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Home → August, 2023
Monthly Archives: August 2023 − News & Stories
From Kapp Rubin to Ekstremfjord
Sat
12 Aug
2023
During the night we steamed to the northeast. At some stage we just have to do some miles. Big thanks to all who helped to keep the ship on course during the nightly shifts!
In the late morning, we started the day’s adventures at Kapp Rubin, a rocky headland on the north coast of Nordaustland. Looking for the traces of a tragic wintering in 1908-09 (we found some, including a grave and some small bits and pieces) and of Theodor Lerner’s expedition in 1913 (we didn’t find any). Lerner lost his ship and had to spend some time at Kapp Rubin, waiting for help.
Later, we explored Ekstremfjord. Strange name, there is no explanation for it. Probably after a ship. Anyway, the name is appropriate, for example regarding the extreme amounts of plastic litter on the shores (a good bit less when we left) and extremely rocky. And extremely beautiful views over an extremely barren, beautiful landscape.
Photo gallery – Nordenskiöldbukta: From Kapp Rubin to Ekstremfjord
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_2777
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
From Ny-Ålesund to Virgohamna
Thu
10 Aug
2023
What a day! Within 24 hours, we had spent a night plus some quality time in Ny-Ålesund and then went as far as Virgohamna, but not without a lovely landing at Diesetsletta on the open west coast, as we had the best of conditions, so we just had to jump at that rare opportunity 🙂 we rounded the day off in Virgohamna, exploring the traces of the expeditions of Andrée and Wellman.
Photo gallery – Ny-Ålesund – Diesetsletta – Virgohamna
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_2774
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
In Forlandsund
Wed
9 Aug
2023
It is wonderful to wake up on a small boat at anchor in a silent bay, with beautiful landscape in the sun all around. Of course that is just asking for a good hike. And so we did. Splendid! Wonderful views over central parts of Prins Karls Forland.
After our first, “failed” 😉 attempt yesterday to see walruses in Poolepynten, we made a new attempt today further north at Sarstangen. Today, we were not disappointed! (And of course, we were not disappointed yesterday either … just kidding …).
Photo gallery – Prins Karls Forland & Sarstangen
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_2771
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
In Trygghamna and to Prins Karls Forland
Tue
8 Aug
2023
A silent night at anchor is one of the best things I know 🙂 and it is even better when the sun is out next morning.
The green tundra around Alkhornet is a perl of arctic nature. Many reindeer, polar foxes and mighty ice wedges. And a very busy birdcliff providing the appropriate noise.
Photo gallery – Trygghamna & Alkhornet
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_2765
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
Then we continued into Forlandsund, with a lot of sun and a bit of wind. The idea was to visit some walruses there, but that didn’t quite work out as planned. The place was already quite busy …
Photo gallery – Forlandsund
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_2768
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
With Arctica II in Billefjord
Mon
7 Aug
2023
Yesterday we started in Longyearbyen with Arctica II. And now we have just about 30 hours behind us, but it feels already like 3 days.
After a look at the weather forecast my expectations regarding this first had been slightly limited, but as it turned out it was a good decision to stay in Billefjord. After a visit to the mighty Nordenskiöldbreen – still an impressive glacier, despite of its dramatic retreat – we found our first polar bear just after the first breakfast on board. And what a beautiful sighting it was!
The first hike took us up a moraine and then along a river where we found coal from the Carboniferous (near 300 million years old). Much older than the stuff in Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and so on. We finished the hike in the old coal prospecting “settlement” (well, four huts) Brucebyen.
Sailing out of Billefjorden took quite some time. Too many whales 🙂
We finished this first day – as far as activities outside were concerned – at Svenskehuset. An amazing place with some rather dramatic history.
Gallery – In Billefjord
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_2762
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
Polar bear shot in Krossfjord
A polar bear was shot on Friday (05 August) evening in Krossfjord, while it tried to get into a hut where there were several persons insisde. It is said that the group tried to scare the polar bear away without success.
The incident is now under investigations. Further details have not yet been released at the time of writing.
Polar bear in Krossfjord (archive image).
July temperatures in Spitsbergen warmer than “arctic”
There are several definitions for the Arctic, depending on context. When it is a bout climate, then the southern boundary is usually the 10 degree july isotherm. Sounds technical? Maybe. But it makes sense: when the average temperature of the warmest month – July – is warmer than 10 degrees, then there will be shrubs or even trees. More than tundra, which is the typical vegetation for the ice-free land areas of the Arctic.
There are no shrubs or even trees in Spitsbergen (don’t get fooled with the polar willow and the dwarf birch, they are not really trees), but for the first time in history, local meteorological stations have now in July recorded a mean temperature that doesn’t really qualify as „high arctic“ anymore. 10.1 degrees centigrade were measured at the airport and 10 degrees in Pyramiden. At the airport, the monthly average in July was as much as 3.1 degrees above the long-term average, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute as quoted by Barentsobserver.
In July, tourists and locals could enjoy real summer weather in Spitsbergen, with temperatures far beyond expectation. For the regional climate, this is not good news, however: warming is continuing rapidly, with temperature records being broken on a regular basis.
It will not happen really soon that you can make a walk in the forest in Spitsbergen, but the warming trend as such is clear: during the meteorological period from 1991-2020, the average temperature for the summer months from June to August was, at the airport, 5.5°C, but looking just at the last decade gives a value of 6.4 degrees, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute. Warming is faster in the Arctic than almost anywhere else on the planet, due to regional effects such as the loss of sea ice.
This leads to worrying effects that may well even further amplify the warming process: scientists have recently found methane springs in areas previously covered by now retreating glaciers. Through these springs, large volumes of gases, mainly methane, can escape into the atmosphere, while they were stored in the underground as long as it was glacier covered. As a greenhouse gas, methane is much stronger than carbon dioxide. The amount of methane currently emitted this way in Spitsbergen is estimated near 2000 tons our about one tenth of the methane emissions of Norway’s oil and gas industry. But this value may see a significant increase in the near future as glaciers keep retreating, according to the University of Cambridge auf ihren Seiten.
News-Listing live generated at 2025/May/01 at 07:23:53 Uhr (GMT+1)
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