July 2017 reviewed: the south cape, polar bears and arctic Christmas

Thu
11 Jan
2018

Considering public news, July was a rather calm month in Spitsbergen. Which is great. No news are good news. Of course, there is always something, but all within reason. The reindeer were doing well, there were no avalanches and no extreme weather situations. We could pretty much just enjoy!

And so we did, mostly with SV Antigua. We started actually already in late June, and the first highlight – I am coming to my personal perspective – came quickly in shape of a rare landing near Spitsbergen’s south cape (Sørkapp).

Landing close to Sørkapp (the south cape) of Spitsbergen.

Other people who were there with me will probably rather remember the Blue whale that we saw close up later the same day, or the polar fox family a day later. And no doubt, these are all precious memories. But for me personally, well, I just love rare landings, these hidden places that almost nobody knows and even fewer people ever get to. But these places to all have their secrets. More often than not, there is something exciting to discover!

Blue whale in Storfjord.

But still, the wildlife is a big chunk of Spitsbergen’s beauty. And the sighting of a female polar bear with one cub who were feasting on the remains of a dead whale on Danskøya were amongst the highlights of these weeks!

Happy polar bear family and an unhappy whale on Danskøya.

And if you ask anyone who was on board, then I am sure most will tell you that the landing on an ice floe is one of the most precious memories that they took home from this great trip. How often do you have the chance to stand on drift ice on 80 degrees north? Feel like Nansen! But not for 3 years … we left a bit earlier.

Ice landing on 80 degrees north.

Back in Longyearbyen, I could finally finish my arctic Christmas book (German only, sorry). The second book that I could finish and get printed this year, after the Norwegian version of my Svalbard guidebook! Finally, considering the arctic Christmas book, as I have to admit. It took me a good 10 years since I started with this one! Making a book does always take time, but in this case one of the main problems had been someone who would be able to create the drawings that I had on my mind for this book. Until I saw last year – also on Antigua, by the way – what Norbert Wachter could do with a pencil and a sheet of paper. So we went, and here we are! Done! 🙂

The arctic christmas book: finally in print in late July.