but otherwise sleep through the passage. When I wake up and open the door to my bathroom, I find the first aid kit in the toilet, toothpaste in the shower, and most of my other toiletries in the trashcan. I find out later I came away from it easy, some of the others had all of their luggage spread across the cabin floor.

The bridge of MS Origo

We anchor up outside of the fjord Trygghamna (“Safe harbour”) which with its calm seas feel very appropriately named after our recent passage. We go ashore at the foot of Alkehornet, hoping to catch the first Guillemot chicks of the season jumping from their nesting places high up in the cliffs, trying to reach the sea.

While waiting for it to start raining chicks, we’re surrounded by Svalbard reindeer. Unfortunately they all seem to be molting, so the fur looks rather shabby.

Molting Svalbard reindeer at the foot of Alkhornet

Svalbard reindeer posing at the foot of Alkhornet.

After a while it becomes clear we’re too early for the chick exodus, so we head back to the ship. On my way I come across a Dunlin that’s happy to pose against a yellow mossy patch just as a little sunlight breaks through the clouds.

Dunlin posing in the marshes at the foot of Alkhornet.

We continue past Adventfjorden to Hatten, where a family of Arctic fox cubs were recently spotted. I’m not feeling great, so I decide to not go ashore. According to the others it was a nice session, especially those who missed the fox cubs at Ossian Sars were very happy to get a second chance.

I snap a shot of the last evening on Svalbard with my mobile phone

Sassenfjorden

After this we set the course back to Longyearbyen, and have the last meal on board, the Captains Dinner with most of the crew joining us. It was a great meal and nice chance to get to know the crew members better.

View of Adventfjorden as we approach the harbour outside of Longyearbyen.

My plane leaves at 4:40 and at 2:30 the taxi arrives and takes me to the airport. A few hours later I’m on the SAS plane taking of for Oslo, and the trip is most definitely over. A unique trip has come to an end, and while nature threw all sorts of weather at us, I think I got some great shots (not all shown in these posts) and some truly memorable experiences with me back. I have a feeling I’ll be back, but maybe not for a little while.

Leaving Svalbard in sunrise

I’ll try to make a summary post to make some reflections on the trip and maybe round up some of the best shots from the previous posts. If I get around to it

Route for July 24th

The venerable retired Hurtigruten ship Nordstjernen approaching Lillehöökbreen

Nebbryggen between Lillehöökbreen and Bjørlykkebreen

While we pass in front of the glacier, Morten spots a bird he’s been hoping to see for the whole trip, the elusive Sabine’s gull. I get some shots fired off before it takes off, but they’re not really useful for anything other than documenting I saw it. It was a beautiful bird, though.

Meanwhile, I shot some more Fulmars.

Northern Fulmar over Lillehöökbreen

We continue south, entering Kongsfjorden. Just after lunch we pass Ny Ålesund. Ny Ålesund is the second northmost permanent civilian settlement. I thought Longyearbyen looked a bit depressing, but it’s easily beaten by Ny Ålesund.

Passing Ny Ålesund on our way in Kongsfjorden. Svalbards second largest settlement, and not the most cheerful looking either

We arrive at Ossian Sars mountain and the bird cliffs there in pretty poor weather. The wind is picking up, and there’s periodic rain. Doing a zodiac cruise past the Krone glacier some of us get pretty wet on the way back from the seaspray. Even so, the guys in the zodiac I’m in decide to check out the bird cliffs again anyway. That’s when we spot the Arctic fox cubs at the foot of the mountain. The light isn’t great, and the background is pretty boring. The miss rate is staggering from shooting small targets a good distance away from a zodiac in waves

This is how we were photographing the foxes under the bird cliff. Difficult conditions in a zodiac and wind and waves.

But I’ll post some of the shots here anyway

Kittiwakes nesting in the Ossian Sars mountain cliffside

Arctic fox cub patroling below the bird cliffs at Ossian Sarsfjellet

Arctic fox cub hunting chicks.

On the scent of chicks under the bird cliffs

Arctic fox cubs exploring the fascinating scents at the beach

Arctic fox cubs exploring the beach

Hunting his or her sibling

Arctic fox cubs playing on the beach

Following a scent on the beach

Cubs playing.

Arctic fox cub sneaking up on a large Glauceous gull

Getting an overview from the boulder

Sniffing out some leftovers

Beach investigation

A catch!

Enjoying the rewards of the hunt

Route for July 23rd

We decide to hang around for a while to see if he comes back down to the waterfront, but he doesn’t seem willing to move. Meanwhile a large number of Kittiwakes are gathering around us, diving for something in the water. I’m noticing the water is incredibly clear, and just below the surface I can see a large number of strange organisms, I assume they are really large zooplankton. We’re talking 4-5cm long and square organisms.Presumably this is what the Kittiwakes are going mad over, or it’s just a school of fish passing.

Kittiwakes swarming over a school of fish or zooplankton

While we’re sitting there waiting for the Polar bear to move, Yuzo discovers it’s wearing a radio collar, and the enthusiasm drops noticably. We decide it’s not worth the wait. Collars are hopefully useful to science and will help the Polar bears in the long run, but they do not make their hosts very photogenic representatives of wildlife.

Before we return we pass by an old trapper hut or observation post; the ambitiously named Villa Oxford

Villa Oxford; a trapping cabin/observation post with a somewhat misleading name

I head to bed as we make our way out of Woodfjorden and towards Raudfjorden.

In the morning I get up early to scout as we glide through Raudfjorden, but we don’t really find anything interesting. On the way out however we see a Svalbard reindeer swimming right across the fjord. Raudfjorden isn’t a small fjord, so that’s quite a swim. She seems to have no problems though and keeps good speed.

A Svalbard reindeer taking a morning swim across Raudfjorden

A few hours later we reach Nordvestøyane, where we leave Origo in the zodiacs to do a cruise down to Fuglefjorden, and then catch up with Origo on the other side of Fugløya. Right after we enter the zodiacs we’re surrounded by a large group of Belugas. These completely white whales are suddenly all around us. The group consists of mid sized and small individuals, so we assume it’s a group of females with calves. Once they’re happy checking the zodiacs out, they continue over to Origo, until they make their way onwards.

Group of Belugas

Unfortunately Belugas aren’t as cooperative as some of their fellow whales when it comes to sticking their heads out of the water, so photographically, there’s a lot of arched backs and blowholes and not much else. The experience is amazing, though. They keep swimming around our boats, which are about the same size as the largest females in the group, obviously curious.

Belugas as one usually sees them

MS Origo surrounded by Belugas

We make our way to the end of Fuglefjorden, to the impressive glacier edge there, and then back out. We come across a few Puffins, but otherwise there’s not a lot of animal life there.

The end of Svitjodbreen in Fuglefjorden

A Puffin in Fuglefjorden (“The Bird fjord”)

After meeting Origo again south of Fugløya, we continue south back to Magdalenefjorden where we stopped on our way northbound early in the expedition. Just into the fjord, in the slopes at the foot of Ytstekollen, we spot a Polar bear female with a single cub. Boarding the zodiacs again, we try to get closer, but she’s on the move, and the distance between us and her is too get very good shots. Between the inverted mirage effect, the distance, and the zodiacs constantly bobbing up and down in the waves, it’s amazing I came away with some shots  where you can tell there’s a bear or two in the frame at all.

Radio marked Polar bear

Polar bear mother and cub

Polar bear mother and playful cub

Polar bear mother and cub

Polar bear mother and cub

As she moves further in land with the cub, we’re visited by a new group of Belugas, probably a group of males. While the weather is noticably better, it doesn’t make Belugas any easier to get any worthwhile pics of. But hey, it’s Belugas, right!? Not something you see every day. So I included a few anyway.

Belugas coming at me to check out the funny plastic whale I’m in

Photographing Belugas isn’t easy since they never seem to stick enough of the head above water to see any of their faces

Belugas moving back and forth along the shore near the inlet to Magdalenafjorden

Belugas

A Finnish sailing boat anchored up right outside the fjord. Looked like they were getting ready to do some diving. Better them than me. Brrr…

A sail ship outside Magdalenefjorden

Since the Belugas got tired of us, and the Polar bears moved out of sight, we returned to Origo and continues south, towards Kongsfjorden. Having spent most of the day in the zodiacs, it took a while before my back stopped moving back and forth on its own to compensate for imaginary boat movement.

Returning to MS Origo in front of Adambreen in Magdalenefjorden

Trankollane in Magdalenefjorden

Travelroute for July 22nd 2015

As we sail into the inner end of the fjord, we see the French cruise ship La Boreal against the Seliger glacier. Normally, huge cruise ships is not what you want to see when taking in grand nature experiences, but in this case the 18 meter tall and 142 meter long luxury cruise ship served as a great measure for the huge scale of the glaciers edge and features. Unfortunately the weather is rather dreary with low clouds hanging a mere 150 or so meters overhead.

The 18m (59ft) tall cruise ship La Boreal in front of the Seliger glacier next to Monaco glacier

As we enter the zodiacs we see the ones from La Boreal returning to the ship.

Zodiacs from La Boreal in front of the glacier. They look like they’re right in front of it, but they’re actually several hundred meters away

We have to move carefully, as both glaciers around us are calving regularly, and the inner end of the fjord is filled with ice from this, making movement with small plastic dinghies both slow and somewhat risky.

Dense ice at inner part of the Liefdefjord

The other zodiac in front of Seliger glacier, showing the scale. (It’s in the lower left)

Thankfully a while after we get in the zodiacs, the cloud cover starts to break up a little, but conditions change rapidly from nearly clear to dense clouds.

Engstrømtoppen at 1028m with Emma glacier and August glacier in the foreground

The main wildlife we see in the area are large flocks of Kitiwakes, some Glauceous gulls, and a number of Arctic Skua or Parasitic Jaegers. Fairly soon we get to see two of the latter showing why they earned the name Parasitic Jaegers. They relentlessly chase a Kittiwake until it gulps up its catch, allowing it to get away as the skuas dive for their prize.

Parasitic Jaegers chasing a Kittiwake, trying to force it to give up its catch.

As we get closer to the glaciers, the blue ice and the clearer skies give us an amazing backdrop for some of the birds posing on ice.

Glauceous gull against a cave in the glacier

Kittiwakes in front of a cave in the Seliger glacier

Glauceous gull against the blue ice of the Monaco glacier

Northern Fulmar against the blue ice of Monaco glacier

Regularly we would see the glaciers calving, unfortunately the stills I took don’t really do the spectacle justice. I tried putting some of the handheld shots together as a video and while it’s far from perfect, it gives some idea on what’s going on.

I also tried to make a few stitched panorama to show the length of these glaciers. They don’t really do them justice.

Panorama of the Monaco and Seliger glacier

Roland set up on Nyholmen, shooting towards Seliger glacier in the middle and Monaco glacier to the left

While we were ashore on Nyholmen to take some landscape shots with tripods and solid ground underfoot, we inadvertently startled a Common Eider that was on a nest there. To allow her to quickly return to the nest before the eggs got cold, we had to scramble to leave the islet. Thankfully she was back on the nest nearly before we were back in the zodiac.

While at Nyholmen we startled a Common Eider female on a nest. We hurried off the islet and the female returned immediately

The Monaco glacier

As we leave, the clouds roll in again.

Engstrømtoppen at 1028m with Emma glacier and August glacier in the foreground

After getting back on board we’re served dinner, and afterwards I try to get some sleep.

Travelroute for July 21. (black line)

Last view of Palander bay

In the evening of the 7th day we left Palanderbukta and crossed Hinlopen for the bird cliffs again. The weather is still fantastic, the best on the whole trip, and we arrive before midnight in pleasant, warm sunlight. Since this part took place from late evening until 3 in the morning, I’ve included it as yet another .5 day

Cruising along the wast bird cliffs

At first we make a few passes along the cliffs with MS Origo, letting us take in the huge number of birds and towering cliff sides. Once again a light panic over how to capture such a grand location on a small sensor sets in.

Bird cliffs

At first all the guillemots look like cliff-penguins…

Alkefjellet

But when they start throwing themselves from the cliffside and come nosediving at you, you realize these short, stubby birds are quite the air acrobats.

Bird cliffs swarming with Brünnich’s guillemot

Some birds gather in groups on the water, where they take the opportunity to clean up from the inevitable disadvantages of living in layers in a cliffside.

Brünnich’s guillemot flock

Steep bird cliffs

After doing a few passes in MS Origo, we deploy the zodiacs to get closer and lower. The sea is incredibly calm and the sky is amazing.

Launching the zodiacs for a night cruise by the bird cliffs

While Brünnich’s guillemots are by far the most common species in the cliffs, in some areas colonies of Kittiwakes have found room to build their nests. The number and activity of the guillemots help offer them protection.

Towering cliffs

Even though the chicks haven’t yet hatched and started to jump from the cliffs, the resident predators still find something to eat. The large Glaucous gulls find dead adults in the water and sometimes manages to snatch unprotected chicks from the nests.

Glauceous gull eating a dead Brünnich’s guillemot at the foot of the bird cliffs

Bird cliff endpoints

Male Brünnich’s guillemots regularly fight on the water under the cliffs. Sometimes the fights break out between two individuals swimming close to each other, but other times the fight starts among neighbors in the cliffs, and they end up taking the fight down to the water where there’s room to get properly physical.

Brünnich’s guillemots fighting

Brünnich’s guillemot fighting

A Glauceous gull patrolling the bird cliffs for unattended Brünnich’s guillemot chicks

After a few hours in the zodiacs I think most of us in the boat I was in felt we had tried to shoot this overwhelming place in pretty much every way we could think of. I had even tried a gazillion panning attempts, and no – they still didn’t work out. Despite having made a pass outside of the cliff area several times, looking for arctic foxes, we hadn’t seen any. As the other zodiac returned to the ship, we decided to give it one more go, and as we glided past the beach in front of a slope of rocks and mud, I caught a glimpse of a small fox scurrying across the rocky beach.

Arctic fox digging up an old skeleton at the beach under the cliffs

Arctic fox discovering tasty in the rockslide slopes of the cliffs

Arctic fox against last years snow

After this great encounter at the end of the night, we returned to the ship. A cloudy cover had already stretched across the sky, taking away our lovely light and bringing with it a little wind and waves.

We continued northward.

During lunch I learn that we’ve made it into Palanderfjorden, and just after we’ve finished eating we enter the zodiacs and go for a cruise on the perfectly still sea.

Zodiac cruise in Palanderfjorden

Palanderfjorden panorama

It’s hard to believe you’re in arctic seas with reflections like this

During the cruise, we come across a number of bearded seals who are enjoying the warm sunshine. Some of them let us glide by just a few meters away.

Bearded seal in Palanderfjorden

Bearded seal on ice

While others get a bit skeptical when we get too close, and dive into the safety of the sea.

Bearded seal about to dive

We also come across several birds, including kittiwakes, black guillemots and glaucous gulls.

Black guillemot

Kittiwake on snow covered iceberg

Glaucous gull on top of iceberg shaped like an old man

As we leave the bay in the afternoon, we pass more of the impressive lanscape of Nordaustlandet.

Returning to Origo

Iceberg reflecting in Palanderfjorden

Origo cutting to a perfectly reflecting sea surface

Leaving Palanderfjorden

Securing chairs after coffee and biscuits on deck

Leaving Palander bay, we turn towards the birdcliffs again, hoping the weather holds and the light will be better than the first time we stopped by. As with the walrus, I reserve a separate post for the late night spent shooting in the bird cliffs.

Travel route for July 20th

We arrive at Torellneset just before midnight in beautiful midnight sun and practically a clear sky. Seeing a colony of walruses at the very tip of the cape, we head straight for the zodiacs and go ashore.

As we go ashore we approach the group carefully. They don’t seem to be very bothered by our presence.

A walrus colony basking in the midnight sun

Walruses enjoying the midnight sun

There were also some in the water, being considerably more active, as well as very curious. Some of them were checking out our zodiacs. Thankfully they didn’t decide to test them with the teeth.

Curious walrus checking out our zodiacs

Others were checking out us. I spent a few minutes talking with this guy. Apparently baby talk with burping sounds and spitting passes for walrusian.

A walrus having a chat with me at the beach

These guys weren’t sure what to make of me. They’re just a couple of meters out from the shoreline.

Walruses checking out the new guy with some scepticism

While we were hanging out with the walrus at the beach, I got the opportunity to shoot the arctic terns which were swooping over our heads. Unfortunately I almost always timed my shots wrong for their dives. Only after I stopped shooting and started observing them did I realize that their diving was directly tied to the movements of the walrus in the water, as they were picking up shrimps and other creatures whirled up by the walruses. Just a reminder of how important it is to understand your subjects to get the most interesting shots of them.

Arctic tern scouting for shrimps, mollusks and anything else the walruses whirl up

Arctic tern fishing

Arctic tern fishing

Laying on the beach and shooting with the 500mm along the surface gave some excellent smooth surface pics.

Walrus portrait

Blowing bubbles

Stubble and dirty teeth, quite the charmer

Walrus making his way up to the colony on the beach

It looks more idyllic than it smells…

While most of the group returned to Origo after just a couple of hours, a few of us stayed behind and didn’t return to the ship until after 5 in the morning. It was an amazing experience and the light was simply awesome. On trips like these one really needs to make the most out of the opportunities, and this was a perfect example. In terms of nature experience, this was possibly the best part or the trip

Polar bear mom with one of her two cubs

July 19th start a quarter to 6 as Morten is hammering on the door shouting “Polar bear with two cubs!!” with an enthusiasm he normally reserves only for birds. I sit up in the bed quickly and despite this being the fifth day onboard I still don’t remember there’s not room to sit up in the bunk bed, knocking my head in the bunk above. But I manage to throw some clothes on and get my gear with me outside. The fog is still pretty dense and the mood is eerie, but out there we can see a female and two cubs moving around, unfortunately at some distance from the ship.

Playful polar bear cubs

As we wait and hope they’ll move closer, we spot two more adult bears in the vicinity of the ship. They seem to be males, which probably explains why the female is so restless.

After a bit of waiting, instead of moving closer the female moves the cubs with her further in on the ice. We decide it’s now ok to launch the zodiacs without putting the cubs at risk, so we can hopefully get closer to one of the males.

Launching a zodiac from MS Origo in the fog

Zodiac cruise in the fog surrounding Bjørnsundet

Polar bear isolation

Male polar bear yawning

After we return to Origo, we try to make our way further into the ice in Bjørnsundet, but it seems too packed for us to get much further. It does provide some good opportunity to practice panning and generally try to shoot the birds passing close around us. Obviously the Fulmar is a loyal companion anywhere we go and comes the closest to the ship.

Northern Fulmar reflected

We decide to cross the south pass of Hinlopen over towards the massive glacier Blåsvellbreen. The sea remains amazingly calm.

Brünnich’s guillemot abandoning mini-iceberg

Iceberg sculpture

As we leave the Wilhelm island, we also gradually leave the fog behind. We pass some bearded seals on the ice.

Bearded seal on ice

Bearded seal observing us gliding by

Leaving the fog-shrouded Wilhelm island as the sun takes on a great colour

Approaching Blåsvellbreen the plentiful sea ice that has been such an important contributor to the well being of the polar bears over the winter once again thwarts our plans. It’s still too thick in front of the glacier, and we turn north towards Torellneset.

As we reach the open strait of Hinlopen we’re welcomed by the most fantastic weather and conditions you can imagine in such a rough part of the world. We get to enjoy coffee and biscuits on the aft deck wearing just shirts and indoor clothes for once.

Crossing Sørporten towards Bråsvellbreen in perfect conditions

The deck of Origo in perfect cruising conditions

We reach Torellneset around midnight in gorgeous light, and we enter the zodiacs to get closer. Despite being a continuation of the 19th, I’ll try to make a separate post for this.

The route for July 19th

Leaving the ice edge north of Spitsbergen and heading towards Hinlopen

It was a pretty long transport stretch, and while Hinlopen is known to be a good site to spot some of the larger whale species, we didn’t see any as we passed. Once we got into the strait the time was spent trying to pan guillemots that were passing us in groups all the time. Unfortunately, I still suck at panning

Poor panning attempt of a flock of Brünnich’s guillemot

During the day we hear that a cruiseship with 800 passengers is on its way into the Palander bay, so we change plans and decide to stop by Alkefjellet by Odinjøkulen before heading for Bjørnsundet (bear strait – it has to have bears, right?). We reach the bird cliffs in the afternoon and it’s a bit overwhelming when you first get there. I still have no idea how to capture the mad activity of tens of thousands of guillemots and kittiwakes you’re suddenly surrounded with. Also, the light wasn’t great, so here’s just something to give an impression of what it was like.

A small part of the bird cliffs Alkefjellet

Alkefjellet filled with Brünnich’s guillemot

Every available spot in the cliffs are filled with Brünnich’s guillemot

Brünnich’s guillemot using the available space

Brünnich’s guillemot trying to fit into the last unclaimed dent in the cliffside

As we reach Bjørnsundet which separates Wilhelm island from Spitsbergen, we find that the ice is packed too dense for Origo to make its way through it from the north, so we head around Wilhelm island on the outside to check the south opening. As we pass on the outside we come across a walrus relaxing on the sea ice.

Relaxed walrus on a sheet of seaice

Walrus checking out the visitors

Walrus on seaice

Walrus standing up

As we approach Bjørnsundet it’s past midnight and a dense fog surrounds the area, so we figure it’s as good an opportunity as we’ll get in an area of midnight sun to get some sleep.

Foggy arrival at the south entrance of Bjørnsundet

Travel route for day 5

Reaching the sea ice

The morning is spent on the lookout for bears.

MS Origo navigating the edge of the polar cap

Spirits are noticably higher as we come across the first signs of bears

First signs of polar bears on our trip; tracks in the seaice north of Spitsbergen

Success. All alone on a large sheet of ice far from land in the arctic ocean, we come across our first polar bear. He seems to have caught wind of something because his trot is determined and pretty well paced. He doesn’t seem to appreciate our company though, and after a while he starts swimming away from us. Not wanting to cause any stress, we move on.

Polar bear in the sea ice

A while later we come across two polar bears together. Not a very common sight. Looking closer we see they’re next to a large seal kill. Probably a bearded seal.

Two polar bears by a seal kill

As we approach, one of the bears retreats, while the other stays by the kill. Unlike the one that retreats, this one has bloody fur and is most likely the one who caught the seal, while the one that left probably showed up in hope of some free food. Some glauceous gulls also hope for some easy proteins, but keep a healthy distance while the bear is on the alert.

Polar bear looking up to see what the Glaucious gulls are on about

The ivory gulls are more gutsy

Polar bear and Ivory gull spectator

Polar bear and Ivory gull feeding on a seal carcass

Polar bear moving a seal carcass

Polar bear in sea ice

Polar bear having a sip of water

Polar bear giving an Ivory gull the evil eye

Polar bear in sea ice

We stay with the bear for a while, but the light doesn’t improve and we’re not getting any closer, so after a while we decide to move on

Polar bear striding off

We decide to head further into the ice, trying to reach Sjuøyane as the first ship this season. While some of us get some shuteye, Origo continues moving northeast, but during the night decides the ice is too dense, and we turn around and head along the ice and the south towards Hinlopen.

Before hitting the bunk I shot a short clip out the porthole of my cabin. Slanted horizon and lots of saltwater stains on the glass, but I think it describes the experience anyway

Travel route for July 17th 2015