Written by Andrea Sparrow
The Arctic Arts Project team returned to Svalbard for the last two weeks of May this year. Kerry and Andrea were joined by long-time contributor, Jeff Lanska, to continue gathering imagery and video for our film about the archipelago. We thought we would be arriving at a time when spring was in full swing, but instead, winter lingered. Snow still covered the peaks and sea ice had blown into several fjords.
photo by Kerry Koepping
Our first adventure was a day out on snowmobiles, crossing the ice-covered Sassen Fjord and venturing inland. We saw reindeer, a distant fox and took in the landscape of snow covered peaks and rolling terrain on a bright, sunny day.
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Kerry Koepping
Coming back into Longyearbyen, we went North of town to an ice cave that was truly unique. One enters the cave through a small hole that brings you to a tunnel, snaking through the glacier. No running water at this time of year, just smooth, blue ice and myriad crystals revealed only by the light of a headlamp. Spelunking in the ice! One cavern was several meters tall. The whole thing would fill with water as the weather warmed outside and the glacial melt began for the year.
We set sail on the Virgo, once again in the company of the splendid photographer, Ole Liodden, and joined by a new contributor to AAP, Jonas Beyer. We also had the good fortune to be sailing with Ole’s wife, Kirsti and three of his wonderful and talented children, as well as a group of guests that made for lively conversation and lots of laughter.
This expedition was graced with good weather for our work. The midnight sun means it is always daylight at this time of year. If the sky is clear, imagery can quickly become a little bland and the light flat, so we were pleased to have tumultuous skies and the cover of clouds to give the light more depth.
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Jeff Lanska
We had a truly special encounter with a bear we took to calling the golden bear. His fur was far from the familiar white and had instead become a golden color, perhaps an echo of his brown bear origins. He made a striking character as he ambled along the shoreline of ice and snow. We spent the better part of day watching this bear. It’s rare to get so much time observing a single animal, so seeing him as he played and searched for food was mesmerizing. He took long swims to reach another shore now and then, dipping his great head below the surface to search for something that interested him. He’d slide down hills, play with seaweed, sit and watch the world go by. These male bears are solitary creatures, and clearly, he was perfectly at ease in his environment. We eventually parted ways as he wandered inland and we returned to our ship.
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Jeff Lanska
Last September, we visited Kongs Fjord (Kings Fjord), and saw that the massive glacier there had retreated more than 800 meters in 6 weeks. The gash of earth left behind was obvious and ominous. In May, the change was less obvious because all was still obscured by snow. The glacier had not yet begun its summer melt and sea ice still floated in parts of the fjord.
photo by Jeff Lanska
We visited the bird cliffs again and saw the nesting kittewakes as well as a little Arctic fox. The fox was clearly in the process of losing her white, winter fur and growing her grey, summer fur. She looked uncomfortable in her knotted and matted coat as the thick winter wardrobe fell away. She still made for a striking resident among the rocks and ice below the cliffs where she hunts for eggs and small animals.
photo by Andrea Sparrow
Walrus were also abundant, resting on sea ice, alone, or in groups. Walrus are unique in their sleeping habits. Since they can stay awake for up to 84 hours at a time, their rest periods are also quite long and they enjoy a deep, REM sleep to prepare for the next period of being awake. Florian captured video of a polar bear trying to play with adult walrus, who dwarfed the bear in size and had no interest in engaging with him. Bears do hunt walrus, but mostly the calves as the adults are huge and dangerous. For our part, we got to see the walrus with the extraordinary backdrop of snow-covered peaks and beautiful light.
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Jeff Lanska
Birds are always abundant in Svalbard. This time of year is when at least 30 bird species migrate to the archipelago to nest. Ground nesters like the Eider Ducks were agitated as there was still abundant snow covering their nesting grounds. The stayed nearby, on the water, waiting for the snow to melt, allowing them to get on with the business of nesting. Their stunning colors a beautiful contrast to the water and snow around them. Kittewakes were also abundant. They travel in flocks, landing all facing the same direction and taking off in unison when disturbed. A single Arctic Tern posed for several minutes on a piece of blue ice. Gulls picked at the carcass left by a bear. The abundance of birds makes Svalbard feel like truly undisturbed wilderness.
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Andrea Sparrow
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Andrea Sparrow
We returned to port feeling deeply connected to the land and animals of the archipelago. As warming in Svalbard continues at a pace of 7 times that of the rest of the planet, we also felt a sense of foreboding. Arctic landscapes, with fewer species and much more challenging circumstances, are more vulnerable to changing climate than more abundant, temperate climes. Food systems can collapse more easily and habitat is more readily disrupted. Experiencing this extraordinary place, and other Arctic lands, always leaves us feeling an even greater resolve to share both their beauty and vulnerability as changing climate acts upon every aspect of them. For the moment, the archipelago and its inhabitants continue to thrive. We can only hope that humans can change their carbon habits in time to preserve the wildness and teeming life of this incredible place.
photo by Jeff Lanska
photo by Kerry Koepping
photo by Andrea Sparrow
With more than 8 terabytes of video and photos, we are home and working hard on our film about the archipelago. We are so grateful for the support of our donors. Without you, we couldn’t do this work and share the wonders of the places in the world experiencing climate change. We look forward to sharing the film in the coming months!
