Svalbard 2024
Svalbard was top of the list for 2024 and following the advice of the guides in 2023, I had to visit later in the year to witness the landscape in a totally different light. The snow was confined to small patches on the mountains, as was the sea ice and in its place, a mix of rich greens and browns from the mosses, lichens and grasses. Research suggested the end of July/beginning of August would be the best time to visit and we certainly weren't disappointed.
It began as before, an afternoon flight to Longyearbyen and short transfer to the Coal Miners' Cabins at the top end of the valley where Longyearbyen is situated. The following day consisted of a visit to the Svalbard museum (well worth it) as well as to a small camp outside of town where a number of retired sled dogs were waiting for their daily belly rubs. After some tea and waffles, there was a short trip to join the ship. The weather this time was glorious, giving fantastic views of the mountains and glaciers around Longyearbyen.
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The first full day at sea started smoothly, with a visit to Magdalenefjorden (which I didn't recognise as all the snow had disappeared!) and were treated to the sight (and smell) of a trio of Walruses resting on the beach at a spot called Gullibukta before a gentle walk back to the ship, passing Arctic Terns and Red Throated Divers along the way. The plan next was to travel our landing spot at Smeerenburgbreen, a huge glacier in the adjacent Bjørnfjorden (Bear Fjord) but we didn't quite get there as our first Polar Bear of the trip was spotted swimming across the Bear Fjord! After watching the bear, we finally got a chance to check out the huge glacier at the end of the fjord, only to then witness a calving event! A vast slab of ice dropped from the top of the face of the glacier, dropping into the water below and causing hundreds of Gulls and Kittiwakes below to fly around. The day concluded with the ship continuing to travel along the spectacular northern coast of Spitsbergen, eventually anchoring at the entrance to Woodfjorden.
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The second morning we woke in the mirror-like waters of Woodfjorden before heading into Liefdefjorden for the first landing of the day, which was to an old trappers cabin called Texas Bar. This was followed by a short hike across the hills where the groups encountered a highly aggressive Arctic Skua. Arctic Skuas are very protective of their young and even though the nest was some distance from us, it still insisted on dive bombing the hikers in front! Once we were all clear of the birds, the hike continued which led to some incredible views of the Monaco Glacier. Upon returning to the ship, we had a gentle cruise of the bay, getting relatively close to the glacier before heading deeper into Woodfjorden to the next landing. We nearly reached our destination, however were stopped in our tracks by another Polar Bear, this time walking on land and following the beach. Shortly after this, a flock of Kittiwakes caught our attention and we had stumbled upon a Humpback Whale breaching and feeding. We thought the experience was over when the Whale flicked its tail in the air, however this was just the start. The whale fully breached out of the water, crashing back into the sea very close to the ship before continuing to feed, this time much closer to us. Eventually we had to leave it behind, but not before it breached for a second time!
We finally made it to the hot springs at the end of the fjord, but not before seeing the Polar Bear once more! The day ended with a visit to the island of Moffen, just above the 80th parallel line, and home to a huge colony of Walrus!
Day 3 of the expedition and the final full day at sea. We sailed through the night down the west coast of Spitsbergen to the magnificent Kongsfjorden and anchored just outside Ny London. The first landing of the day took us on a short hike over the hills where we got a magnificent view of the ship. There was also a male Svalbard Reindeer on the way and part of the group were lucky enough to spot an Arctic Fox. The hike took us to the abandoned settlement of Ny London. Originally a marble quarry, the marble itself (from which the entire island is made) appeared to be fantastic quality, but was found to break down as it was transported to warmer climates, so the settlement was abandoned.
After returning to the boat, we headed deeper into the fjord for a closer look at the amazing glaciers before heading to the land opposite Ny London to a place called Ny Alesund. Ny Alesund is a research station and as such, we were not allowed bluetooth or wifi due to the sensitivity of the instruments. A visit to the worlds most northern post office was a must, and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds to give some phenomenal views of the fjord and glaciers in the distance (as seen in the banner photo). After a couple of hours, we headed back to the ship before embarking on the last leg of the trip back to Longyearbyen.
The final day in Svalbard started with returning to a very foggy Longyearbyen. Gone was the sun we had enjoyed for a full 3 days and the clouds and wind had closed in. With 5 hours to kill before heading back to the airport, I started by heading to the highly popular Husky Café, a quaint and cosy cafe with 3 stunning white huskies for company. The coffee and cakes were amazing and the huskies were incredibly well behaved and super friendly! The remainder of the time was spend exploring the handful of shops as well as a much needed visit to the worlds most northern pub! The time flew by and we were all soon back at Longyearbyen airport, waiting for our flight back to Oslo.
Sadly this year was the last that the MS Nordsternen sailed as it no longer meets the legal safety requirements, and due to its listed status, cannot be altered. Instead it will be taking on a new role sailing the Norwegian coast whilst its sister ship is renovated, before taking its place in the not so distant future.