Researchers of the Norwegian Polar Institute reported about a significant decline of the glaucous gull population on Bear Island, the most important breeding area for glaucous gulls in Svalbard and the Barents Sea. During the past few decades a permanent decline of the population was recognized on the island. An extended monitoring shall now find out if this trend can be confirmed for other regions of Svalbard.
Besides factors like food shortage and climatic changes the reason for the decline is more and more seen in the bird´s increasing contamination with environmental toxins (heavy metals, PCBs, fluorine, …). The birds receive environmental toxins with their food and accumulate them for example in their brains and livers where they affect the animal´s health. On Bear Island continuously dead and dying birds with a high contamination were found. In previous studies Norwegian researchers found out that glaucous gulls with a low contamination survived with a relatively high rate of 91.5 % while only 40-50% of those with a high contamination survived the current season (see also Spitsbergen-Svalbard.com news Glaucous gulls threatened by environmental toxins from March 2012). As predators, standing at the top of the food chain, glaucous gulls also give a good indication for the condition of the ecosystem they live in.
On the Norwegian Red List of Threatened Species the glaucous gull population in Svalbard is currently listed as ‘near threatened’ (‘nær truet’). If the alarming trend on Bear Island will be confirmed for the whole of Svalbard, the status might be upgraded to ‘endangered’ (‘truet’). Observations in Iceland and Canada also documented a significant decline of the glaucous gull population while the population in Greenland, Alaska and Russia seems to be stable. But for these areas, and especially for Russia, the database is not sufficient.
Glaucous gull in Spitsbergen, the population ist under pressure.
Photos are currently circulating in media that show how a polar bear is eating the carcass of a White-beaked dolphin. Both articles and comments that come with these photos are reason for some extended comments on the event.
The first observation was made in April 2014 by Jon Aars, polar bear researcher in the Norwegian Polar Institute, and his scientists, in Raudfjord, where they found a polar bear that was eating a dead White-beaked dolphin. They had not observed how exactly the dolphin had died. In the following time up to the summer, several other bears were seen eating more dolphins, but all further observations relate to the same event in the same area.
White-beaked dolphins are common in the Barents Sea including Spitsbergen waters, but tend to stay at open sea, away from coastal waters, and are accordingly not often seen. This contributes to the widely believed impression that there are no dolphins in the Arctic. This is not true. The statement that their “sudden” presence there has to be linked to climate change is obviously wrong, they have been there already for a long time, without any link to the present climate change. There are, however, observations of White-beaked dolphins in fjords.
It is safe to assume that a group of White-beaked dolphins was trapped by drift ice in Raudfjord that was blown in there by northerly winds during the days before the first observation was made. Inside the fjord, the dolphins were forced to surface regularly at small holes in the ice to breath. There, they are easy prey for polar bears, who often hunt seals in a very similar way. Polar bears can kill seals instantly by hitting them with the paw or biting them into the head. There is now reason why they should not be able to do the same with dolphins, which are of similar size, once they are forced to surface in ice similarly to seals.
Polar bears are very well known as opportunistic feeders, which means they will eat almost anything they come across as long as they can get it down. It is no surprise that they take dolphins when they can get hold of them. It would actually be very strange if they didn’t.
It is certainly true that polar bears do usually not eat dolphins. This is due to the simple fact that dolphins normally stay in open water, where polar bears are not able to catch them.
If it is now stated that polar bears, who can’t hunt their usual prey (seals) now because of climate change, are forced to change to dolphins, which – again due to climate change – have moved further north, there are obviously several very difficult, if not plainly wrong, assumptions involved. The observation rather means that man has not yet seen everything that occasionally happens in nature, especially in very remote areas in difficult seasons and with animals which are very difficult to follow. Especially when it comes to quite rare events.
Polar bear scientist Jon Aars is quoted saying that White-beaked dolphins may become an important food source for a smaller number of specialized polar bears. This lacks an explanation how these specialized hunters should get hold of those dolphins on a more or less regular basis, at least more than during a once in a lifetime occasion due to rare circumstances. Considering this and the fact that this is, so far, based on only one observed event, it seems a somewhat far-reaching hypothesis. (There is a number of photos taken on several opportunities, but all of them show the same group of polar bears feeding on the same group of dead dolphins in the same area).
Conclusion: this is certainly a rare event and an even more rare observation, which is, however, by no means necessarily linked to climate change, but due to an unusual constellation of circumstances.
SV Noorderlicht, the two mast sailing ship originally built in Germany as fireship Kalkgrund and in Dutch ownership a regular and beautiful sight in Spitsbergen waters for many years now, is known to many as the “ship in the ice”.
When the ice settled in Tempelfjord, Noorderlicht was parked there and frozen in intentionally. As soon as the ice was strong enough, the ship could be visited and tourists could spend a night on a ship in the ice, to enjoy an atmosphere that reminded one of Nansen’s ship Fram during her great ice drift across the arctic ocean in 1893-1896. A bit shorter and less dangerous, but the feeling was there. Noorderlicht‘s first season as ship in the ice was in 2002, and since then, near 7000 overnight guests have enjoyed this unique experience. Due to permit restrictions, the ship was not open for individual tourists, but only those who came as organized groups with guides. It was often visited by groups who came by dog sledge.
The Noorderlicht crew has the desire to explore something new and has scheduled sailing in north Norway in the spring 2016, so the ship will not be back in Tempelfjord.
The tour operator behind the ship in the ice concept, Basecamp Spitsbergen, is now looking of an alternative, so the story of the ship in the ice may continue with another vessel. It will, however, be difficult to replace Noorderlicht.
Click here for some 360 degree panoramas from Noorderlicht as “ship in the ice”.
Noorderlicht as “ship in the ice” in Tempelfjord.
The airport at Longyearbyen, Svalbard lufthavn, is running out of fuel. New kerosine is ordered and coming up by ship, but this takes some time. Meanwhile, fuel is rationed. Police and rescue services have got priority, while airlines are asked to refuel in mainland Norway as much as possible.
As a result, direct flights from Longyearbyen to Oslo may be forced to make an extra stop in Tromsø for refuelling, which results in delayed arrivals, as this author painfully experienced last week.
The supply ship is to come next week, and then all planes can refuel again in Longyearbyen.
A kingdom for a jerrycan! Svalbard lufthavn is running out of fuel.
Kjerstin Askholt will be the new Sysselmannen på Svalbard from 01 October. The Sysselmannen is the highest representative of the Norwegian government in Svalbard and is appointed (not elected) for 3 years. This time, there were 7 applicants, as usual mostly high-ranking police officers or the juridical administration.
Kjerstin Askholt has been involved with the administration of the Norwegian polar areas within the Ministry of Justice since 2003 and is accordingly experienced in relevant matters. She has announced to emphasize general continuity and a continuously good relationship with the Russian neighbours in Barentsburg. There are challenges in both, as the difficult situation of the coal industry, growing tourism and the relationship with the Russians is usually good in Spitsbergen but internationally currently obviously difficult, which may reflect on the local dialogue as well.
Kjerstin Askholt will be the second woman in the position of the Sysselmannen. The first one was Ann-Kristin Olsen, who was the boss on Skjæringa from 1995 to 1998. Skjæringa is the part of Longyearbyen where the Sysselmannen’s office is located and a commonly used local term.