SVALBARD - THE NORWEGIAN ARCTIC
I think everyone can relate to the beauty of Antarctica. What surprised me is that I found the Norwegian Arctic - Svalbard (or Sitzbergen) equally beautiful. The ice, scenery, wildlife were equally spectacular. But Svalbard had another element - it had a quite the human history. Yes, Antarctica had its explorers, but one didn't live there, at least not easily.
Svalbard has had its year-round residents, mostly hunters and trappers. It was also the point of departure for many expeditions - to the North Pole and Northwest Passage. It has its dangers, but one can survive there. It has a haunting feeling to it. There is the tendency to shoot in black and white to bring out this historical perspective.
I think everyone can relate to the beauty of Antarctica. What surprised me is that I found the Norwegian Arctic - Svalbard (or Sitzbergen) equally beautiful. The ice, scenery, wildlife were equally spectacular. But Svalbard had another element - it had a quite the human history. Yes, Antarctica had its explorers, but one didn't live there, at least not easily.
Svalbard has had its year-round residents, mostly hunters and trappers. It was also the point of departure for many expeditions - to the North Pole and Northwest Passage. It has its dangers, but one can survive there. It has a haunting feeling to it. There is the tendency to shoot in black and white to bring out this historical perspective.
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I must say, it's quite a feeling for the Captain to "park" the ship in the ice in the middle of the Barents Sea and have everyone get out, have a bit of a walk, take a photo or two, and feel the moment. It's surreal, knowing the sea is frozen over but still! I've never felt anything quite like that. Almost a haunting feeling. The Guides carry rifles, by law, because of the danger of Polar Bears - hungry Polar Bears, as they're not doing well with the melting ice due to warming. But fortunately, the Guides also carry flare guns to scare the bears off. BTW, sometimes B&W photography adds a vintage flavor to the scene; I thought this was one of those times.
There's so much in Svalbard, let's start with the glaciatic blue ice (it has absorbed the long wavelngth/ reddish part of the spectrum - ergo blue.) The color shifts are very subtle and very exquisite, almost like jewelry. And to add to the haunted overtone of Svalbard are the shapes you can see in the ice, like the face in the image above.
The crystalline structure of the glaciatic ice is truly awesome. If you want
beautiful views of the glaciers themselves, Svalbard is not lacking.
beautiful views of the glaciers themselves, Svalbard is not lacking.
There's no shortage of beautiful scenery in Svalbard. Before we look at more of these images though, let's take a look at some of the magnificent wildlife that inhabits the far North.
Polar Bears have an unusual classification. While definitely a land mammal, it is considered the largest (females go 400-500 pounds and males are twice as big) land carnivore in the world. But as it makes its living at the sea edge, feeding on Ringed Seals and Beard Seals, it is formally classified as a marine mammal; its Latin or scientific name is Ursus Maritimus. A resident of the Arctic, the Polar Bear is well adapted for the cold and the cold water with lots of insulation, including a well-designed coat and blubber. The insulation is so effective that they can actually overheat if expending too much energy in pursuing their prey. Although whitish, it's skin is actually black, and the insulation is so effective that it is nearly invisible to infrared imaging. They swim very well and can stay in the water for more than a day. On land, they are aided by special bumps on their foot pads for walking on ice.
Their feeding behavior, as with most top of the chain predators, is to feed on fat, which they can store for a long time; also, feeding on protein results in getting rid of the breakdown product of urea which in turn requires more drinking water; fat metabolism is much easier for animals such as Polar Bears and Orcas. As stated abovem warming has resulted in a loss of sea ice and Polar Bears are facing tough times; they are hungry and turning to alternate food sources, and man is one such source. Guides carry guns and have to look out for their passengers very well. Polar Bears are listed as a Vulnerable Species.
Their feeding behavior, as with most top of the chain predators, is to feed on fat, which they can store for a long time; also, feeding on protein results in getting rid of the breakdown product of urea which in turn requires more drinking water; fat metabolism is much easier for animals such as Polar Bears and Orcas. As stated abovem warming has resulted in a loss of sea ice and Polar Bears are facing tough times; they are hungry and turning to alternate food sources, and man is one such source. Guides carry guns and have to look out for their passengers very well. Polar Bears are listed as a Vulnerable Species.
This mother has sensed a seal under the ice and is trying to break through the surface
while her two cubs interrupt their sparring activities to learn a bit of effective hunting behavior.
while her two cubs interrupt their sparring activities to learn a bit of effective hunting behavior.
Most people that come to the Arctic due so to see Polar Bears. And the Midnight Sun. Justifiably so. For my first couple of years in Svalbard that's pretty much how I felt. With a little more interest in the history of exploration than most. The walruses we saw were interesting, but just as pelicans are interesting seabirds - they're also a bit comical. The typical way most tourists see walruses is on a beach. Here, these huge beasts (2 ton males, females a third smaller) lie close to and on one another making all kinds of digestive, often comical sounds. And then either someone gets a little too close (despite our line in the sand drawn by the Guides), a Zodiac engine starts, or the nearby ship's PA system announces afternoon tea - and the stampede is on, soon they've all gone to the other side of the beach or the water.
Slowly, I learned so many fascinating things about the Walrus that I actually looked forward to seeing them as much as the Polar Bear. Let's start with the tusks. Yes, the males (tusks here are up to 2-3 ft in length) use them for jousting; but females have them as well, although they are smaller. They're quite useful for breaking holes in the ice or as an ice-pick for climbing out of the water.
Then there are the whiskers, called vibrissae; an animal can have several hundred of them, each one with its one set of muscles, moving independently of the others. As the Walrus' eyes are small compared to a seal or sea lion, it is the vibrissae that are used to locate their food (clams and other shelled molluscs) by digging their snouts into the muddy bottoms and moving each whisker. Then it takes them a matter of seconds to suck open the clam, swallow the meat, and spit out the shell.
Then there's the courtship sound the males make using the pharyngeal pouches (air sacs) near their throats. These pouches keep their heads above water, but during courtship they emit a ringing sound that is very much like a buoy bell; I've heard the sound many times, courtesy of hydrophones that a scientist had on-board the Zodiac, and it was hard to believe that the sound was produced by the Walrus. And there's more. . . .
Slowly, I learned so many fascinating things about the Walrus that I actually looked forward to seeing them as much as the Polar Bear. Let's start with the tusks. Yes, the males (tusks here are up to 2-3 ft in length) use them for jousting; but females have them as well, although they are smaller. They're quite useful for breaking holes in the ice or as an ice-pick for climbing out of the water.
Then there are the whiskers, called vibrissae; an animal can have several hundred of them, each one with its one set of muscles, moving independently of the others. As the Walrus' eyes are small compared to a seal or sea lion, it is the vibrissae that are used to locate their food (clams and other shelled molluscs) by digging their snouts into the muddy bottoms and moving each whisker. Then it takes them a matter of seconds to suck open the clam, swallow the meat, and spit out the shell.
Then there's the courtship sound the males make using the pharyngeal pouches (air sacs) near their throats. These pouches keep their heads above water, but during courtship they emit a ringing sound that is very much like a buoy bell; I've heard the sound many times, courtesy of hydrophones that a scientist had on-board the Zodiac, and it was hard to believe that the sound was produced by the Walrus. And there's more. . . .
These Walruses are very skittish; between the people, Zodiacs, and the ship,
something is bound to scatter them.
something is bound to scatter them.
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One trip I was working with Olle Carlson, a biologist/ writer/ photographer who has lived on Svalbard for a period of time. Olle (pictured below with the red jacket and white beard), told me to watch the Walrus' behavior once they were in the water. And just as he said, their behavior changed and they got really curious, approaching very close to him and his group. From then on, I saw this behavior several times and it was just great. Totally fascinating, and we would spend an hour or so with a small group of Walruses.
Must be near sunset. Or just after sunrise. Neither actually. We're at 80 Deg N in the northern summer, well above the Arctic Circle *about 67 Deg N) so this is about as low as the Sun gets. The Midnight Sun as it's called. Meaning we're looking for wildlife, ice features, scenery in general around the clock. Hard for me to sleep in the daylight hours, and you get by. Adds to the surreal feeling.
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There's no end of beautiful scenery in Svalbard.
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Lenticular clouds are (true to their name) lens-shaped; they look like what many would say to be a flying saucer and no doubt they have oft been called just that. They are truly beautiful, mostly stationary, and form on the downwind side of a mountain range. They are a bit ominous, as they are often associated with an approaching weather system and serve as a warning to those in a Polar region.
The trips to Svalbard are of course during the Northern Summer. The first trip of the year is typically in May-June, starting in Iceland and ending in Svalbard. The last trip of the season, typically in September, reverse this course. In June, 2004, we stopped at Jon Mayen Island, which is quite well known in the history of weather forecasting. It is here that two dynamic and contrasting weather systems meet - the warm Gulf Stream from the South and the Polar Front (Icelandic Low). Storms often form here and weather forecasts for Europe often originated at Jan Meyen and a few other stations. During World War II, both Allies and German forces had weather stations here at different times, and it is reported that the Allied forecast from Jan Meyen was quite important for the timing of D-day.
It was here on Jay Mayen Island on June 8, 2004 that I had one of my greatest moments in astronomy (although getting my worst shot) when I witnessed the Transit of Venus across the face of the Sun. This event for almost all astronomers is much more significant than a Total Solar Eclipse, because it solved the basic riddle of the size of the Solar System. The Venus Transit happens on an odd 8 year +/-115 year cycle; after 2004 and 2012, the next ones will be 2117 and 2125. In the 1600s and 1700s it was theorized (by many, including Edmund Halley, as in comet) that if you had observers in strategic places on the Earth reporting the exact time that the edge of Venus made contact points with the Sun (as shown below), you could use trigonometry to calculate the distance to the Sun (now known to be 93 million miles or 1 Astronomical Unit). And if you had the distance to the Sun, you could use this as one side of a triangle and calculate the distance to other stars. Expeditions were sent out to make these observations (including Captain James Cook to Tahiti); you can read about some of these adventures in a book called CHASING VENUS by Andrea Wulf. Good stuff!
The trips to Svalbard are of course during the Northern Summer. The first trip of the year is typically in May-June, starting in Iceland and ending in Svalbard. The last trip of the season, typically in September, reverse this course. In June, 2004, we stopped at Jon Mayen Island, which is quite well known in the history of weather forecasting. It is here that two dynamic and contrasting weather systems meet - the warm Gulf Stream from the South and the Polar Front (Icelandic Low). Storms often form here and weather forecasts for Europe often originated at Jan Meyen and a few other stations. During World War II, both Allies and German forces had weather stations here at different times, and it is reported that the Allied forecast from Jan Meyen was quite important for the timing of D-day.
It was here on Jay Mayen Island on June 8, 2004 that I had one of my greatest moments in astronomy (although getting my worst shot) when I witnessed the Transit of Venus across the face of the Sun. This event for almost all astronomers is much more significant than a Total Solar Eclipse, because it solved the basic riddle of the size of the Solar System. The Venus Transit happens on an odd 8 year +/-115 year cycle; after 2004 and 2012, the next ones will be 2117 and 2125. In the 1600s and 1700s it was theorized (by many, including Edmund Halley, as in comet) that if you had observers in strategic places on the Earth reporting the exact time that the edge of Venus made contact points with the Sun (as shown below), you could use trigonometry to calculate the distance to the Sun (now known to be 93 million miles or 1 Astronomical Unit). And if you had the distance to the Sun, you could use this as one side of a triangle and calculate the distance to other stars. Expeditions were sent out to make these observations (including Captain James Cook to Tahiti); you can read about some of these adventures in a book called CHASING VENUS by Andrea Wulf. Good stuff!
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As we left Jan Meyen Island, we had spectacular views of Beerenberg (Dutch for Bear Mountain), the world's northernmost (71 Deg N) active oceanic (basaltic lava) volcano; it's about a 7500 ft elevation. Some of the Guides called the journey to Svalbard "from Beerenberg to Smeerenburg" - a settlement in the Northwest of the archipelago. Here we also find many mountain peaks; the name Svalbard itself is Dutch for "jagged mountains." But these peaks are crammed full ("chockablocked" as my Aussie fellow Guides say) of millions of seabirds that make an insane migration of about 10,000 miles (the Arctic tern makes an Antarctic-Arctic round trip of 20,000 miles! The trip is tiring, physically demanding, and has to be done quickly, before the Arctic freezer door slams shut. That requires the birds to breed enroute and many of them (males and juveniles) to leave before they are capable of flight ( still growing or molting their flight feathers) - requiring them to swim south. Nowadays, they also have to deal with pollutants (such as Mercury) which are brought north with the Gulf Stream.
Many of these birds are Alcids, the Northern Hemisphere equivalent of Penguins - black & white diving birds - the difference being that Alcids fly through the air as well as the water. Members of the Alcid family are Murres, Murrelets, Auklets, and Puffins.
Many of these birds are Alcids, the Northern Hemisphere equivalent of Penguins - black & white diving birds - the difference being that Alcids fly through the air as well as the water. Members of the Alcid family are Murres, Murrelets, Auklets, and Puffins.
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Imagine laying eggs on a narrow ledge. All it would take is an accidental nudge and over the egg would go. They would were in not for an incredible adaptation. Turns out the eggs are pear-shaped with the center of gravity quite below the center. When hit, their tendency is to spin rather than roll. Nature often finds a way.
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These cliffs also show a unique geological feature - hexagonal basaltic columns. Basalt refers to oceanic lava; as it cools, it contracts, forming cracks throughout. One of nature's prime shapes is the hexagon, seen everywhere from the honeycombs manufactured by bees to the compound eyes of many insects. These patterns always seem to take me back to Fibonacci number sequences - neat stuff!
There's a lot more wildlife in Svalbard, including the Arctic Fox and Caribou. Caribou and Reindeer are the same species, with Caribou being larger and "in the wild", while Reindeer are smaller and domesticated. There are many who come to Svalbard to see the Arctic flowers, but the season is short, somewhat and unpredictable. You have to be a good planner, prognosticator, and just plain lucky to hit it right. Shown below are the Arctic Cotton Grass (L) and the Mountain Avens (Dryas).
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Hover cursor for plant names below.
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At the end of the day, as I reflect on my time in the Norwegian Arctic, I had a wonderful, exciting time, sharing what I could with our clients and enjoyed the outdoors - driving Zodiac, learning how to shoot (carrying a rifle and target practice are required for guides as a safety precaution with Polar Bears around - actually flare guns were more practical). But there were Guides who really knew Svalbard (there were no trails and itineraries had scads of choices depending on the conditions) and taught me so much. I would like to thank them here. Martin Gray (from the Orkneys) was a man of the Arctic; he really fit in there and knew the lay of the land and how to get around safely. In the other photo, to the left of me is Tarik Chekchak, a great Guide and currently Director of Science and the Environment for the Cousteau Society. To my right is Rinie Van Meurs, author and professional photographer as well as Expedition Leader in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Rinie is considered by many as the best spotter of Polar Bears in the Arctic and is hired on as a Scout even when there is an Expedition Leader on-board.
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"The Polar Bear track was this big." I'm a Naturalist Guide, and sometimes we exaggerate.