Nordaustlandet & Furthest North!
For a few hearty expeditioners, the day started at 0:00 hours (12:00 a.m.). Several voyagers met on the bridge to capture the midnight sun using the photo techniques taught by our Expedition Photography team aboard National Geographic Explorer. This set the stage for a day of sunlight in the high Arctic.
Just before 07:00, the familiar voice of our expedition leader, Lisa Trotter, announced, “Good Morning ladies and gentlemen…” Any resistance to the call was overcome by the announcement of humpback whales at the bow. Within minutes the deck was filled as several humpbacks fed in the waters of Isispynten. For over a half an hour we observed the feeding techniques of a young humpback. The play-by-play of the behavior was narrated by naturalist Mike Nolan and he shouted “bubbles, bubbles, ventral pleats” and “pectoral fin.” The experience was heightened by the bright sunlight reflected off of the calm water. We were impressed with how Captain Leif Skog maneuvered the vessel so close to the whale without interrupting its natural behavior. Captain Skog noted that this is the first time he has seen humpback this far north in the 30 years he has been sailing these waters.
We left the whales to anchor between the stunning cliffs of the icecap on the east coast of Nordaustlandet and an island of glacial till deposited as the ice retreated westward. It is difficult to think about global warming while observing a wall of ice that extends over 120 miles in length, towering over the water nearly 100 feet. Our naturalists shared that the ancient icecap extended all the way to what is now an island in the 1990s, but has retreated over a mile in a matter of decades, illustrating how rapidly the climate can change.
Many enjoyed personal exploration and reflection aboard sea kayaks while others toured the ice face and island on our fleet of Zodiacs. One individual noted that as they paddled the quiet sea and marveled at multiple shades of blue accentuated by the white ice, that there were no other humans within hundreds of miles from our small group. Another passenger spotted a large male polar bear on the east side of the island moraine. The sound of cracking ice sounded like canon fire as it echoed off the cliffs.
After having been immersed in the grandeur of the morning in the Arctic, many chose to immerse themselves in the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean in the “Polar Plunge.” Water surface temperatures measured 0.6 degrees Celsius. While we were surrounded by floating glacial ice, sea ice does not form until water temperatures drop below -1.8 degrees Celsius. Because of the sunny weather, many enjoyed a Nordic lunch of herring, meatballs, salmon, and other delicacies on the sun deck.
While we sailed toward Storøya, we had the opportunity to learn advanced photo composition with National Geographic photographer Kim Heacox. The young explorers on board discovered the inner workings of the ship with Engineer Lars Garte. Later they shared a barbeque on the sun deck. As Grosvenor Teacher Fellows, we were honored to accompany undersea specialist Dennis Cornejo as he deployed the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) beneath the surface. Dennis feels that it is important to understand what is happening beneath us as we explore the polar waters. We were amazed at the diversity of life in these icy waters. Earlier in the voyage, the young explorers identified macroinvertebrates in a microscope to learn that all of the visible wildlife we have observed are supported by the condition of the ocean.
As true explorers, the itinerary changes throughout the day based on conditions. Today was no different. We had an early dinner so that we could enjoy a late Zodiac tour to observe walrus on the coast of Storøya.
As we have come to appreciate the wildlife of the Arctic for the first time, it was heartening to see that the government of Svalbard values these precious resources. We noted a camera permanently mounted on a pole above the beach where walruses regularly haul out. We observed the camera recording valuable data about walrus, which will be used for further protection of this area.
Near midnight, at the close of a long day, we reached the highest latitude of our expedition: 80¢ª15’31”. Although the day was full, the Arctic sun has not set on our adventure!
