Glaciers and Bears

18th June

This morning we are cruising into Monacrobreen Glacier where we are off on a tender cruise around the front of the Glaciers. There are several glaciers in this bay again. Back in 2016 Monarcobreen and the one next to it were joined together. Global warming has changed this landscape drastically since then. We get to within 300 metres of the face of the glacier and the ice cliffs soar above us. Blue, white and dirty brown along the edges. As we are about to turn back to the ship a loud cracking and big ice cloud appears as a wall gives way and crashes into the sea forming a wave that radiates away from the glacier. Awesome and exciting and then another one on the other side. What an overload of excitement. Tick 3 off bucket list.

(P:-“M V Fram” is an ice strengthened ship designed for Arctic Waters. She is very comfortable, and rides like silk in calm waters and no doubt rocks around like granny’s rocking chair if it was rough! The metallic sounds of Icebergs and the rasping of Ice rubbing on her hull along with fractured Ice along side are an interesting experience).

Back to the ship and off with the multiple layers of clothes, life jacket, coat, warm jacket, thermal top, waterproof trousers, ski pants, thick socks, boots, scarf, beanie and gloves, binoculars around neck and iPhone. Whew, now for a well earned cuppa. So heading up to deck four and Helen alerts us to possible whale sighting. So now it’s no cuppa and deck 5. Oh boy, we are watching half a dozen Beluga Whales (dirty white in colour and about 5 metres long) swim around in front of us. Don’t actually see much of the whales but it’s still exciting. Tick 4 off bucket list.

This afternoons excursion was at Jotunkjeldene. Again there are glaciers everywhere as we approach but this time we are looking at something very unexpected here in the Arctic. A hot spring. Although the water is only 20 degrees it’s hot for this area. Air temperature is just 5 degrees. We have a short climb up to view from the top of the spring and learn about the area which is on a fault line. Across the bay the cliffs are red from the iron oxide in the rock. Belugas swim in the waters around the tenders as we land and later the last group ashore spotted an Arctic Fox.

60% of Svalbard is covered by glaciers, numbering over 2100. Monarcobreen glacier is 255 metres deep and estimated at 6200 cubic metres of ice. If it all melted the sea level would rise 2 cm. It has lost 30% of its volume since 1936.

19th and 20th

Another glorious morning as we glide into Faksevagen and park in front of more glaciers. We are the last group off the ship this morning so we watch as others make the hike up to a lookout point and return. Finally it’s our turn and we head to shore on the tenders ready to use up some of the calories we have been eating over the last week. A steady climb up the rocky slope, spying minute flowers and lichens clinging to life on these barren slopes. Signs of animals, (poop), feathers, a sea urchin dropped by a bird and more amazing views. Back at sea level a walk along the beach gives us views of the sea ice floating in the bay. A wonderful way to fill in the morning. Early afternoon is spent cruising past the Alkhornet Cliffs, a bird breeding area and then on to Torellneset for more Walrus viewing this evening. Temperature is -1 with 25 knot winds and foggy/misty. Many layers are needed to keep warm.

(P:- One of the birds here ( Artic Tern) migrates between the Artic and the Antartica every season! Sounds abnormal to me but I guess it’s brain must be smaller than a Pea so thinking about a tropical destination may just be too hard)!

Later this evening we head down Hinlopenstretet, between Svalbard and Nordaustlandset. There is pack ice so it’s possible that we won’t make it through. We wake just after midnight to see us start through the ice. Then again at 2am when we were surrounded by ice floes. 4.20 am a PA announcement was made that we were travelling through pack ice so we rugged up with multiple layers and headed out on deck. Bbbrrrrrrr. It’s cool but awesome to see the ice surrounding us. Back in the cabin we can hear the ice as it grinds down the side of the boat. It’s quite an eerie feeling with the ice surrounding us as the sea swell lifts and lowers the ice in silence. The ice flows form interesting formations, much of them submerged, some with clear blue pools, some rough and rugged, others smooth. The smooth ones are sea ice formed by ice freezing on the water and then growing down as the ice thickens, the rough, blocky, sculpted ice is broken off from glaciers. We spend all morning creeping along, inching our way forward through the ice. Then around 10.30am the captain makes the decision that after two attempts in different places that we will have to turn around as the ice is too thick for us to pass through.

Disappointing but fairly obvious we would have to turn around. Fascinating to see the pack ice and the movement of it as the swell moves it and the movement of the ship pushes it away.

Highlight of the afternoon, a Polar Bear sighting, 2 kilometres away but we are heading towards it. Layering up with warm clothes we head out on deck and find a spot at the railing scanning with binoculars to find the polar bear, a dirty yellow/white blob on acres and acres of white ice. Finally spotting it as we get closer. Excitement is everywhere, this is our second sighting of polar bears which is unusual and to find a lone male bear on the ice pack is like finding a needle in a haystack. The next hour is spent enjoying this sighting. Maybe our last chance to see this special animal. Feeling very privileged. It takes us most of the afternoon and evening to retrace our route back through the ice to more open seas. Just as we are getting ready for bed Philip spots some walrus’s out our window. They are in the distance but clear through the binoculars. Tops off a great day.