Langeøya

At Langeøya, the name (in Norwegian/German) might well be descriptive, indicating „Long Island“: it is no more than 50-60 metres wide in several places, but about six kilometres long. But the name does not describe the shape (then, in correct Norwegian, it should be Langøya, not Langeøya), the island is rather named after a German 19th century geographer, just as with the neighbouring islands. Together, they form the small archipelago of the Bastianøyane, which is situated in the southern Hinlopen Strait.

Langeøya and Kiepertøya, a bit further to the southeast, are the two largest islands of the Bastianøyane. Beyond these two, only Pescheløya is worth mentioning; the other islands are hardly more than skerries and rocks.

Langeøya – Pano 1

Regarding Langeøya (and Kiepertøya, which is similar), it is the shape that it really striking: it is made up of a series of five rocky hills which are between 37 and 54 metres high and connected by narrow, low-lying land bridges. Geologically speaking, Langeøya consists of dolerite, a basalt-like rock. The low-lying land bridges have some rocky beaches with some driftwood (and the inevitable marine plastic litter).

Langeøya – Pano 2

Vegetation is mostly restricted to lichens. There is no „stationary“ wildlife other than some breeding birds such as arctic terns and – at a little pond – red-throated divers. But it is not unusual to see one or several walrus swimming around in this neighbourhood, and there is certainly a polar bear roaming between the rocky hills somewhere on these islands. There was an accident with a polar bear with lethal outcome on neighbouring Kiepertøya – so be careful if you ever get here.