The Arctic. When most people think of this remote area of the planet, they probably think of climate change and polar bears or maybe they think of ice and freezing temperatures. But in this blog I will give an account of my recent experience on board an expedition vessel, voyaging from the famous Svalbard archipelago off of the north coast off Norway to the notorious Jan Mayen then to Greenland before finally concluding this epic trip in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik.
Touching down in Longyearbyen (Svalbard capital), we were picked up by bus and taken to the port where our magnificent vessel was moored ready to take us on a trip of a lifetime around the most biodiverse and interesting locations in the Arctic circle. Having arrived late we quickly did our safety briefings, had dinner and then were left to our own devices. A great opportunity to spot my first signs of arctic life. Black guillemots bobbed in our wake and both kittiwakes and fulmars glided alongside riding the air displaced by the ship to aid in their journey out to sea.
After I good nights rest being slowly rocked to sleep by the gentle movement of the ship we awoke to a stunning vista of mountains, snow and glaciers. We had reached the first fjord from which our activities will begin. Using the brilliant reach of my 10×42 noctivid binoculars I was able to pick out the species that warranted us anchoring in this stunning fjord. On a black spit of sediment lay a haul out of walrus. Our first day and we had already encountered one of the arctic’s most iconic mammals. Fantastic!
Following a hearty breakfast in preparation for the day ahead, we were called in groups to prepare for our first excursion on the zodiacs. Donning the waterproofs and checking I had everything I would need I headed down to and onto a zodiac for a cruise around the fjord and to get a closer view of the walrus. But the most exciting development was yet to come.
We got a call over the radio from the expedition leader that the area was clear of polar bears so we were able to land. Splitting once again in groups so as to avoid disturbing the walrus we landed on the spit of black gritty sand and walked closer to the walrus until we reached the point that the expedition team deemed a safe distance for both us and walrus. Being so close to these enormous pinnipeds is something that I will treasure for the rest of my life and the smell is definitely something I will never forget.
Once we were back on the ship we ventured further north and this is where the main character was spotted. A cream dot moving slowly down the side of a moraine that gradually came closer and closer before eventually swimming over to an island and scouting for arctic tern and skua eggs.
Bears, birds, glaciers and epic scenery were the offerings from Svalbard but now it was time to move onto Jan Mayen the volcanic island infamously hard to land. But with the marine weather gods on our side we managed to land for 3 hours.
The first thing you notice is about this majestic but barren island after you get over the immense grandeur of the volcano and surrounding mountains is how many whale bones there are on the island. Vertebrae, ribs, skulls and jaw bones litter the beach on which we landed giving hints to a morbid past.
Two days after leaving Jan Mayen I woke up to the sound of the anchor dropping in the icy waters of Eastern Greenland where we will be spending the next 2 days. We managed to dodge the worst of the weather but our next excursion gave us a reason to ensure we had our waterproofs zipped up tightly. On a zodiac outing around the northern waterways of Scoresby Sund we viewed the most impressive icebergs we had seen in our trip so far. Even though the heavens had opened wildlife was still prevalent. Musk ox, pink footed geese, common eider, long-tailed skua and arctic terns were the highlights.
The next day brought my birding highlight from the entire trip, however, we managed to get into a previously unexplored fjord which was exciting in its own right but after checking out the glacier at the end of the valley I spotted 2 birds cresting the edge of the glacier and making their way over the water. Looking through my binoculars I could make out their completely white plumage and pointed primaries. “Ivory gulls!” I exclaimed, pointing over to them and grabbing my camera. Photographically the conditions weren’t ideal with light levels low due to the heavy cloud cover and high mountains surrounding us but my bird nerd excitement took over and I revelled in the moment of not only seeing these incredibly rare birds but also being the one to spot them. It turned out there were 4 birds in total.
The reason I was so excited to see these beautiful birds is because they are pack ice specialists often found following polar bears and feeding off of the carrion left in the aftermath of a bear kill. The fact we saw them in this fjord meant it was highly likely there was a bear in the area and even though this bear didn’t make itself known to us it was enough for me to know that out there in this seemingly barren landscape there was a predator that could be up to 800kg in weight if it was a big male.
Finally after this incredible morning it was time to head down to the Reykjavik where we would ultimately end this magnificent voyage but not before we had seen plenty of humpback whales, orca, white-beaked dolphins and pelagic birds.
There is definitely something about the polar regions that truly gives you that feeling of remoteness and a respect for not only the landscape and weather conditions but also the animals that call these areas home that I haven’t experienced anywhere else I have been to. The way the weather can change from being sunny without a cloud in the sky to torrential rain and thunderstorms where calm seas can turn into giant swells within a few hours. I sincerely hope I will find myself in these waters again in the future.
To see more of Ben’s work, visit his website: www.bensutcliffephoto.com – and keep up to date with Ben over on Instagram