Svalbard Golden Light Scenic Special
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SVALBARD GOLDEN LIGHT SCENIC SPECIAL SEPTEMBER 1-11, 2017 ON BOARD S/V ANTIGUA TOUR REPORT PARTICIPANTS Guests: Guides & Charterers: Anita Klaussen Lauren Greider Morten Jørgensen, Guide & Charterer Björn Apelman Marie Eilenberger Nozomi Takeyabu, Guide & Charterer Bob Pecoraro Nancy Bushnell Nikita Ovsyanikov, Guide Brad Greider Natasha Safonova Thor Larsen, Guide Caroline Stam Nils Thorsen Carolyn O’Laoire Ole Jørgensen Crew: Debbie Pecoraro Sachiko Takeyabu Alexandra Renes, Stewardess Derk Tjalling Hoeksma Sarah Mallory Alwin Wuffen, Chief Officer Elena Loboda Sean O’Laoire Jan Bruinsma, Second Officer Erik Jensen Steve Eilenberger Julia Wellner, Stewardess Gerry Soifer Susanne Granath Ludo Mathijsen, AB Greg Rothman Sylvia Dolson Maarten van der Duijn Schouten, Captain Hans Mørk Sølvi Foseide Phillipp Konietzko, Steward Irina Menyushina Tove Lundberg Sascha Huhn, Chef Isis Jørgensen Vibeke Helly-Hansen SUMMARY The sailing vessel Antigua was our platform as we enjoyed the end of summer in Sval- bard. Despite a period of highly unstable weather in the north Atlantic, we success- fully carried out an enjoyable voyage which took us beyond 81 degrees N, into the pack- ice, through some magnificent fjord and glacier landscapes, and provided us good views of almost all the most sought after iconic high Arctic animals. We had Walrus, Reindeer and a plethora of Arctic Foxes at close range, we had the two largest whale species on Earth, and we saw both male and female Polar Bears. We enjoyed the autumn colours of the tundra at several locations, and we had a superb and most memorable sunrise which dramatically coloured the sky for hours. A complete list of species sighted (20 birds and 11 mammals) appears at the end of this report. DIARY WITH ITINERARY AND WEATHER Sep 1: Winds light to moderate SW, sea < 3 meters / 10 feet SW, overcast, clear, 1-3°C (34-37°F) Longyearbyen - Isfjorden - Forlandssundet We gradually embarked the lovely sailing vessel Antigua in the afternoon, most arriving at 02.00 pm, others a bit later. Come 04.00 pm, we were all getting acquainted with our cabins and the outlay of the vessel, and shortly after, Captain Maarten welcomed us and introduced his crew, after which we had the safety briefing followed by a safety drill. At 05.00 pm, we departed from the quay of Longyearbyen, heading out into Isfjorden. The calm of Adventfjorden, where Longyearbyen lies, was replaced by a gentle pitching of the vessel, as we headed into the mild seas. Just before dinner, we all came out on deck to see our first wildlife of the voyage – a Fin Whale was blowing near the ship, it was swimming around in an irregular pattern, no doubt feeding. It was not interested in us, and it was difficult to keep close to it, so we soon let it be and went to dinner. As we approached and eventually rounded the entrance of Isfjorden to proceed north, the seas grew, and many were uncomfortable. The majority took to their bunks early, and as the evening and early night progressed, we gradually got into the lee of Prins Karl’s Forland and were in calmer waters. Sep 2: Winds moderate to strong E, overcast, clear but with some rain, 1-3°C (34-37°F) Ossian Sars Fjellet & Ny-Ålesund, both in Kongsfjorden After breakfast, our guides all introduced themselves, we received our species lists, and we had more briefings about safety – about keeping ourselves, the wildlife and the environment safe. The day was grey, but the closer we got to Ossian Sars, the less the winds were, the rain more or less stopped, and it was a rather mild and gentle morning. We landed on the beach, and walked along it, aiming to see Arctic Fox. And indeed, as many as four different individuals, seemingly two adults and two of their offspring, showed fairly well. They were a light silvery grey colour, already acquiring their winter coats. After a while, we walked up the valley and the hill, taking a left to ac- cess the cliff top. Along the way, we encountered a female Svalbard Reindeer and her calf, as well as several Snow Buntings. From the top, we could look down on the little Antigua below, as well and numerous glacier ice pieces floating by – and we could see some of the nesting Kittiwakes, many adults flying about as well as fledged chicks. Back on board, we had lunch, and the ship was repositioned to Ny-Åle- sund, the scientific research community located nearer the mouth of Kongsfjorden. The winds were stronger out there, and the rain was pretty insisting all late afternoon. Never-the-less, we went ashore, we had a quick browse in the northernmost shop in the world, and we then joined Nikita and Thor for a historical tour of the place, includ- ing a visit to the tethering mast of the famous flights from here to the North Pole. Back on board, it was time to begin drying out our clothes and gear, and we enjoyed being still tied up to the pier while we had our dinner. Sep 3: Winds moderate to light SE, overcast with brief sunny spells, moderate visibility particularly when raining, 3-6°C (37-43°F) Smeerenburg - Fuglefjorden - Holmiabukta - Raud- fjorden After a reasonably smooth night, with some light rolling only, we anchored for lee in the early morn- ing in the southern end of Smeerenburgfjorden, then proceeded north to anchor off Smeerenburg just after breakfast. The sky was dramatically beau- tiful, with various layers of clouds interspersed with rays of sun in patches, and constantly changing. A light to moderate southeasterly was not even very cold. After a briefing about landing with Walrus, we were shuttled ashore at Smeerenburg, on Amster- damøya. The better part of the morning was spent enjoying a close encounter with the magnificent Walrus, particularly the inquisitive and active ones in the water. The male haul-out had some 60 or so sleepy participants, and in the water were some 10+ others. Several came right up to check us out. Awesome wildlife experience. On this sandy spit of land there is also a lot of hu- man history. Our guides told us about the drift- wood and its origins, about the blubber oven foun- dation remains and their origins, about the near extinction of the Bowhead Whale, and also about the exploits of Andrée and others just across the sound on Danskøya. It was lunchtime before the last of us were back on board, and we then used the ship during the entire afternoon to cruise some of the many fjords and in- lets and islets of this area of Svalbard. We turned into Fuglefjorden, enjoying views of quite a few Atlantic Puf- fins on the way. The glacier at the head of Fuglefjorden was calving while we were near, and the hanging gla- ciers on the mountainsides were glowing pink with snow algae. The next bay was Holmiabukta, but now the rain was a bit heavier, and we were not many on deck. Shortly after, we celebrated Lauren’s birthday with a couple of cakes and a warm cup of drink, and in the meantime, the ship turned into Raudfjorden. We were heading for Hamiltonbukta when Irina, from quite a distance, spotted a Polar Bear. We were all on deck when we got closer, and we watched this healthy-looking adult male Polar Bear for a good while, in the persistent rain, lying at first on a vegetated patch, then walking a bit, then lying down again. An hour lat- er, we left him behind and went to have dinner. In the meantime, the weather varied, at one time the cloud came so low it was just overhead, then as suddenly it cleared and the sun broke through, with a rainbow showing across the fjord. We had a gentle evening on board as we continued east north-east. Sept 4: Winds 30-35 knots gusting 45 knots W, overcast with brief sunny spells, good visibility, 1°C (34°F) To Isflakbukta off Phippsøya in 7 Islands group, then at anchor there all day Overnight, the wind increased. We had fairly smooth sailing due to the direction, but the strength of the winds did cause more and more motion through the morning. After breakfast, as we neared the Seven Islands group, it became time to pull the sails before the course change – and some 12-15 of us braved the stormy conditions on deck to help get the sails down. As we approached the south-facing beach on Phippsøya, we spotted a Polar Bear on shore. An adult female, collared, she walked about a bit, rolled for a while on a snow bank, then laid down again. The wind force was still 8-9 Beaufort, but with both anchors down and lots of chain out, we settled in for the wait. Nothing was doable off the ship. We watched the bear, we watched the clouds come and go, and we watched the sea surface whipped white. We had lunch, and in the afternoon, we had a long, informal question-and-answer session in the salon, talking about many topics ranging from Walrus habits to Polar Bear denning, and from tourism impacts to Polar Bear conservation. After dinner, while the winds were still howling, we watched “Life on the Field of Bones”, Nikita’s own footage from a field season on Wrangel Island. Sept 5: Winds nil in the morning, light E afternoon and eve- ning, overcast, good visibility, 3°C (37°F) morning but 0°C (32°F) afternoon and evening Phippsøya - Rossøya - pack-ice, farthest N 81°05’ N, 019°10’E We awoke to a very different scene.