I awake from my slumber to breath taking
views of Spitsbergen. Tall, dark, sheer mountains with blankets of snow and
smooth white glaciers reach a sea that is calm as a millpond. The only ripples
are created by the hundreds of auks. Everywhere I look there are Little Auks,
Brünnich’s Guillemot, Black Guillemot and Puffins, either sitting on the water
or streaming by in low flying groups. Amongst them are Fin Whales, surfacing
against the stunning, mountainous backdrop. It is paradise. Our first stop is
the town of Longyearbyen. An industrial place, with mines carving across the
mountainside, looming over the houses that to be honest look a little worn
against the grey skies. Throughout the town Snow Bunting sing, males in full
breeding regalia flit from building to tundra to rock. I brave the Arctic Terns
that nest right next to the road, I do not blame them for swooping and
attacking me in protection of their precious eggs. Right next to the sign
warning me to go no further without armed protection (this be Polar Bear
country) I meet familiar birds, Grey Phalarope – known here as Red Phalarope –
and Purple Sandpiper in stunning breeding plumage. Eider nest right next to a
compound filled with howling Huskies. Later as the ship heads back out of the
Fjord, sunshine starts to spill through gaps in the cloud cover, and dazzling
in this light are the blows of a group of Fin Whales. Astounded I watch these
whales milling, not moving fast or feeding, but resting. Amongst them there are
clearly younger, smaller animals, and in amazement I watch as one lifts its
tail fluke out of the water, a behaviour I have seen many times in Humpback
Whale and Sperm Whale, but that is more unusual in this, the second largest
animal on the planet.
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| Fin Whale off Spitsbergen |
Our second stop is probably the most
stunning, this was the day that the beauty of this remote, wild landscape was
truly revealed in glorious splendour. Brilliant blue skies reflected in
blankets of snow which covered the research town of Ny-Ålesund. A sheer,
cracked wall of blue and white ice rears up where glacier meets sea. Immense
mountains surround the town whose houses are brighter and feel more welcoming.
Early in the day a Humpback Whale is sighted feeding in front of the glacier at
the end of the bay. All day it works its way to and fro in front of glacier and
mountains, feeding amongst the meandering ice bergs. Mid-afternoon and the
whale has worked its way right in front of the stationary ship. Bubbles appear,
rippling the calm blue water, and with a whoosh of breath the whale appears,
throat and mouth distended as it gulps fish and water in one go. It dives with
a flick of its tail fluke, and moves a little further on. The Arctic wildlife
on land is just as impressive; amongst the snow and houses, the raucous screeching
crescendo of Arctic Terns once more signals their intent to protect their nests
by any means. Reindeer wander across blankets of snow. Long-tailed Duck, Snow
Bunting and Barnacle Geese mingle on the tundra with Purple Sandpipers and
Turnstones. Long-tailed, Arctic and Great Skua careen through flocks of
Kittiwakes and terns that are feeding just off the shore. It is hard to say
goodbye to such a dramatic and beautiful place as the ship headed away once
again surrounded by Little Auk and Brünnich’s Guillemots.
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| Humpback Whale lunge feeding |
The final stop is Magdalena Bay, the most
northerly, remote and wild of all the places we visit. Here the mountains are
closer, looming perhaps ominously above a small circular bay where once again
icebergs swirl. Glaciers sweep down between the sheer cliffs and rocky screes.
Closer inspection reveals thousands of Little Auks swarming around the
mountainside where they are nesting amongst the rocks. The ship nestles itself
at anchor amongst the icebergs and we spend a morning watching the Auks,
soaking up the wilderness. Again it is hard to leave such a raw and beautiful
place, but as we leave with the smooth rippling waters giving way to waves and
white caps, a sudden movement alongside reveals seven or eight Walrus! They
surge up through the waves, tusks bared, tumbling over each other as the ship
headed out to sea.
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| Walrus! |
And so we head south, our adventures on Spitsbergen itself were over, but its incredible waters still had some surprises in store for us…
