The lagoon Braganzavågen near Svea is very shallow and thus not navigable. Hence, there is a harbour at Kapp Amsterdam in Van Mijenfjord, about 5 kilometres south of the settlement. There is not just a pier at Kap Amsterdam, but also a large storage area, so it bears the character of heavy industry just as Sveagruva itself.
The “harbour” is accessible only in summer and autumn, as Van Mijenfjord tends to freeze sold during the winter and spring because the fjord is protected from the open sea by Akseløya, a long, narrow island that almost cuts the fjord off from the outer coast. The ice cover can accordingly build up with less disturbance by waves and currents than in other fjords. When the harbour had to be accessed by ships during the winter, this could only be done with the help of an ice breaker, something that is avoided these days as much as possible for environmental reasons.
The clean-up of Sveagruva includes the facilities at Kapp Amsterdam, so nothing or at least not much will remain here in the end. But this will be the last part of the process, as the harbour is obviously needed to ship everything out.
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.