Spitsbergen 2007

Second Cruise - June/July 2007

Nigel Redman

A visit to Spitsbergen is a very special experience. Here, amongst some of the most dramatic high arctic scenery imaginable, one can experience the finest arctic wildlife at a latitude of 78-80° north, and only 1000 km from the North Pole at our furthest point north. Our second cruise to the archipelago in 2007 achieved a modest-sounding total of 35 species but, in Spitsbergen, it's quality that counts – and very large numbers of some species! Highlights included stunning King Eiders, immaculate Ivory Gulls, gorgeous Red Phalaropes in breeding plumage, four species of skua, and literally tens of thousands of Brünnich's Guillemots and Little Auks. We also found a few rarities for the archipelago such as Snow Goose and Common Blackbird! Mammals also featured prominently with Arctic Fox, Ringed and Bearded Seals, Walrus, Northern Minke Whale, Beluga, and three Polar Bears!

Soon after leaving Oslo, we began flying over the dramatic mountains and fjords of northern Norway. Our plane touched down for a short stop at Tromsø, and eventually we were flying over the snow-capped peaks of Spitsbergen, the principal island of the Svalbard archipelago. At Longyearbyen, we wasted no time in dropping of our luggage at the ship and headed out to the shore for some birding. Glaucous Gulls were loafing around in small flocks, and groups of Common Eider were ubiquitous. A few Long-tailed Ducks provided a welcome sight in their spectacular summer plumage. Remarkably tame Purple Sandpipers graced the edges of the small pools at the edge of the fjord, while noisy Arctic Terns constantly patrolled the area in defence of their nesting grounds, attacking anyone who ventured too close. Around the town itself, as well in the surrounding area, many striking Snow Buntings in breeding plumage delighted those of us for whom the species is simply an uncommon winter visitor. Remarkably, this is Svalbard's only breeding passerine. As if this wasn't enough, this first excursion turned up two of Spitsbergen's major ornithological highlights, before we had even boarded the ship. There were many murmurings of admiration from the group when a gorgeous pair of Red Phalaropes appeared on a pool in front of us. They were in full summer plumage and did everything for us: swimming, spinning, walking, running and flying around chasing each other. We could not have asked for more. Then, as we walked back along the tarmac road, an adult Ivory Gull landed right in the middle of the road! It afforded magnificent scope views before flying around to give us the obligatory flight views. This is of course a top Spitsbergen speciality, but none of us had expected to see it so quickly and so well. Suitably elated, we walked back to board the ship and settle in to our cabins.

The M/V Grigoriy Mikheev slipped out of its berth at Longyearbyen precisely on time at 18.00. Silently, we headed out of Adventfjorden into Isfjorden, and towards the open sea. Flocks of Brünnich's Guillemots and Little Auks flew past constantly, as well as our first Northern Fulmars and Atlantic Puffins. A pair of Northern Minke Whales put in a brief distant appearance for some, and after seeing the midnight sun it was time to get a few hours sleep - not such an easy thing when there are 24 hours of daylight.

We awoke to a truly glorious morning. The sun shone brightly and all around us the snow-capped mountains rose up like rows of iced buns. Shortly before we dropped anchor in Krossfjorden, the earlybirds caught up with views of five different Northern Minke Whales as well as a couple of Ringed Seals. A Great Black-blacked Gull put in a brief appearance, as did a Great Skua. After breakfast, it was time for our first zodiac cruise. We headed straight for some seabird cliffs where dozens of Brünnich's Guillemots lined the narrow ledges, alongside a number of Atlantic Puffins. There were thousands more guillemots much higher up, together with thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes, but this low-level colony gave us remarkably close views of these special birds. The light was perfect and the sea flat calm. It was easy to note the key features of the Brünnich's and after a bit of searching we managed to pick out a solitary Razorbill, a very uncommon bird on Spitsbergen. The Puffins were of the northern race naumanni , and were noticeably larger and greyer-faced than the ones we are used to seeing further south. Leaving the cliffs behind, our zodiacs headed for the curiously named 14 th July Glacier. The towering pinnacles of ice were truly breathtaking, but our attention was quickly drawn to a number of huge Bearded Seals that were stretched out on various lumps of floating drift ice. They allowed us to approach very closely, barely blinking an eye or twitching their luxuriant whiskers as dozens of photographs were taken. These massive seals were determined to enjoy their siesta in the morning sunshine. The older animals were heavily scarred and some showed distinct rusty faces and flippers; this staining is the product of years of foraging on the seabed.

During lunch, the ship moved the short distance into Kongsfjorden. We anchored off Ny-Ålesund , whose claim to fame, at almost 79° North, is being the most northerly town in the world. We were soon being ferried to the town by our faithful zodiacs. After the obligatory visit to the world's most northerly shop, we began our exploration of the surrounding area. As usual in Svalbard, one cannot wander far due to the very real possibility of encountering a Polar Bear. We found no bears, but a small freshwater pool held a pair of breeding Red-throated Divers and a vagrant male Eurasian Teal. An even bigger surprise, on a small offshore island, was a pair of Snow Geese. This North American species, although regular on Spitsbergen, is a rarity here. Flushed with success, we braved a particularly aggressive Arctic Tern to venture a bit further afield. At the edge of town, a logpile yielded an even bigger surprise – a passerine that was not a Snow Bunting. Remarkably, a male Common Blackbird was sunning itself in the balmy afternoon! Quite how and why it was here was a mystery, but it seemed quite happy in its new home. Ny-Ålesund had produced three Svalbard rarities for us. On the way back to the ship, three Arctic Foxes performed well; this small town has been a reliable site for the species for a number of years now.

After dinner, the ship moved across the fjord to the island of Blomstrandhalvøya . We had barely disembarked from the zodiacs before a Long-tailed Skua appeared. This graceful and sought-after species is rare in Spitsbergen and this is one of its few regular breeding localities. We had amazing views of three of these wonderful birds here, as well as several Rock Ptarmigan and more Arctic Foxes. A few brief views of a single Beluga close inshore added further excitement for some lucky people, and it proved to be the only one of the trip for our group.

During the night, our ship sailed northwards around the west coast of Spitsbergen. Most of us noticed a distinct rolling motion from around 04.00, and it transpired that we had sailed into a Force 8 gale. Although unusual for Spitsbergen at this time of year, our ship coped very well indeed with the stormy conditions. The ship eventually anchored in some sheltered waters off Amsterdamøya , but the horizontal blizzard during breakfast made it perfectly clear that there would be no landing there today. We sailed on after breakfast, past Fuglesangen (where we also could not land), and through the only rough seas of the entire voyage. After rounding the north-west point of Spitsbergen, the decision was taken to seek refuge in Raudfjorden. The waters were at least sheltered here, and we anchored at the edge of the pack ice at the head of the fjord. Several Ivory Gulls were flying around the ship and a ‘pioneer' landing was organised. No great discoveries were made, but when the wind dropped we were able to continue our journey eastwards through the ‘night'.

Our next port of call was Liefdefjorden. A zodiac cruise to the famous Monaco Glacier was predictably photogenic, but the melting drift ice was not suitable for Polar Bears, and so we contented ourselves with photographing blue icebergs complete with resting Kittiwakes lined up along their tops. In the afternoon, a zodiac cruise to the Andøyane islands was much more successful. Before we had even landed, we found a number of stunning King Eiders, some of which allowed a close approach. The gorgeous males were much admired, and even the superficially similar females were easily distinguished from accompanying female Common Eiders. King Eiders are much less common in Svalbard and these birds were the only ones we saw on the trip. Once on land, we immediately ran into some very tame Red Phalaropes. There were several pairs on the islands, but a pair on the beach was particularly obliging, and was even captured mating by the group's photographers – almost at our feet! A walk across the waterlogged tundra brought us to a small freshwater pool where numerous Long-tailed Ducks graced the water's edge. A pair of Red-throated Divers held territory here and there was much commotion when a third bird appeared. He was eventually driven off the pool by the aggressive male of the pair. Continuing on the tundra we found a number of gorgeous Ruddy Turnstones in breeding plumage and some more Great Skuas.

In the evening, our ship sailed further north until we reached Moffen Island. Here, we had reached 80° North, the highest latitude of the trip and the cause of much celebration. This small, flat island is a strictly controlled reserve, and landings are not permitted. Our ship, however, is permitted to sail to within 300 metres of the shore, and we were able to scope the southern tip of the island. Although the sea was not as calm as it might have been, we were blessed with a delightful sunny evening. The main appeal of Moffen Island is its Walruses and we had some marvellous scope views of these huge, bloated animals as they lazed around on the sandy shores, huddled alongside each other. Their huge tusks were clearly visible, especially on the ones that were awake. Various animals were observed swimming in the sea and we enjoyed watching individuals coming ashore, clumsily hauling themselves up on to the sand. It was hard to see birds on the island, but a number of Pale-bellied Brent Geese were easy to identify.

Moving on, our ship sailed east through the night, eventually turning south into Hinlopen Strait. It was not long before we encountered some significant stretches of pack ice. We scanned it hard for Polar Bears, but only saw a few resting Bearded Seals. Some towering cliffs appeared ahead of us, and as we sailed closer we could smell the characteristic odour of a seabird colony. Thousands and thousands of Brünnich's Guillemots and Black-legged Kittiwakes lined the narrow ledges of the sheer cliff face of Alkefjellet, and our ship sailed impressively close to them to give us eye-level views. For those that wanted the total seabird experience, the zodiacs were able to get even closer so that seabirds were literally surrounding them - on the water, in the air, on the cliffs and even under the water! Although the species diversity was typically small, this was a sight not to be missed. Leaving Alkefjellet behind, the ship sailed further into Hinlopen Strait until we reached more pack ice. Our ice-strengthened vessel made light work of ploughing through the ice but progress was slow. It was impressive to watch and listen to the huge sheets of ice crack and part to let us through. All the time, we were scanning for Polar Bears, but it was not until lunch was announced that the cry finally went up: “Polar Bear!” Sure enough, there was a bear, but it was not on the ice. It was on a rocky island over one kilometre away, wandering around the boulder-strewn hillside searching for prey in a Little Auk colony. We saw it fairly well through the scopes as it ambled around, sometimes crossing patches of snow and clearly oblivious of its distant admirers. This subadult bear was in view for more than half an hour, but they were not the views that our photographers had hoped for. We still needed to find a closer one. We continued down the strait without success and progress was slow due to the ice. Eventually, we could go no further, and we turned back. A slight detour took us into the sheltered waters of Lomfjorden where the evening was spent enjoying a barbecue on the rear deck, complete with Russian dancing courtesy of our crew. It was a memorable occasion and the wine flowed freely. On the shore, an Arctic Fox patrolled the flat ground, while a number of Reindeer grazed the sparse tundra.

While we had been cruising around Hinlopen Strait, the pack ice had drifted across the channel, completely blocking our exit. The ship made light work of the task and we forced our way through without any difficulty. As we headed towards the open sea, another Northern Minke Whale surfaced briefly, this time just in front of the bows of the ship. It was our best view yet, but again it was around midnight and only a few were on the bridge to enjoy it.

The following morning, we found our ship had anchored off Fuglesangen. Although moderately windy, conditions were reasonable and we were able to make a safe landing on the island. Clambering over the rocks and boulders required all our concentration, but once we had reached the Little Auk colony and positioned ourselves as discretely as possible, it was just a question of waiting. We were not disappointed as dozens of Little Auks came in and landed on the rocks right in front of us. They gave superlative views, and after seeing so many thousands flying past at sea, we were finally able to study these diminutive seabirds close-up. For most, it was one of the highlights of the trip.

At midday we relocated to the nearby island of Amsterdamøya , and no sooner had lunch finished than an important announcement was made over the loudspeakers. A Polar Bear had been spotted on a small nearby island. The zodiacs were immediately launched and within 15 minutes the entire ship was heading for the island. On reaching it, we were amazed to find not one, but two adult Polar Bears. At first they were a bit shy, but eventually one came down to the shore, perhaps to assess our potential as a tasty meal! Keeping our distance and being careful not to disturb the bear, our zodiac drivers skillfully managed to position our boats so that we all had truly amazing views of this magnificent animal. Close-up, it was simply enormous, and remarkably clean and white. It was probably hungry, and in the absence of a more substantial meal it resorted to eating some kelp. The photographers were well satisfied with about an hour of quality time with this bear, despite the light drizzle at times. Returning to the ship, it was deemed unsafe to make a landing on nearby Amsterdamøya as either of the bears could easily have swam over to it, and so we had to content ourselves with scoping the shoreline. Conditions were not easy and unfortunately most people did not see the only Pomarine Skuas and Sabine's Gull of the trip.

Our evening excursion that day was to Richardlaguna, on the east side of Prins Karls Forland. Large numbers of Pink-footed Geese were found here, as well as an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (an uncommon species in Svalbard), but the hoped-for Walruses that sometimes use the beach to rest were not there. Once again, our ship sailed through the night, this time only a fairly short distance back into Isfjorden. Our morning landing was at a place called Alkhornet. Here there was lush rolling tundra close to the coast and towering cliffs behind. Both Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese grazed the tundra, while the cliffs were home to literally thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes. Some nested dangerously low on the cliffs and were clearly easy prey for a couple of Arctic Foxes. In the afternoon, we visited Gipsdalen in Sassenfjorden, in the inner part of Isfjorden. This site is well known for its fossils, but for most of us the birds were our target. Although there was nothing new here, we had great views of Atlantic Puffins on the sea, and our biggest number of Barnacle Geese of the trip. Many had small goslings with them, and a persistent Arctic Fox finally succeeded in capturing one. On the sea and in the air Northern Fulmars were all around, and on closer inspection we realized that the cliffs above us were home to an enormous Fulmar colony. Thousands of pairs were nesting here, in the only large colony that we saw.

The following morning we were back at our berth in Longyearbyen. The trip was all but over. We had packed so much in that it seemed much longer than a week on board the ship, but we still had a few hours left. For most, this meant a final look along the edge of the fjord. Our Ivory Gull was still present, and although it gave good views, it kept its distance from the photographers. Purple Sandpipers were present in good numbers, and most of the same species as before were still there – apart from the Red Phalaropes. Perhaps the most notable sighting was a Ringed Seal hauled out of the water and balancing itself on a sewage pipe! It was the only one that most of us had seen out of the water. There was also time for a visit to the museum for some, and even a spot of shopping for others.

Eventually it was time to leave, and after a week of rather mixed weather, we departed in glorious sunshine. The views of the mountains of southern Spitsbergen were breathtaking for those with port-side window seats on the plane. It had certainly been a memorable trip. Despite mixed weather and a few enforced changes to the itinerary, we had managed to see all that we had hoped for, and more. We were also thankful that we had not experienced any of Spitsbergen's famous fog. It had been a privilege to travel to one of the most remote places on earth and to witness some fabulous wildlife spectacles. Polar Bear was of course the trip highlight for everyone but, as we found out, Spitsbergen has much more to offer.