Vibebukta: the last ice-free land next to Bråsvellbreen

The transition from Vibebukta to Bråsvellbreen on the south side of Nordaustland.

There is a small patch of land in the furthest east corner of Vibebukta, bounded by the sea on one side and by the huge glacier of Bråsvellbreen, which is part of Austfonna. This page is about this little piece of land. There is another one dedicated to Vibebukta “proper”, the wide, ice-free land area to the north of Bråsvellbreen.

As so often, one picture says more than a thousand words to describe the geography of this bizarre place. Especially if it is a picture like this, taken from a bird’s eye’s perspective 🙂

The last bit of ice-free land in Vibebukta from a bird’s eye’s perspective,
viewing towars the east (to the glacier).

The piece of land in question is almost an island next to the ice cap of Austfonna. It is just a few hundred metres across and the last bit of ice-free land to the east – from here, the country and coastline are completely glacier-covered!

This is illustrated by another aerial photograph:

The last bit of ice-free land in Vibebukta from an aerial perspective, looking to the north.

This “island” is very barren, it is mainly meltwater sand and gravel; sediment washed together by meltwater from the adjacent glacier and its moraines. The only “inhabitants” are polar bears that are migrating through the area quite regularly.

Polar bear bones.

On one occasion we started from here for a glacier hike up to the ice cap of Austfonna. It was just a short hike, not at all to the central parts of the ice cap. But enough for an impressive experience (there are some pictures in the photo gallery below). It is definitely an exciting feeling to stand on this huge ice cap even if it is close to the rim. Wild stuff! Most people who are lucky enough to see this magnificent part of the world have the position from a ship, looking towards the glacier. Which is, without any doubt, a great experience. But the view down from the glacier to the sea is something very special and certainly quite different from the “usual” perspective, also without any doubt.

View over Bråsvellbreen.

Panorama: the last ice-free land next to Bråsvellbreen

A 360 degree view of this wild, barren landscape.

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But the sea ice is just as well part of Vibebukta. There is often drift ice there also in the summer, and the ice is home to a range of arctic animals. I enjoyed some of my most beautiful sightings of polar bears and walruses in ice-covered waters in Vibebukta. Just one example here – there are other ones in the photo gallery at the bottom of this page.

Polar bear in Vibebukta.

Vibebukta-Bråsvellbreen: Photo gallery

Finally some impressions from this very last bit of ice-free land in Vibebukta and some of the other beauties that the place may have. This includes some older images. Technically, the quality of the photo of the bear that is feasting on a bearded seal does not live up to today’s standards … I took the photo in 2005 with my first decent digital camera in those times (a Canon 300D). The memory is part of what makes the photo precious for me. No excuses are made for a photo like this being in the selection 🙂