Fuglehuken

Pearl of arctic nature on Prins Karls Forland

Fuglehuken is the northern point of Prins Karls Forland, the long, narrow island off Spitsbergen’s west coast between Isfjord and Kongsfjord.

At Fuglehuken, you get kind of the whole ecology of Spitsbergen in a nutshell, within a few kilometres.

Glaciers and permafrost

Start with the fact that this part of the west coast is the part of the whole archipelago where the West Spitsbergen current (the northernmost branch of the gulf stream) has its strongest regional influence. Strong winds are frequent in the area, and they bring moisture and precipitation, which again is responsible for the very strong glaciation of a part of the east coast of the mountainous central part of Prins Karls Forland. The north tip of the island, around Fuglehuken, is, however, unglaciated. But there is a large number of well developed rock glaciers, large tongues of debris flowing down from steep hillsides into the flat tundra (“creeping permafrost”).

Rock glacier, Fuglehuken, Prins Karls Forland

Rock glacier (the debris tongue in the background that flows into the lowland)
near Fuglehuken, Prins Karls Forland.

Seabird colonies, tundra und reindeer

Higher up on the mountain slopes, there are Brünich’s guillemots and kittiwakes breeding in large numbers during the season. Additionally, there are puffins (in far smaller numbers) and even a few breeding pairs of razorbills, a species that is usually not at home in the high Arctic.

The seabird colonies are responsible for regular fertilisation of the coastal plain, which makes the tundra relatively green and lush. In some places organic matter has accumulated during thousands of years, forming bog-like top layers that can be more than a metre thick.

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It does not surprise that reindeer can be found in abundance in an area with such rich tundra, as well as arctic foxes which like to have their dens in the vicinity of birdcliffs.

Reindeer, Fuglehuken, Prins Karls Forland

Reindeer enjoying summer life on the tundra near Fuglehuken.

The coastline consists of some small bays alternating with rocky points. The coast is quite exposed and the shallow waters require ships to keep a good distance. Hence, landings are only possible during calm and stable conditions.

Coastline, Fuglehuken, Prins Karls Forland

Coastline near Fuglehuken: small bays, but no real shelter.

The harbour seals don’t care about sheltered waters. They like to rest on rocks near the coast that fall dry during low tide.

Willem Barentsz, whalers and trappers

It was somewhere in this area, the northern west coast of Spitsbergen, that Willem Barentsz discovered the island in June 1596. He called the north tip of Prins Karls Forland “Vogelhoek” (“bird point”), a name that was later “Norwegianised” and turned into “Fuglehuken”. This name is one of Spitsbergen’s oldest placenames and one of very few that can be traced all the way back to Barentsz.

The whalers used the area during the 17th century. A little whaling station to process whale oil is known from Engelskbukta on the mainland coast not far away. No such station is known from Prins Karls Forland, but there is a graveyard from those times near Fuglehuken.

Later, trappers tried to harvest the area’s rich wildlife, but Prins Karls Forland never became a traditional, heavily used hunting area. Huts were built in the early 20th century, including one near Fuglehuken which was built in 1929. It was a ruin in 2009, but as such, still standing (see picture in the last line of the gallery below. The images come in alphabetical order, which is not chronological). In 2022, it was completely collapsed.

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Today, there is a little navigation beacon on the northernmost tip of Prins Karls Forland.

Fuglehuken is a pearl of nature, but not easily accessible. Consider it a privilege if you have ever managed to actually visit this beautiful place. It is a present that nature does not make too often.