The northern light is for the polar night what the polar bears are for the summer: everybody wants to see them. The northern light, or Aurora borealis, is indeed a majestic phenomenon! If you have ever seen a real one, you will for sure not forget it. There is an info page about northern lights and northern light photography on this website, by the way. The season is about to begin.
Actually, Longyearbyen is not even the best place to see northern lights. If you are on an Aurora mission, then northern Scandinavia may be just as good, if not better. But of course you can see fantastic northern lights in Spitsbergen! With some luck, you can even see then mid-day. This dayside aurora is comparatively rare, but they do happen. Hard to believe, but true! This requires real darkness 24 hours a day, and that is what you get in Longyearbyen from late November to early January.
The December-photo of our Spitsbergen-calendar 2018 was taken early evening. We went around in Longyearbyen with a TV team and they wanted norhtern lights – of course. Risky business if you don’t have more time than just a very few days! Maybe you are lucky, maybe not … both the weather and the aurora activity have to be on your side. We had already been around for a long evening without seeing more than dark clouds. A day later, things were more promising. And suddenly, the sky exploded over Longyearbyen! It was indeed one of my better Aurora moments in Spitsbergen. The photo does not even show the strongest northern light of that evening, but Lady Aurora was dancing above this part of the iconic coal cableway and Platåberget, a very characteristic and well-known mountain right next to Longyearbyen.
Alexander Lembke is well known to many who have travelled with us in recent years in Spitsbergen. Many have heard about his project of science, photography and practical use of the Finnish sauna.
Now, the project has reached a (preliminary) climax: the exhibition “Sauna Syntyneet (Born in Sauna)” was opened on Friday, October 13, in Tampere in Finland. The exhibition was supported by organizations including the Goethe-Institut, the town of Tampere and the Finnish Sauna Society. Their representatives were present at the opening and held speaches.
Alexander’s work is about the important role of sauna in Finnish culture, history and society. The current exhibition is about people who were actually born in a sauna. A sauna is regularly heated and cleaned and it is a place of spirituality, which altogether makes it a place well suited of events such as giving birth. People were born in sauna in Finland also in recent years, also it is much less common than in the more distant past. The exhibition shows large portraits of people who were born in sauna. In poetic films, they tell their stories about their individual relationship to the sauna and their sauna rituals. The youngest person portraited in the exhibition is 5 years old now, the oldest one is 102! Some of these people, who were born in sauna, were present during the opening.
If you happen to come to Tampere until November 24, 2017, then you have got the opportunity to visit the exhibition “Saunassa Syntyneet (Born in Sauna)”.
Alexander Lembke during the opeing of the exhibition “Saunassa Syntyneet (Born in Sauna)” on Friday in Tampere.
The Norwegian government in Oslo has decided that the coal mine in Lunckefjellet near Sveagruva will not come into productive operation. The mine was opened in 2014 but since then, it has only been driven in standby mode.
The mining company Store Norske has suffered badly from low prices on the world markets for coal for years (see for example Store Norske bailout, May 2015). Near 300 employees had to leave, only about 100 are left.
These remaining ones will not be able to enjoy their jobs for many years either, since Norwegian Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Monica Mæland anounced on October 12, 2017, that the government will not support renewed productive mining in Sveagruva, namely Lunckefjellet. Further production without financial support from Oslo is not possible. The government is also the owner of the mining company Store Norske. Neither the government nor Store Norske are interested in keeping the current standby operation upright.
As a result, the next couple of years will see the phaseout of mining activities in Sveagruva and a big general cleanup of the place. This will, at least, keep most of today’s employees in Store Norske busy.
It is also said that the government does not plan major alternative activities in Sveagruva, such as tourism or science. It is, however, not excluded that some buildings may be used for these purposes.
The decision does not affect coal mining in mine 7 near Longyearbyen, which is taking place on a comparatively small scale to supply the local power plant and minor volumes for export.
Soon history: Norwegian coal mining in Svalbard.
The next image from the Spitsbergen calendar 2018 is the month November. It shows a small group of Spitsbergen reindeer. These shed their antlers once every year. The exact time is different for males and females. It also varies individually, to some degree.
This small herd of reindeer shows all variations in their antlers: one does not have antlers at all, one dones only have one half and the third one has got the full set of antlers!
The photo shows reindeer in a winter environment at Diabasodden in Sassenfjord. In the early winter, reindeer have got their fat reserves, next to the meagre vegetation that is mostly hidden under snow. Later, when the fat reserves are used up and the tundra is still under snow and ice, the risk from starvation will increase strongly.
Spitsbergen-Calendar 2018: November. A group of Spitsbergen-reindeer with different variations of their antlers.
The cemetery of Longyearbyen has been in a calm part of the valley Longyeardalen for about a century, between the church and Huset, the old town meeting place. It is still an active cemetery, the last burials were in 2013 and there may be more in the future. Only urn burials are allowed, however.
The location of the cemetery is calm, but maybe not calm enough in the long term. The steep mountain slopes nearby have produced avalanches in recent years, mostly landslips after periods of rain, which have reached the terrain around the cemetery. In the last summer, even the road between the church and Huset was closed for prolonged periods. It is probably only a question of time until the cemetery itself is hit and badly damaged.
This is a scenario which Longyearbyen church with priest Leif Magne Helgesen are not willing to accept. Helgesen has taken initiative and started a debate which may lead to a relocation of the cemetery. It is a place of peace and dignity, for which many people have strong feelings, according to Helgesen. He reasons that it would accordingly be irresponsible to leave the cemetery in a place where it may suffer bad damage.
First meetings with authorities like the Sysselmannen, who is responsible for monument conservation, and the local adminstration have taken place. Authorities in Longyearbyen have experience with moving and securing graves from historical graves that are threatened by coastal erosion. Moving a whole cemetery would, however, be a project of an entirely different scale. Also relatives will have to be involved.
A new location would naturally be near the church, which is a quiet part of Longyearbyen and has areas that are not at risk from avalanches and landslides.
The cemetery in Longyearbyen may be moved due to the risk of landslides and avalanches.
Spitsbergen-Calender 2018: September. Walrusses and polar fox.
… shows a group of walrusses on the beach at Smeerenburg on Amsterdamøya doing what walrusses do best: sleeping and digesting mussels. While we keep a respectful distance of a good 30 m in order not to disturb the walrusses during their nap, a cheeky polar fox which does not care about regulations and distances runs directly next to the walrusses! Who could not care less about the polar fox.
The polar fox left as quickly and unexpectedly as it came, and only this snapshot remains from the memorable encounter.
And the October-page …
Spitsbergen-Calender 2018: October. Bråsvellbreen, Nordaustland from a bird’s eye view.
… shows Bråsvellbreen. This mighty glacier belongs to the ice cap of Austfonna on Nordaustland. The size is overwhelming, the ice cap has a total area of about 8500 square kilometres! The glacier Bråsvellbreen is only a small part of that. It is well-known for the waterfalls that are cascading down the ice cliff during the melting season. Here, we see it from a bird’s eye perspective!
White humpback whales are a very rare phenomenon. Globally, scientists know of three individuals. Two of them live in Australian waters and a third one in the north Atlantic. The latter one has recently been seen again for the first time in years. First sightings date back to 2004 and 2006, then near the north Norway coast. In August 2012, a white humpback whale was sighted several times east of Spitsbergen. It was most likely the same animal as in 2004 and 2006. No photos are known from those early sightings, but in 2012, a number of amazing shots were taken. Especially noteworthy are those taken by Dan Fisher, mate on the sailing ship Antigua, from the mast of the ship. Due to the high perspective, almost the whole animal can be seen on the photos.
Humpback whales live in all of the world’s oceans. They are usually mostly dark grey to black. The bottom side and parts of the fluke and flippers are partly white. The exact pattern can be used to identify individuals, just like the fingerprint of humans.
Completely white humpback whales are very rare. The unusual colour is usually due to leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation which leads to pale or white colour. Only one of the two white humpback whales in Australia is actually an albino.
Now, there has been a sighting of a white humpback whale in the north Atlantic, the first one since 2012. The whale was seen in late September by scientists on board the research vessel Johan Hjort in eastern Svalbard. This area is often frequented by humpback whales at this time of the year.
White humpback whale in Hinlopen Strait, photographed on August 11 2012 by Dan Fisher.
Several polar bears have been seen near Longyearbyen and other settlements in the past few weeks.
Polar bears look cute, but can be nasty when they are looking for food
One of the bears – a 17-year-old male – had to be anesthetized and transported by helicopter to Nordaustlandet in the north-east of Spitsbergen, after devastating several huts at Kap Laila River between Longyearbyen and Barentsburg on 15 September. Polar bear expert Jon Aars from the Norwegian Polar Institute confirmed, that this was already the bears second flight with a helicopter. The polar bear was marked as a cub and already registered in 2001, when he destroyed a hut together with his brother and mother. The mother was also observed later in similar burglaries.
This is not an unusual behavior for a polar bear, says Jon Aars. Some polar bears even seem to have specialized in hut burglaries. But to stun the polar bears and fly them out can just be a short-term solution. Last year in April a polar bear from Longyearbyen was flown to the island of Nordaustland several hundred kilometers away. Only one year later he was back at the Isfjorden.
At the beginning of September, a female polar bear with two cubs was observed at Revneset – a few kilometers north of Longyearbyen. Three attempts have already been made to hunt them away by means of a helicopter. The three bears returned twice after a few days and reappeared near Longyearbyen. After the third attempt, the bears have not yet been seen again.
Another polar bear with two cubs was observed near Svea and several bears were seen near Isfjord radio at Kapp Linné the last month.
The fact that so many polar bears appear in the vicinity of human settlements in such a short time does not occur too often, but is probably coincidence. Jon Aars believes that such visits could occur more often in the future, as polar bears have been protected for many years. Genetic research shows that polar bears tend to visit the same areas for several generations. People in Longyearbyen will probably have to get used to frequent visits of polar bears. Or the other way around.
After the search after a sailing boat last week, SAR (search and rescue) forces from Sysselmannen and Red Cross were, only a few days later, again out on a major mission. On Saturday afternoon at 16.20 hours, the local hospital in Longyearbyen received a call from an Italian person who was stuck on a steep slope and not able to move. The man said that he could see the airport, without giving further details about his position. Next to lack of local knowledge, language difficulties may have come in here. He finished the conversation without leaving his name or contact details, so it was not possible to contact him again later.
Hence, SAR forces had to move out in darkness and strong winds. The Red Cross searched Platåberget, which is situated near the airport, with about 30 people. Finally, a light signal was seen on a steep slope above the sea on Fuglefjella, between Bjørndalen and Litle Bjørndalen. Strong winds prevented SAR forces from reaching the area by helicopter, so the Red Cross had to walk a longer distance to get to the site. Shortly after 5 a.m. the man was finally rescued; he had spent at least about 13 hours in his position. All involved got back to Longyearbyen thereafter in good condition.
The incident shows how important it is to have at least basic local knowledge and means of orientation as well as the ability to make a proper emergency call if worst comes to worst. Next to some knowledge of a language used locally, or at least a contact who can provide that, this involves the correct local emergency contacts (the Sysselmannen), name and phone number. The man was in very steep terrain, in darkness, strong wind and without local knowledge and orientation. The incident provides a negative example in several ways.
The steep slope of Fuglefjella between Bjørndalen and Litle Grumantdalen on a nice summer day, where an Italian tourist was rescued early Sunday morning in darkness and wind.
There have been strong winds up to storm force in northern Spitsbergen yesterday (Monday). Two smaller boats seem to have gotten into potentially serious difficulties. Emergency signals have been triggered and search and rescue forces are in the area with helicopters and coast guard ships.
SV Antigua (where the present author is on board) is also in the area, but we did not have more problems than some cases of seasickness during our sailing passage yesterday. So SV Antigua is NOT affected by any serious problems.
Update: after several hours searching in the northwest of Spitsbergen, where also several tourist ships including SV Antigua assisted, the boat was on Tuesday found „in good condition“. The SAR mission was officially abandoned by the coast guard. It was later stated that it was a local boat from Longyearbyen. The emergency signal position was from Magdalenefjord, while the boat was found in Wijdefjord, almost 100 km away as the ivory gull flies. The emergency signal had been trigger automatically without the crew being aware of it; probably, the emergency beacon was lost in heavy seas and triggered itself.
There have been strong winds up to storm force in northern Spitsbergen yesterday (Monday – 2017/09/18). Two smaller boats seem to have gotten into potentially serious difficulties. Emergency signals have been triggered and search and rescue forces are in the area with helicopters and coast guard ships.
SV Antigua (where the present author is on board) is also in the area, but we did not have more problems than some cases of seasickness during our sailing passage yesterday. So SV Antigua is NOT affected by any serious problems.
Update: after several hours searching in the northwest of Spitsbergen, where SV Antigua also assisted, the boat was found »in good condition«. The SAR mission was officially abandoned by the coast guard. At the moment, no further details regarding the identity of the boat or other are available.
Update: According to Svalbardposten, it was a local sailing boat from Longyearbyen. The emergency beacon was lost and automatically activated during heavy weather. The crew was not aware of that.
Source: Rolf Stange via OnSat-Mail directly from SV Antigua
1600 litres of diesel were lost on Friday during a helicopter flight in Mimerdalen near Pyramiden. The fuel was hanging under the helicopter to be transported to a station on a mountain west of Pyramiden operated by Longyearbyen airport for aerial navigation.
A rope broke during the flight, so the diesel fell down and crashed on the gravel plain of the river bed. It could not be retrieved and was lost in the environment: in the river gravel, one of the many small rivers or finally in the fjord.
The helicopter was operated by Lufttransport, a company that is also responsible for the helicopter logistics of the Sysselmannen, including Search and Rescue operations. The incident is currently under investigation.
Mimerdalen near Pyramiden, where 1600 litres of Diesel were lost from a helicopter on Friday.
The mountains and glaciers around Longyearbyen have a lot of great hiking opportunities. Right now it looks like there is one less: the western part of the moraine of Larsbreen, which is part of the popular summer route ascending Larsbreen towards the glacier itself or the near-by mountains (Trollsteinen, Sarkofagen) has been strongly affected by landslides this summer. This is generally a natural process in a moraine area that consists of a thing layer of sediment resting on steep slopes of clear glacier ice. The area had already been affected by minor landslides in recent years.
This summer’s landslides took the area with the hiking route from Longyeardalen up to Larsbreen. Now, there is a steep slope of mostly exposed glacier ice covered with a thin layer of sediment (mud and stones). The “way” below the slope is exposed to further landslides and rockfalls and hence currently not a safe alternative.
It remains to be seen if the winter route can still be used. Winter and summer routes are slightly different and frost and snow change the terrain significantly. Meanwhile, Longyearbreen and Vannledningsdalen remain generally available as hiking routes up to Larsbreen, Sarkofagen and Trollsteinen.
View from Gruvefjellet to the moraine of Larsbreen. The area recently affected by landslides is roughly marked by the red circle (the photo was taken before these landslides happened).
The new Spitsbergen calendar 2018 is here, fresh from the printer, and ready for ordering and shipping! Since 2012, the Spitsbergen calendar has almost become a little, annual tradition: 12 beautiful photos take you through the arctic seasons. We will enjoy polar landscapes and light, wildlife and ice. From the polar night with the stunning aurora, the northern lights, to the bright midnight sun, from a frozen water fall in the cold winter to the flowers that bring lovely colours to the tundra in the arctic summer. And of course we meet some of the big animals, as we observe a curious polar fox having a look at a bunch of lazy walrusses and we encounter two very young twin polar bears somewhere on a frozen fjord.
Click here for further information about the new Spitsbergen calendar 2018, including previews of all pages and the option to order. As always, the calendar is available in two sizes, A3 and A5, to suit your wishes and needs. And you can save money by ordering more than one – Christmas will come soon enough! 🙂
Overview of all pages of the new Spitsbergen-calendar 2018. Click here for more information, including larger views.
Longyearbyen is not entirely free of drugs, as most places where humans live. Apart from the Scandinavian style of alcohol consumption, which may be noteworthy as seen from a central-European perspective, there are also harder drugs. It is not a secret in Longyearbyen that there is more or less regular consumption of hemp in certain circles.
Every couple of years, whenever it is considered necessary, the Sysselmannen takes action against drugs, amongst others with searching and detention of those found responsible for keeping the scene alive. In the past, this has even led to the expulsion of people from Svalbard, with an entry ban for a certain period such as two years. In modern times, banishment is certainly rather unusual in jurisdiction in western countries, but this instrument is kept available in Svalbard to protect the small and geographically isolated community. The authorities are aware of the danger of drugs for bored youngsters in the long polar winter in a small place like Longyearbyen.
The subject is currently coming up again. Last weekend, the Sysselmannen has searched places and people with help from police forces from mainland Norway, including a trained police dog from Oslo. Three persons were taken in custody. The investigation will be continued.
Typical environments where hemp has been found in Longyearbyen in the past are youngsters and students. This time, people who are in the focus of police attention belong to the tourism industry. There is mention of drugs harder than hemp, but no further information has been released so far.
Drugs in the Arctic? As if nature itself was not exciting enough!