SPITSBERGEN TOUR REPORT - Birdquest

LEADER: MARK VAN BEIRS 

SPITSBERGEN 

TOUR 1 

21 – 29 JUNE 2007 

TOUR REPORT 

Svalbard holds some of Europe’s most fabulous scenery and some of its most spectacular wildlife and 

on our week’s cruise along the shores of the northern regions of this archipelago we got more than 

our share of what was on offer. The M/V Professor Multanovskiy took us to glorious glaciers, snowclad 

mountains, colourful patches of tundra and stretches of endless pack and drift ice. We were very 

fortunate with the weather, enjoying very calm conditions and plenty of sunshine, but we were 

thwarted on a couple of days by dense fog. The eight landings and four zodiac cruises all went 

smoothly, and gave us plenty of time ashore to enjoy the wildlife and surprisingly rich flora. Our final 

tally of 31 species of birds and nine species of mammals reflects quality instead of quantity and we 

observed a superb variety of splendid creatures like Polar Bear, Ivory Gull, Walrus, Beluga, Northern 

Minke Whale, Humpback Whale, King Eider, a nice assortment of breeding waders, including Red 

Phalarope, and, of course, huge numbers of breeding seabirds, notably Brünnich’s Guillemots and 

adorable Little Auks. 

Most of the large group of Birdquesters – no fewer than 27 - gathered in Oslo, the capital of Norway, 

but the tour really started in earnest upon arrival at Longyearbyen, the main town of the arctic 

archipelago of Spitsbergen, although the spectacular scenery in northern Norway and the rather 

dramatic approach to the airfield in Tromsø were also much appreciated. Upon arrival at 

Longyearbyen we were welcomed by Rolf, one of the expedition crew from Oceanwide Expeditions, 

and within minutes we had piled into a bus and were driving away, first to drop off our baggage at 

the ship and then to visit ‘downtown’ Longyearbyen, the much bigger than expected capital of 

Spitsbergen. We had some time to explore the town and its lovely museum and souvenir shops. We 

also visited the waterfront and the famous husky kennels, where Ivory Gulls were sadly absent, but 

we did enjoy the communal wolf-like howling of the huskies – excellent value – and admired the cart 

being drawn by a husky team. Close to the kennel we found quite a substantial Common Eider 

colony, which included a single female King Eider on her nest. Noisy Arctic Terns attacked us 

1 Birdquest: Spitsbergen 2007

fearlessly when we got too close to their nests and pretty little Snow Buntings were singing from the 

rooftops. Purple Sandpipers and Dunlin foraged along the shoreline, where we also found several 

cute Long-tailed Duck and a few Glaucous Gulls. 

In mid afternoon we boarded the M/V Professor Multanovskiy, our floating base for the next week, 

settled into our cabins and assembled in the bar for our first of many briefings by the Oceanwide 

Expeditions staff (Rolf, Elke, Rico and Charlie). At about 6 p.m., we weighed anchor and were off, 

cruising west out of the Isfjord amongst really spectacular snow-covered mountain scenery. Another 

briefing (this time on safety matters), the mandatory lifeboat drill and the excellent dinner, prepared 

by our New Zealand and Malaysian chefs, took up much of the evening. With 24 hours of daylight, 

there was still plenty of time for sea-watching from the decks as we moved out of the fjord into the 

open sea. Here, we familiarized ourselves with the commoner seabirds of Spitsbergen: Northern 

Fulmars, almost entirely of the dark ‘blue’ morph typical of high latitudes, dashing Arctic Skuas, 

dainty Black-legged Kittiwakes, and the four common auks, Brünnich’s Guillemot, Black Guillemot, 

Little Auk and Atlantic Puffin. 

Next morning, we were anchored off the little island of Blomstrandhalvøya, and after an interesting 

briefing on how to avoid being eaten by a Polar Bear and how to get in and out of a zodiac, we 

landed at this rich coastal tundra environment. Here, as at many of our landing sites, we split into 

three groups: a group of ‘amblers’ who could potter along slowly looking at the birds and plants, a 

group of ‘hikers’, who could head up the nearest mountain to enjoy the view and a group of very 

well equipped photographers, which we soon nicknamed, “the paparazzi”. The only restriction was 

that with each group there should be a guide armed with a rifle – just in case we would encounter an 

unfriendly Polar Bear. We had a look at the remains of an ill-fated marble mine plant, but the main 

attraction here was the resident pair of extremely elegant Long-tailed Skuas, that posed so very well 

for us. Rather shy Red-throated Divers inhabited the pond and a Pink-footed Goose had built its nest 

on top of a crag. Several pairs of Barnacle Geese were breeding on an islet and a cracking male Rock 

Ptarmigan was overlooking his territory from the top of a boulder. An excellent selection of colourful 

and interesting flowers like Purple Saxifrage, Arctic Bell Heather, Hairy Louseworth, Mountain Avens 

and the tiny Polar Willow were also much appreciated. Several Reindeer of the small and short 

legged Svalbard race were grazing nearby. 

In the afternoon we visited the interesting scientific community of Ny Ålesund, the northernmost 

village in the world, containing the northernmost shop and post office on our planet. Here, we 

learned about the exploits of Amundsen, Nobile and Ellsworth in their attempts to reach the North 

Pole by airship, and checked out the ponds, creeks and shoreline for birds. One of the highlights was 

the friendly female Arctic Fox with her seven adorable pups, but the splendid adult Ivory Gull in its 

immaculate white finery really stole the show. A pair of Common Ringed Plovers tried to lure us 

away from their nest and hordes of Little Auks were circling high over the nearby mountain which 

holds the northernmost cable car in the world. The rarest bird was found by Alan as he showed us a 

vagrant male Common Blackbird at the dog kennels. Probably the northernmost Common Blackbird 

ever !! 

After another scrumptious dinner we cruised into the Kongsfjord and ended the day by admiring the 

amazing Kongsvegen glacier at close range. The high and imposing ice cliff showed patches of 

different magical hues of blue and hundreds of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Northern Fulmars were 

bathing in the meltwater. Three Bearded Seals were loafing on the ice shoals. 

In midmorning we arrived in the huge Liefdefjord on the northern coast of the archipelago. The 

mirror-like sea reflected the spectacular surrounding snow-covered mountains, but as soon as we 


oarded the zodiacs for a leisurely cruise amongst the Andøyane Islands (Duck Islands), mist started 

to form and spoiled it all a bit for us. We still saw three highly attractive drake King Eiders and then 

landed on a small island, where Rolf first checked the place out armed with his Remington rifle. 

Another male King Eider showed very well, but the main attraction were the seven dainty and 

colourful Red Phalaropes doing their thing at close range. Great fun. We also did our bit for 

conservation as we collected lots of plastic and disused fishing nets. Later we sailed further into the 

Liefdefjord, where we eventually ground to a halt in the ice about 3 km from the Monaco glacier, one 

of the largest in Spitsbergen, and here, in a truly magnificent setting we observed at least eight 

different, striking and much-prized Ivory Gulls. After dinner, we anchored in the nearby Bockfjord, 

where our only Pale-bellied Brent Geese of the trip were seen and where we walked to the tiny 

thermal pool, which is one of the few remains of volcanic activity on Spitsbergen. Here, we obtained 

perfect scope views of a male and an unobtrusive female Rock Ptarmigan. In the late evening we 

sailed out of the Woodfjord escorted by skeins of hundreds of Little Auks and Brünnich’s Guillemots 

and close to midnight John found a rather distant pod of Belugas, that some of us still managed to 

see. 

The next day we arrived at the Alkefjellet (Auk cliffs) in the Hinlopen Strait and in mid morning we 

made a very much appreciated zodiac cruise below the up to 100m high cliffs which harbour about 

50,000 pairs of Brünnich’s Guillemots. The sea was full of these very arctic alcids and so were the 

cliffs, where we enjoyed intimate scenes amongst these feisty creatures. Most of the birds were 

brooding and several pairs of Glaucous Gulls kept an eye on things and obviously lived off the 

colony. There were also good numbers of Black Guillemots and Black-legged Kittiwakes about. 

Whilst returning to the ship our zodiac spotted a swimming Walrus. Most of the rest of the day we 

cruised amongst the drift ice of the central part of the Hinlopen Strait, where the mirror-like surface 

was partially covered with small icebergs in an immense variety of shapes. We had great looks at a 

docile Bearded Seal and spotted a couple of Northern Minke Whales. In the early evening we made a 

landing at the Sorgfjord where we found several Sanderling in breeding plumage and a few 

displaying Purple Sandpipers and heard fascinating bits of local history at the bleak cemetery. 

In the early morning the M/V Multanovskiy had reached its northernmost position at 80°48’ North at 

the edge of the pack ice to the west of the Sjuøyane Islands. After another excellent breakfast we 

were all on deck and started sailing slowly along the edge of the ice that stretched north to the pole. 

Within minutes our party had found the main target of the tour: a formidable Polar Bear and Captain 

Igor Stetsun then tried to follow this magnificent creature amongst the large ice floes of this 

incredibly hostile environment. He remained rather distant but we were immensely happy and felt 

privileged. Later in the day another Polar Bear was spotted at much closer range and this one stunned 

us all by coming towards the ship and allowing fantastic views while swimming and inspecting us. 

When it finally realized we were a bit out of his league, he walked away over the pack ice. The King 

of the High Arctic had obliged. While observing this glorious animal, another bear was found 

ambling in the distance. Our only Sabine’s Gull of the trip showed just as we were concentrating on 

the bear and we also observed a splendid fully-spooned Pomarine Skua. In the afternoon we boarded 

the zodiacs and just floated amongst the many ice floes and admired their incredible shapes and 

colours. The day ended with a delicious BBQ dinner cum glühwein on the foredeck. We had been 

warned to dress warmly. This was followed by some Russian dancing and later several Birdquesters 

were invited to attend the birthday party of one of the crew members where they learned a few things 

about vodka… 

Early next morning found us just off Moffen Island, but sadly the mist was so dense that we could not 

even see the place and because Moffen is a strict nature reserve, we had to keep our distance. We 

hung around a bit and were rewarded with sightings of two swimming Walruses with impressive 


tusks. We then sailed south to the northwest of the main island of Svalbard. The mist soon 

disappeared and dramatic scenery appeared all around us as we anchored just off the entrance of the 

Raudfjord. All five zodiacs were launched, and for the next couple of hours we explored the bay, 

admiring the huge colony of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s Guillemots on the precipitous 

cliffs, and drifting about amongst the bright blue icebergs in front of the 3km wide Hamilton glacier. 

In the afternoon we sailed to the nearby little island of Fuglesangen, where we enjoyed a delightful 

afternoon just sitting at the edge of an enormous Little Auk colony. These delightful little creatures 

soon settled down within very close range and posed so incredibly well. We had a great time here 

just lying amongst the boulders and watching these cuties display and cackle and fight and snooze. 

Magical moments. Every now and then a Glaucous Gull flew over the colony and startled all the 

Little Auks in taking flight, whereby they showed off their amazing flight prowess in spectacular 

dense Starling-like formations. But soon they settled down again, often within a few meters from us. 

This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip! 

On our last full day in Spitsbergen, we landed on Prins Karls Forland at a sandspit called 

Poolepynten, a haul out spot for male Walruses. A strategic approach under the watchful eye of our 

German expedition leader Rolf resulted in being able to approach these gentle-looking giants within 

50m. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours watching and photographing the antics of these 

strange creatures that look like big fat slugs on land, but move so elegantly in the water. A 

spectacularly breaching Humpback Whale provided even more entertainment and so did another 

Beluga. Arctic Skuas were very much a feature of this area and once we saw no fewer than four birds 

chasing the same hapless Black-legged Kittiwake. Three Red-throated Divers were displaying, Red 

Phalaropes were spinning away and we also obtained our best views of several Great Skuas here. In 

the afternoon we explored a lovely tundra spot full of flowers called Eidembukta. The leisurely walk 

yielded a flock of c500 drake Common Eiders, about 15 King Eiders, a party of Long-tailed Duck 

including a male in winter plumage and several displaying Purple Sandpipers. We then sailed to 

Longyearbyen as several passengers had to catch a middle of the night flight out. After some final 

formalities on board, we said our farewells to our friendly crew and the Oceanwide Expeditions staff, 

and disembarked from the Professor Multanovskiy for the last time. A short bus ride brought us into 

town, and then those who did not want to spend the morning shopping ambled out to the husky 

kennels on the outskirts of town. Common Eiders, fierce Arctic Terns and Snow Buntings waved their 

goodbyes and we had lunch at the Café Busen. We then boarded our bus for the airport, and were on 

our way back to the hustle and bustle of the civilised world, filled with delightful memories and with 

full memory cards. 


SYSTEMATIC LIST 

Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the letters (NL). 

GAVIIDAE 

Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata: A fairly common breeding bird in Spitsbergen, where there are 

thought to be 500-1,000 breeding pairs. We saw them well on a number of occasions, 

including pairs on ponds or lakes at Blomstrandhalvøya, Ny Ålesund, the Andøyane 

Islands and on Prins Karls Forland. 

PROCELLARIIDAE 

Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis: Common and ubiquitous at sea, often following the ship. There 

are thought to be between 500,000 and 1,000,000 pairs breeding in Spitsbergen. Most of 

the birds seen were of the dark morph, often known as ‘Blue Fulmar’ and characteristic of 

these high latitudes. 

ANATIDAE 

Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus: A widespread breeding bird in Spitsbergen; seen well on 

several occasions, and found nesting at Blomstrandhalvøya. This is the commonest of the 

three geese in Spitsbergen, with a breeding population of between 12,250 and 18,800 

pairs. The Spitsbergen population (currently estimated at 42,000 individuals) spends the 

winter in Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis: Another widespread breeding bird in Spitsbergen, seen well on 

many occasions. Birds were found nesting on low-lying islands off Blomstrandhalvøya 

and Eidembukta. The entire Spitsbergen population of Barnacle Geese spends the winter 

in the Solway Firth in south-west Scotland (particularly at Caerlaverock Reserve), and 

stages on the archipelagos of the Helgeland District in West Norway in spring, and on 

Bear Island in autumn (although there is evidence that some birds make the journey from 

Spitsbergen to the Solway in a single hop!). This population has shown a dramatic 

increase from as few as 550 individuals in the 1950s to about 27,000 in recent years, 

thanks to increased habitat protection and greatly reduced hunting pressure throughout 

its range. 

Pale-bellied Brent Branta [bernicla] hrota: The least common of the geese in Spitsbergen, recorded at 

just one locality. Six were seen in flight upon arrival at the Bockfjorden. The Pale-bellied 

Brents breeding in Spitsbergen, along with those breeding in north-east Greenland and 

Franz Joseph Land, belong to a discrete population that spends the winter in northern 

Denmark and around Holy Island (Lindisfarne) in north-east England. This is one of the 

smallest goose populations in the world; numbers were reduced to as few as 2,000 

individuals in the late 1960s, but under protection have since increased to about 7,000. 

Common Eider Somateria mollissima: Much the commonest duck in the islands, encountered almost 

everywhere. The concentration of nesting females around the husky kennels (a fox-free 

zone!) at Longyearbyen was interesting. The flock of about 500 drakes at Eidembukta was 

particularly impressive. The breeding population is estimated at 13,500-27,500 pairs. 

King Eider Somateria spectabilis: Not as common as we might have hoped, but we had good views 

of a nesting female at Longyearbyen, four drakes and a female around the Andøyane 

Islands in Liefdefjorden and 15 birds (mainly drakes) at Eidembukta. According to the 

latest estimates from BirdLife International, there are between 300 and 1,000 pairs of 

King Eiders breeding in Spitsbergen. 

Long-tailed Duck (Old Squaw) Clangula hyemalis: Good views of this very attractive little duck on 

several occasions. Most were single individuals or pairs at small ponds where they were 

presumably nesting. A male in winter plumage at Eidembukta was particularly interesting. 

The total breeding population in Spitsbergen is estimated at 500-1,000 pairs. 


TETRAONIDAE 

Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus: Excellent scope views of two males on the rocky hillside above 

Blomstrandhalvøya and superb views of two males and a female on the boulder slopes at 

Bockfjorden. The males were still in their all-white winter dress and easy to spot, but the 

female was extremely cryptic. 

CHARADRIIDAE 

Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula: A pair at Ny Ålesund and a pair at the Sorgfjord remain 

our only observations. This is a rather scarce breeding bird in Spitsbergen, with a 

population of only 50-400 pairs. 

SCOLOPACIDAE 

Sanderling Calidris alba: Great views of nine birds, mostly in full breeding plumage, on the beach at 

the Sorgfjord. This is another very scarce breeding wader in Spitsbergen, where the total 

population is estimated at only 20-100 pairs. 

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima: Much the commonest breeding wader in Spitsbergen, present at 

most of our landing sites, but remarkably cryptic in its rather sombre breeding dress. Birds 

were observed in ‘song flight’ and courtship display on several occasions. The “one wing 

lifting” display was well worth witnessing at close range. The Spitsbergen breeding 

population is estimated at 2,000-10,000 pairs. 

Dunlin Calidris alpina: Just two in the Longyearbyen area upon arrival in the archipelago. Only 100- 

200 pairs of Dunlin breed in Spitsbergen, but the population appears to be increasing. 

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres: Just a single bird in breeding plumage was noted in flight upon 

leaving the Isfjord. Yet another scarce breeding wader in Spitsbergen, where there are 

reckoned to be only 50-500 pairs. 

PHALAROPODIDAE 

Red Phalarope (Grey Phalarope) Phalaropus fulicaria: Cracking views of eight in the Andøyane 

Islands were followed by observations of a pair at the Sorgfjord, one at Fuglesangen, two 

at Prins Karls Forland at a single at Eidembukta. Definitely one of the star attractions for 

the birders, and vastly more attractive as ‘Red Phalaropes’ in their breeding plumage than 

as the ‘Grey Phalaropes’ that we are more accustomed to seeing further south. Between 

200 and 1,000 pairs breed in Spitsbergen. 

STERCORARIIDAE 

Pomarine Skua (Pomarine Jaeger) Stercorarius pomarinus: One was seen by Stewart in the Hinlopen 

Strait upon approaching the Alkefjellet and we all saw one at the edge of the pack ice on 

Polar Bear day. Both were light morph birds with full tail-streamers. These were 

presumably non-breeding birds, as the nearest known breeding grounds are in Novaya 

Zemlaya. The scientific epithet is derived from the Greek poma, a lid and rhinos, the 

nose, as this species develops a sheath or cover over the nostrils during the breeding 

season. 

Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) Stercorarius parasiticus: Much the commonest skua in Spitsbergen, 

present throughout the areas that we visited, and showing very well on many occasions. 

We witnessed some spectacular aerial chases, with up to four birds harassing a single 

Black-legged Kittiwake. The great majority were light morph birds, although there were 

one or two intermediate and dark morph individuals. (Dark morph birds are much 

commoner at lower latitudes, e.g. in Scotland). The Spitsbergen breeding population is 

estimated at 1,000-2,000 pairs. 

Long-tailed Skua (Long-tailed Jaeger) Stercorarius longicaudus: We had superb views of a breeding 

pair near the old marble mine at Blomstrandhalvøya. Only a few pairs of Long-tailed 

Skuas breed in Spitsbergen, presumably because of the complete absence of lemmings, 

their preferred prey during the breeding season. 


Great Skua (Bonxie) Catharacta skua: Singles and pairs were observed on a number of occasions 

throughout our cruise. This is a relatively recent arrival in Spitsbergen, first recorded 

breeding in 1976, but now obviously quite common. The latest estimate puts the 

breeding population at 200-500 pairs. 

LARIDAE 

Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini (NL): Alan saw a single bird at the edge of the pack ice, just as we were 

observing a Polar Bear. The only regular breeding site of this attractive species in 

Spitsbergen is Moffen island, but our visit there was thwarted by dense fog. (According to 

BirdLife International, there were only four pairs of Sabine’s Gulls breeding in Spitsbergen 

in 1993). 

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus: Common and widespread. A beautiful gull, but also the main 

avian predator in the islands, posing a constant threat to the auks, waders and terns. The 

Spitsbergen breeding population is estimated at 4,000-10,000 pairs. 

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus: An adult showed in the distance at Blomstrandhalvøya and 

a first summer bird was identified amongst a flock of Glaucous Gulls at the Walrus haul 

out on Prins Karls Forland. This remains a scarce breeding bird in Spitsbergen (50-150 

pairs), although it first colonised the islands way back in 1930. 

Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla: An abundant bird throughout the islands, breeding in large 

numbers on the auk cliffs in Hinlopen Strait, and commonly encountered far out at sea. 

The Spitsbergen breeding population is estimated at 265,000-275,000 pairs. 

Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea: Surely the special bird of the ice and avian symbol of the High Arctic. 

We found at least nine individuals: one at the husky kennels at Ny Ålesund and eight 

over the drift ice and amongst the ice floes near the Monaco Glacier in the Liefdefjord. 

All were adults in their immaculate whiter-than-white plumage. The most recent estimate 

of the breeding population in Spitsbergen is only 50-200 pairs. 

STERNIDAE 

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea: A common bird throughout the islands, nesting at most of our landing 

sites and taking a very strong dislike to intruders. Always good fun being attacked by 

these dashing and fearless birds. The Spitsbergen breeding population is estimated at 

5,000-10,000 pairs. 

ALCIDAE 

Brünnich’s Guillemot (Thick-billed Murre) Uria lomvia: Abundant at sea, and observed at very close 

quarters from the zodiacs at the huge breeding colony at Alkefjellet in Hinlopen Strait. 

The total breeding population of this species in Spitsbergen has recently been estimated 

at 850,000 pairs! This is very much the High Arctic counterpart of the Common 

Guillemot, breeding no further south in Europe than northern Norway and Iceland. 

Black Guillemot (Tystie) Cepphus grylle: Common and widespread. Especially common in the 

Raudfjord, Liefdefjord and Hinlopen Strait, and often encountered on and around ice 

floes, but also found far out at sea. The Spitsbergen breeding population is estimated at 

20,000-50,000 pairs. 

Little Auk (Dovekie) Alle alle: Definitely one of the special birds of Spitsbergen, and an obvious 

favourite with many of the group. We had dozens of close encounters with little flocks 

zipping by the ship or bobbing about on the water. One of the highlights of the tour was 

being able to just sit amongst dozens of these little birds full of character in the large 

colony on the island of Fuglesangen. These delightful creatures were totally unconcerned 

by our presence and just sat at close quarters on the boulders and rocks under which they 

breed and really showed off, offering stunning views. Their constant maniacal cackling 

was a real feature of our visit. The Little Auk is much the commonest seabird in the 

Spitsbergen archipelago, with a breeding population estimated at between one and three 

million pairs. 


Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica: This much-loved harlequin of a bird was seen well on a number of 

occasions at sea, both in flight and on the water. The total breeding population in 

Spitsbergen is thought to be in the range 10,000-100,000 pairs. 

TURDIDAE 

Common Blackbird Turdus merula: A male was found by Alan at the Husky kennels in Ny Ålesund 

and was later observed by many of us, while we were admiring our first Ivory Gull. The 

well-known Common Blackbird is a vagrant to Spitsbergen. There are only a few 

documented observations. 

EMBERIZIDAE 

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis: The only breeding passerine in the islands, but common, 

conspicuous and always a delight to behold. Its cheerful little song was to be heard at 

almost all of our landing sites, and even from the cliffs at Alkefjellet in Hinlopen Strait. 

MAMMALS 

Arctic Fox Alopex lagopus: Encountered on a couple of occasions, but usually rather wary. We saw 

one at Blomstrandhalvøya and enjoyed prolonged views of a female with seven pups in 

the middle of Ny Ålesund. This attractive little fox is still hunted in Spitsbergen. 

Polar Bear Thalarctos maritimus: The obvious highlight of the tour and probably the main reason for 

most of us to visit the spectacular Spitsbergen archipelago. We had three encounters with 

this most powerful arctic predator, all on the day when we were exploring the pack ice to 

the north of the islands. Our first was spotted while walking on the ice in the distance, 

and by careful manoeuvring of the ship we managed to keep it in sight for twenty 

minutes. The second animal was found at much closer range and stunned us all by 

coming towards the ship and allowing fantastic views while swimming and inspecting us. 

When it finally realized we were a bit out of its league it walked away slowly over the 

pack ice. Another animal was found in the distance at the same time. Good photos were 

obtained and everyone was in high spirits after this magical experience. Polar Bears used 

to be hunted in Spitsbergen. There is the amazing record of hunter Arthur Oxaas who 

shot 373 Polar Bears in 30 years in the middle of the 20 th century. 

Walrus Odobenus rosmarus: The first of the trip was a swimming individual at Alkefjellet. We then 

saw two at sea off Moffen Island, but our best encounter was at Poolepynten on Prins 

Karls Forland where we were able to admire, observe and photograph a group of about 

30 impressive animals on the beach or in the water at fairly close range. All were males, 

as indeed are all the Walruses in Spitsbergen at this time of year, as the female go 

elsewhere to give birth to their calves. 

Ringed Seal Phoca hispida: We only saw a small number of these wary animals at the edge of the 

pack ice. 

Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus: Thirteen encounters with this large sausage with whiskers. 

Northern Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata: Three observations of this small, but distinctive 

whale. This is the commonest baleen whale in the waters around Spitsbergen, but still 

rather uncommon. 

Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae: Great views of a frequently breaching animal at the 

Walrus spot on Prins Karls Forland. The long flippers could easily be discerned. A great 

showing. 

Beluga (White Whale) Delphinapterus leucas: Late at night, John found a pod of ten or so as we were 

sailing out of the Hinlopen Strait and some of us still managed to get distant views of 

these attractive whales. We also saw one while observing the Walruses on Prins Karls 

Forland. 

Reindeer (Caribou) Delphinapterus leucas: Encountered wherever there were large areas of snow-free 

tundra, generally in ones and twos, but occasionally in scattered groups of ten or more. 


The endemic Spitsbergen race platyrhynchus is much smaller and noticeably shorter in 

the leg than Reindeer occurring further south. 

PLANTS RECORDED BY THE GROUP 

Polar Willow Salix polaris 

Mountain Sorrel Oxyria digyna 

Alpine Mouse-ear Cerasticum alpinum 

Moss Campion Silene acaulis 

Sea Sandwort Honkenya peploides 

Sulphur-coloured Buttercup Ranunuculus sulphureus 

Pygmy Buttercup Ranunculus pygmaeus 

Svalbard Poppy Papaver dahlianum 

Scurvy Grass Cochlearia groenlandica 

Golden Whitlow-grass Draba alpina 

Lapland Whitlow-grass Draba lactea 

Pale-yellow Whitlow-grass Draba oxycarpa 

Purple Saxifrage Saxifraga oppositifolia 

Alpine Saxifrage Saxifraga nivalis 

Drooping Saxifrage Saxifraga cernua 

Tufted Saxifrage Saxifraga cespitosa 

Yellow Marsh Saxifrage Saxifraga hirculus 

Dwarf Saxifrage Saxifraga tenuis 

Arctic Cinquefoil Potentilla hyparctica 

Mountain Avens Dryas octopetala 

White Arctic Bell-heather Cassiope tetragona 

Woolly Lousewort Pedicularis dasyantha 

Hairy Lousewort Pedicularis hirsuta 

Arctic Cottongrass Eriophorum scheuchzeri

SPITSBERGEN TOUR REPORT - Birdquest

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?