Bjørnsundet, Svalbard
The polar region without ice would be hard to imagine. Yes, of course, and as we woke up this morning we saw the high Arctic at its best!
It was blue sky and sparkling sunshine, and the ship was parked into the fast ice at Bjørnsundet, a name very appropriate for this area, as in the distance we could see a polar bear hunting on the ice—a true Arctic adventure. The sea ice is just about to vanish, and between the snow on the ice you find large melt water pools. In the past, this was the worst condition for any polar explorer to venture into the area, as the ice was about to melt. Over the years, many came to the same conclusion.
With these amazing conditions it was ideal for a shore landing, and everybody was eager and ready for a long, leg-stretching hike. After breakfast we landed at the northern side at Kapp Freeden, named after a German navigation teacher who was involved in a German attempt to reach the North Pole in 1868. As many before, and also after this, the expedition failed to reach the Pole, but instead circumnavigated Spitsbergen and mapped and chartered Hinlopen Strait.
We are now as “near” as we will get to the North Pole, since we are at latitude 79º N. To reach the Pole was, for a long time, one of the major goals of exploration, and in fact it is, for some, still a major objective! Who was the first to reach the Pole?
One of the very first attempts to try was, in fact, a British expedition in the year 1773. With two ships, the Racehorse and the Carcass, the aim was to sail through the ice north of Svalbard. According to a cartographer in England with no experience about the Arctic Ocean, it was thought that if you penetrated the ice barrier it would be open water all the way to the Pole.
The ships never made it through the ice, but instead got stuck north of Svalbard (latitude N 80o 36’), since the surface of the Arctic Ocean is frozen all the way to the North Pole! Still, they were able to reach the furthest north at that time and onboard one of the ships was a 14-year-old boy, who later would write history. His name was later known as Lord Nelson!
Nordenskjöld was the first to establish an overwinter scientific expedition at Svalbard in 1872. His plan to reach the North Pole was to use reindeer. This did not work, but at least he and his expedition were able to explore and discover parts of Nordostlandet.
Over the years many others made attempts, and in 1908-09, Peary and Cook both claimed they had been able to reach the Pole. With today’s knowledge, we know that none of these claims stood up under closer examination.
In 1926 another race to the North Pole was on. The aviator Richard Byrd claimed that he reached the Pole, but it was also shown that the flight never reached the Pole. An authenticated case involved the dirigible flight over the North Pole in 1926, in which Amundsen, Ellsworth, and Nobile shared the honor.
The first ever to walk over the ice to the North Pole was Wally Herbert and three others in 1969, from Alaska to Svalbard, but by this time many aviators and submarines had already attained the northernmost part of the Earth.
We did not have to spend months walking on the ice in severe conditions! Instead we had a most pleasant hike over the peninsula and encountered reindeer, females with calves, snow bunting and a purple sandpiper with newly hatched chicks. Every step was more or less on a green, lush, but thin layer of tundra, covered by a huge variety of polar flowers. As the sun was shining the temperature was high; we could actually see the steam of water coming up from the soil.
On our way back along the beach, we also used the opportunity to take part of the project “Clean Up Svalbard.” Each summer Lindblad Expeditions takes part in this project launched by the governor at Svalbard.
Unfortunately, the ocean currents bring unwanted garbage to the beaches. Today we were able with help with many hands, and in a few minutes clean the beach and load about 15 large sacks filled with plastic garbage to later bring onboard Endeavour for proper disposal. A lot of the plastics we found originate from the intense fishing actives in the Barents Sea and over many years, it has accumulated along some shorelines in Svalbard. Unfortunately this plastic can be a big hazard for wildlife. A big thanks to the cooperation and to all helping hands to benefit this region and keep it pristine for future wildlife and also visitors.
The polar region without ice would be hard to imagine. Yes, of course, and as we woke up this morning we saw the high Arctic at its best!
It was blue sky and sparkling sunshine, and the ship was parked into the fast ice at Bjørnsundet, a name very appropriate for this area, as in the distance we could see a polar bear hunting on the ice—a true Arctic adventure. The sea ice is just about to vanish, and between the snow on the ice you find large melt water pools. In the past, this was the worst condition for any polar explorer to venture into the area, as the ice was about to melt. Over the years, many came to the same conclusion.
With these amazing conditions it was ideal for a shore landing, and everybody was eager and ready for a long, leg-stretching hike. After breakfast we landed at the northern side at Kapp Freeden, named after a German navigation teacher who was involved in a German attempt to reach the North Pole in 1868. As many before, and also after this, the expedition failed to reach the Pole, but instead circumnavigated Spitsbergen and mapped and chartered Hinlopen Strait.
We are now as “near” as we will get to the North Pole, since we are at latitude 79º N. To reach the Pole was, for a long time, one of the major goals of exploration, and in fact it is, for some, still a major objective! Who was the first to reach the Pole?
One of the very first attempts to try was, in fact, a British expedition in the year 1773. With two ships, the Racehorse and the Carcass, the aim was to sail through the ice north of Svalbard. According to a cartographer in England with no experience about the Arctic Ocean, it was thought that if you penetrated the ice barrier it would be open water all the way to the Pole.
The ships never made it through the ice, but instead got stuck north of Svalbard (latitude N 80o 36’), since the surface of the Arctic Ocean is frozen all the way to the North Pole! Still, they were able to reach the furthest north at that time and onboard one of the ships was a 14-year-old boy, who later would write history. His name was later known as Lord Nelson!
Nordenskjöld was the first to establish an overwinter scientific expedition at Svalbard in 1872. His plan to reach the North Pole was to use reindeer. This did not work, but at least he and his expedition were able to explore and discover parts of Nordostlandet.
Over the years many others made attempts, and in 1908-09, Peary and Cook both claimed they had been able to reach the Pole. With today’s knowledge, we know that none of these claims stood up under closer examination.
In 1926 another race to the North Pole was on. The aviator Richard Byrd claimed that he reached the Pole, but it was also shown that the flight never reached the Pole. An authenticated case involved the dirigible flight over the North Pole in 1926, in which Amundsen, Ellsworth, and Nobile shared the honor.
The first ever to walk over the ice to the North Pole was Wally Herbert and three others in 1969, from Alaska to Svalbard, but by this time many aviators and submarines had already attained the northernmost part of the Earth.
We did not have to spend months walking on the ice in severe conditions! Instead we had a most pleasant hike over the peninsula and encountered reindeer, females with calves, snow bunting and a purple sandpiper with newly hatched chicks. Every step was more or less on a green, lush, but thin layer of tundra, covered by a huge variety of polar flowers. As the sun was shining the temperature was high; we could actually see the steam of water coming up from the soil.
On our way back along the beach, we also used the opportunity to take part of the project “Clean Up Svalbard.” Each summer Lindblad Expeditions takes part in this project launched by the governor at Svalbard.
Unfortunately, the ocean currents bring unwanted garbage to the beaches. Today we were able with help with many hands, and in a few minutes clean the beach and load about 15 large sacks filled with plastic garbage to later bring onboard Endeavour for proper disposal. A lot of the plastics we found originate from the intense fishing actives in the Barents Sea and over many years, it has accumulated along some shorelines in Svalbard. Unfortunately this plastic can be a big hazard for wildlife. A big thanks to the cooperation and to all helping hands to benefit this region and keep it pristine for future wildlife and also visitors.
