Voyage 5 Log

23-30 June, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 5
The Albatros
SVALBARD:
LAST STOP
BEFORE THE
NORTH POLE
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

The Albatros
Editor-in-Chief:
Staff Writers:
Layout & Design:
Expedition Leader:
Assistant Expedition Leader:
Shop Manager:
Expedition Photographer:
Zodiac Master:
Hiking Master:
Kayak Master:
Rifle Master:
Expedition Guide/Lecturer:
Front Cover Image:
Back Cover Image:
Photography Contributors:
Gaby Pilson
Amanda Dalsgaard
Brian Seenan
Gaby Pilson
Bernabe Urtubey
Steve Egan
Lars Maltha Rasmussen
Nadine Smith
Yuri Choufour
Steve Traynor
Gaby Pilson
Slava Nikitin
Stefano Tricanico
Amanda Dalsgaard
Brian Seenan
Rashidah Lim
Gregers Gjersøe
Wan Meng Chieh
Basha Horyn
Piotr Damski
Thomas Bauer
Diego Punta Fernandez
Bearded Seal © Renato Granieri
Ny-Ålesund © Gaby Pilson
Renato Granieri Photography
Gaby Pilson
Yuri Choufour
© Gaby Pilson
23-30 June, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Voyage
By the Numbers
Day 1: North to the Future
The Seven Sisters of Szczecin
The King of the Arctic
Day 2: Bears & Belugas in Billefjord
What makes an Expedition Guide?
Day 3: Icy Fjords & Scenic Bays
Ice is Nice – Glacier Fun Facts
Day 4: Into the Ice
Svalbard: A Breeding Ground for
Migrant Birds
Day 5: Krossfjord Adventures
A Love Story
Day 6: The Northernmost Settlement
Polar Diplomacy
Becoming an Expedition Guide
Day 7: The Final Days
A Brief History of the Zodiac
Day 8: Home Again
A Final Note
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

The Voyage
Page 4
The following map traces the approximate route that the M/V Ocean Atlantic took during our
voyage around Svalbard. You can find more information about our day to day activities, landings,
and excursions on the following pages. We hope that this magazine serves as a reminder of all of
the wonderful memories you made while experiencing the Arctic with us at Albatros Expeditions.
© Renato Granieri Photography
© Renato Granieri Photography
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

By the Numbers…
Page 5
Voyage Statistics:
Northernmost Point:
Total Distance Travelled:
79 o 50.541’N, 10 o 08.286’E
578 nautical miles
Longyearbyen: 78 o 12.651’N, 15 o 32.408’E
Smeerenburg: 79 o 44.821’N, 11 o 05.908’E
NW Svalbard: 79 o 50.541’N, 10 o 08.286’E
Möllerfjorden: 79 º 16.502’N, 11 º 51.052’E
Ny-Ålesund: 78 o 54.871’N, 11 o 59.759’E
Alkhornet: 78 o 13.116’N, 13 o 52.718’E
Excursion Locations:
Billefjord: 78 º 28.702’N, 14 º 15.457’E
Magdalenefjord: 79 o 35.485’N, 11 o 18.981’E
Pack Ice Cruise: 79 o 37.137’N, 10 o 21.263’E
14 Julibukta: 79 o 07.554’N, 11 o 48.352’E
Ny-London: 78 o 56.237’N, 12 o 01.548’E
Ymerbukta: 78 o 16.144’N, 13 o 59.390’E
During our time on the M/V Ocean Atlantic, we consumed:
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Poultry
Cold Cuts
Fish & Seafood
Eggs
Milk
Cheese
Ice Cream
Vegetables
Fruit
Wine
Beer
Toilet Paper
400kg
150kg
350kg
350kg
150kg
500kg
4500pcs
500L
200kg
250L
2000kg
2500kg
450 bottles
650 cans
350 rolls
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

North to the Future
23 June 2019 - Embarkation Day
As our flights touched down on the runway in
Longyearbyen, we were treated to delightful views of
the Arctic landscape that will become our playground
for the next week. Weary from our early morning
flights, yet excited for the adventure to come, we
immediately journeyed into town for some quick city
exploration in Longyearbyen.
The story of Longyearbyen is short, but industrial,
although it didn’t start out that way. As the history
books tell us, the notion of Longyearbyen as a
potential settlement first came about when John
Munro Longyear was on an arctic cruise with his
family in 1903. While sailing around the many fjords
that make Svalbard the picturesque landscape we
know and love, Longyear spotted some potential coal
mining opportunities in Isfjord. By 1906, he began his
mining operations in what was then known as
Longyear City.
Page 6
From the Voyage Log
© Yuri Choufour
Once we got our fill of the shopping and walking
opportunities in Longyearbyen, we headed off to
the pier to finally embark on our new home, the
M/V Ocean Atlantic, via a short, but exciting zodiac
ride - our first of many on this expedition. After the
hotel check-in process was complete, we were
treated to a scrumptious afternoon tea, before our
mandatory safety drill in the late afternoon. Soon
enough, we were casting away the bowlines,
heading away from our safe harbour, and
journeying out to sea, in true expedition style.
After our safety drill, we had an opportunity to
wander around the ship and acquaint ourselves
with our new home. Before long, however, we
gathered up in the Viking Lounge yet again for an
introductory briefing with Expedition Leader Berna
Urtubey and his 16 expedition staff members.
© Yuri Choufour
Although coal mining is no longer as abundant as it
once was in Svalbard, it has forever left its mark on
the region, least of all by creating the small, but
bustling settlement of Longyearbyen. These days,
however, Longyearbyen is a centre for international
science efforts, tourism, and conservation, and, most
importantly for us: the starting point on our journey.
As we’re on an expedition, we know full well that
there are no guarantees. We are at the mercy of the
weather, the wildlife, and the landscape of this cold
and often inhospitable place. But, as explorers know
all too well, we can only ever experience true
beauty in nature when we are brave enough to seek
it out amongst the mountains and the seas in the
world’s most remote places. It is with that
sentiment in mind that we venture away from
Longyearbyen and north, to the future and all the
wonders it holds.
“
We can only ever experience true
beauty in nature when we are
brave enough to seek it out…
”
© Yuri Choufour
23-30 June, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 5

The Seven Sisters of Szczecin
David MacDonald, Lecturer (Geology) & Expedition Guide
M/V Ocean Atlantic was launched in 1986 as the
last-built of the ‘Shoshtakovich’ class of icestrengthened
passenger vessels, alongside six sister
ships, together known as the “Seven Sisters of
Szczecin.
Her original name was Konstantin Chernenko
(Константин Черненко), after the President of the
USSR (1984-1985). She was renamed Russ (Русс) in
1989, and spent much of her life working in the
Russian Far East.
She was purchased by Albatros Expeditions and
completely refitted in 2017. She is now a 200-
passenger expedition vessel and is one of the
strongest polar cruise ships afloat. Here are some
fun facts about the “Seven Sisters”:
• All seven ships were built by Stocnia Szczecinska
shipyard in Szczecin, Poland between 1979-1986
• Main engines: 4 x Skoda Sulzer 6LZ40 total power
12800 kW, giving a maximum speed of 18 knots
• Most of the class have one bow thruster (736 kW)
and one stern thruster (426 kW); however, two
ships, including ours, built in 1986, have two stern
thrusters, each of 426 kW
• Feature Siemens stabilisers for seaworthiness
• Although built as ferries, they have a
strengthened car deck for transport of tanks
• Two of them had diving chambers
• MV Mikhail Sholokov had hull demagnetising
Page 7
equipment so it could operate in minefields
• All of these ships have been scrapped except ours
and Konstantin Simonov – now Ocean Endeavour
Our ship has had a complex history:
1986-1987 In Baltic traffic, then Vladivostok to
Japan & S Korea
1989 renamed to Russ
1997-1999 In traffic Stockholm-Riga; 2000
Odessa-Haifa; 2002 back to
Vladivostok transporting cars from
Japan
2007 Sold to Sea Ferry Shipping in Majuro
and renamed 2010 to Atlantic;
renovations in Italy and in traffic
Stockholm-Helsinki-St.Petersburg
during summer and laid up (October
2010) in St Petersburg
2012 Sold to ISP in Miami and renamed to
Ocean Atlantic under Marshall
Islands flag
2013 Used as a hotel ship in the German
bight wind farm project
2015-2017 Laid up in Helsingborg and taken to
Gdansk in Poland, where totally
refitted
2017 Chartered to Quark Expeditions
2017-present Chartered to Albatros Expeditions.
© Renato Granieri Photography
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

The King of the Arctic
Gaby Pilson, Hiking Master & Expedition Guide
Polar bears are the veritable king of the Arctic, despite their often elusive nature in front of human visitors.
But, despite their cute, cuddly, and charismatic appearance, polar bears are fantastically well-adapted to live
in their harsh Arctic landscape. Here are some great fun facts about polar bears:
1
Although those cute and cuddly little polar
bear cubs look shiny and white in photos, polar
bears are actually black! Polar bears have black
skin with a thick coat of transparent fur rather
than the white fur and skin we’ve always
imagined. The black skin helps the bear absorb
sunlight and retain heat in cold arctic
conditions. Polar bear fur contains no white
pigment and simply appears white because of
how sunlight is reflected off of the bear. This
fur is critical for a polar bear, as it allows them
to hunt while staying well-camouflaged among
snowdrifts.
3
Polar bears are patient hunters. Instead of
chasing prey, they sit and wait for hours or
days at seal breathing holes in the ice until the
opportune moment arises. Seals surface every
five to fifteen minutes at these breathing
holes, so polar bears need to be ready at a
moment’s notice. Luckily, polar bears can use
their acute sense of smell to stalk prey without
expending too much energy. Polar bears will
sniff out a seal from up to a mile away and
through the sea ice, so they can sit and wait by
the right breathing hole. These bears show us
that laziness can, indeed, be a virtue.
Page 8
2
These
graceful bears can be difficult to study in
the wild, as harsh conditions and remote
locales conspire against scientists. Fortunately,
scientists have developed a new technique
that allows them to extract DNA from polar
bear footprints. Using just two tiny samples of
snow from a polar bear footprint, scientists in
Svalbard were able to extract DNA from the
bear and its most recent seal-based meal. The
scientific community hopes that this new
technique can help contribute to research on
polar bears and help make tracking and
monitoring the animals more accurate and
efficient.
© Renato Granieri Photography
23-30 June, 2019
© Renato Granieri Photography
4
After
a long winter in a snow den, polar bear
mothers emerge from their winter homes into
the spring sunshine with up to three cubs.
Although cubs emerge from the den about the
size of a small dog, when they are born, they’re
just 30cm (1ft) long and weigh only 450g (1lb).
Newborn polar bear cubs are blind, toothless
and completely dependent on mum for food
and warmth. They nurse on their mother’s milk
(which is nearly 30% fat!) to help them grow
quickly. Polar bear cubs will continue nursing
for nearly two years until they’re ready to start
hunting and eating seals alongside their
mothers.
Volume 1, Issue 5

Bears & Belugas in Billefjord
24 June 2019 – Billefjord & Adolfbukta
Today, the true ‘Albatros Expedition’ around
Spitsbergan began. As the Ocean Atlantic pulled into
Billefjord, staff and guests, alike, were greeted by over
30 beluga whales swimming along the ice edge. A huge
gift for all spectators, and a fantastic way to kick off
the voyage, the sight of these beautiful beings is one
we won’t soon forget. While some guests witnessed
the beluga pods while enjoying their tea and breakfast
in the Vinland Restaurant, others were up on deck in
the elements, embracing and enjoying the wildlife
show and the surrounding Arctic scenery.
The beluga whale is one of only three whales that
reside in the cold Arctic waters all year-round. They
have adapted physiologically to be fantastic navigators
in their ice-ridden environment with and have honed
their survival abilities to take on the long, dark Arctic
winters. With a strong dorsal ridge, in place of a top
fin, these whales are capable of swimming under the
ice without getting caught up, an advantage for a
species that spends much of its time bumping up
against the ice in search of breathing holes in the cold
winter months.
From the Voyage Log
Page 9
© Gaby Pilson
Once we finished up with our mandatory briefing, we
snuck in a quick boot party to outfit us all with the
rubber boots that we’ll need to stay dry during our
upcoming landings. After the boot part, lunch came
and went, and we soon made our way down to the
gangway for our first excursion of the voyage: a
zodiac cruise around Adolfbukta.
During our zodiac cruise, we managed to spot, once
again, the polar bear from our earlier sighting.
Although our early views of the bear showed it
sleeping soundly, after a short while, the bear got up
for a stretch and a quick jaunt across the remaining
fast ice, perhaps in search of its next meal. One
walrus, and thousands of birds later, however, we
were on our way back to the ship for an actionpacked
evening of lectures, recap, cocktails with the
captain and a scrumptious dinner to wrap up a
fantastic day in the Arctic.
© Yuri Choufour
After this brilliant beluga encounter, the Ocean
Atlantic maintained its position as we came across our
first polar bear sighting of the voyage. The ship was
already placed in a great viewing position, so everyone
could hurry to the outer decks for a view of the
Arctic’s apex predator. Soon enough, however, our
furry friend settled in behind some rocks for a snooze
in the sun, so we carried on with our scheduled
programming and participated in a number of
mandatory briefings for our time in the far north.
© Yuri Choufour
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

What Makes an Expedition Guide?
Brian Seenan, Lecturer (Geology) & Expedition Guide
A good expedition guide wants you to enjoy as much as of your
destination as possible. You’ve chosen it carefully and you’re
hungry for information: what do penguins eat, what kind of bird
is that, is that a volcano, why are beluga whales white, does the
sea go all the way around that island? So, we’d better be ready.
Page 10
“
We each have a personal style and
specialisation, but one thing unites us all:
our curiosity for the natural world.
”
We find it so fascinating, we do it for a job. If we’re not guiding,
you’ll find us checking out new and interesting places and
things. Every day, we look forward to learning something new,
like how people lived 5,000 years ago or how seals can delay
gestation, so they only return to shore once to give birth and
mate. This kind of thing fascinates us all.
We want to share this stuff with you, so expect us to be
enthusiastic. We’ll fess up if we don’t know every answer, but
we’ll aim to find it – we don’t like uncertainty any more than
you. We enjoy being with people, and talking about what we
see and feel, even if it’s 2 o C below, with a biting wind.
We take care of you, but not like your mom, and we make sure
you don’t fall out of the Zodiac trying to get a perfect shot of a
puffin. We take courses to drive our Zodiacs well. We learn first
aid, so we can handle the unexpected.
© Renato Granieri Photography
More than anything, we want you to enjoy your adventure.
Everything is there in front of you - the scenery, the wildlife, the
plants and the geology; as guides, we hope we bring them to
life for you.
© Gaby Pilson
© Gaby Pilson © Gaby Pilson
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Icy Fjords & Scenic Bays
25 June 2019 – Smeerenburg & Magdalenefjord
Overnight we travelled north through a gradually
fading mist as we anchored in Smeerenburgfjord, a
wide inlet framed by jagged mountains.
Page 11
From the Voyage Log
The mountains are gneisses and granites dating back
about 1 billion years. Despite their age, their form is
a recent phenomenon, a product of glaciation about
27,000 years ago, during the last glacial maximum. A
massive ice sheet, some kilometres thick, covered
the northern hemisphere and hatched endless
glaciers, which scoured the land. They left the glacial
landforms we learned in school: u-shaped valleys,
hanging valleys, and moraines.
Whalers selected a gently undulating Pleistocene-era
moraine as the centre of their land operations in the
early 1600s. Smeerenburg, literally “Blubber Town,”
was born. Seven Dutch companies and one Danish
company operated ovens to render down whale
blubber for oil. In its heyday, around 200 men
worked here.
© Yuri Choufour
A small team of seven men successfully
overwintered in 1633-34. The following year was
disastrous, leaving another group of seven men dead
from scurvy due to the lack of vitamin C in their diet
up in the far north.
© Yuri Choufour
Arctic terns, eider ducks and guillemots were the
most common birds, though a couple of walrus and
some baby ringed seals popped out of the water and
passed by, eyeing us with curiosity. The other groups
stayed closer to the remains of the ovens and
listened to different experts explain the history and
makeup of the area.
During lunch we repositioned to Magdalenefjord,
which is usually ice-free thanks to the warming
effects of the Gulf Stream. Cruising along in our
trusty zodiacs, we saw a couple of walrus on the
small peninsula near the fjord’s entrance, but most
guests preferred the prospect of seeing
Wagonwaybreen, the glacier at the head of
Magdalenefjord.
While en route to the glacier, we caught sight of a
seal, multiple pairs of eider ducks, lots of guillemots
and the odd tern dipping into the water for a small
fish. A change in cloud cover and freshening of the
wind reminded us that we are in the Arctic. The
temperature dropped by at least 10 o C. It made
sense to retreat to the Ocean Atlantic, to wrap up an
exciting day in Svalbard.
In a world removed from the whalers’ bleak
existence, we scanned for polar bears from the
comfort of M/V Ocean Atlantic before heading to
land, though the constantly changing weather gave
us insight into how difficult life must have been
some 400 years ago.
Some of us enjoyed a fast walk to one end of the
plain, giving us the opportunity to see some bird life
on the water.
23-30 June, 2019
© Yuri Choufour
Volume 1, Issue 5

Ice is Nice – Glacier Fun Facts
Gaby Pilson, Hiking Master & Expedition Guide
Glaciers have, quite literally, shaped our world. Without glaciers, the rolling hills and wide valleys we know
today would look very different, but it turns out that these icy giants have a much longer and more storied
history than many of us would initially suspect. Here are some of the best fun facts about glaciers:
2
4
© Renato Granieri Photography
Glaciers are formed by snowflakes. Although it’s
crazy to think that a tiny snowflake can create
something as large as a glacier, without snow,
glaciers would never exist in the first place. To
form a glacier, massive amounts of snow must
accumulate and persist in a single location all
year-long for hundreds, if not thousands of
years. During this time, the individual snowflakes
found in the snowpack change in a process
known as snowflake metamorphosis, where
individual ice grains fuse together and get bigger
and air bubbles get smaller. Once the icepack
builds up enough mass to start flowing downhill,
then voila! We have a glacier.
© Renato Granieri Photography
1
3
Page 12
Not just anything can be a glacier. In fact, there’s
a size requirement that a piece of ice has to
meet to become a glacier. Anything considered a
glacier must be at least 0.1 km 2 (nearly 25 acres)
in area to be worthy of the name. Although
there’s a minimum size requirement to be
considered a glacier, there’s no upper limit to
glacierhood. The longest glacier on earth is the
Lambert Glacier of Antarctica, which measures
out to some 434 km (270 mi) long. The world’s
largest non-polar glacier is the Fedchenko
Glacier of Tajikistan, which measures a
respectable 77km (48mi) long.
© Renato Granieri Photography
Glaciers are found all over the world, not just in
the polar regions. While the majority of glaciers
and glacial ice is concentrated in high northern
and southern latitudes, glaciers are found even
near the equator, such as on Mount Kilimanjaro
in Tanzania and in the mountains of Ecuador.
That being said, about half of the world’s
200,000 glaciers are found in one place: Alaska.
There, glaciers cover a whopping 72,500 km 2
(28,000 mi 2 ) of the US state’s total area. That’s a
lot of ice.
Glaciers are basically really, really, really slow-moving rivers. To be considered a glacier, a large mass of ice
must be physically moving downhill. This movement downhill is driven by gravity and is the main reason
why glaciers also act as major agents of erosion. Since glaciers move downhill, they often remove and
transport large boulders and chunks of rock, depositing them much further downhill then where they
started.
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Into the Ice
26 June 2019 – Northwest Spitsbergen
From the Voyage Log
Although we were at anchor for most of the evening,
which provided us with an opportunity to get a solid
night of sleep, soon after breakfast, the Ocean
Atlantic made its way north, out of our safe
anchorage in Magdalenefjord and into the ice.
Page 13
The sea ice in Svalbard is a magical place. In the north
of Svalbard, only the bravest and hardiest of ships
journey to the edge of the ice, while even fewer
actually manage to venture into the pack ice itself.
For those who do, however, the experience is surreal
– densely packed ice as far as the eye can see create
the perfect environment for a number of marine
mammals that rely on the ice for a place to rest, a
place to hunt, or both.
While the sheer experience of sailing into the ice is a
worthy enough reason to head north, like any true
expedition, we travelled into the world of ice and
snow for another chance to see the ever-elusive king
of the arctic: the polar bear. Although we didn’t
manage to spot any polar bears, just an hour or so
into our ice-filled adventure, we spotted a trio of
walruses, resting casually on a piece of drift ice.
© Yuri Choufour
Soon enough, however, we were back outside, but
this time, to enjoy the scrumptious arctic barbecue,
compliments of Chef Indra and his talented team.
Braving the polar conditions once again, we
bundled up in our many jackets so we could enjoy
our lunch on the outer decks.
Once lunchtime was all but a distant memory, it
was time for our afternoon activity: a once-in-alifetime
zodiac cruise through the pack ice. With
our trusty zodiacs breaking through small floes of
brash ice, we managed to get up close and personal
with the frozen ocean, before the wind and the cold
beckoned us back inside to the comfort of our ship
once more.
If all of that adventure wasn’t sufficient, soon
enough, we gathered back up in the mudroom for
the ultimate arctic experience: the Polar Plunge. For
the brave few among us, a quick jump into the icy
waters of northern Spitsbergen was a fantastic way
to end a magical day in the ice.
© Yuri Choufour
Thanks to our captain’s skills and the walrus’ close
proximity to the ship, we managed to snap some
great photos of these gregarious mammals – tusks
and all. After a while, however, many of us gave in to
the cold, windy conditions, opting instead to head
inside and warm up with a cup of tea as we listened
to a handful of lectures about a variety of Arcticthemed
topics, from glaciology to marine biology.
© Yuri Choufour
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Svalbard: A Breeding Ground for Migrant Birds
Dr. George Swan, Lecturer (Ornithology) & Expedition Guide
Page 14
© Renato Granieri Photography
In 1594, when the Arctic was first being explored,
Gerrit de Veer, an officer on a Dutch ship, noticed
something strange. While the mammals he
encountered were both new and bizarre (think: huge,
tusked seals and massive white bears), some of the
birdlife was very familiar. In fact, several species of
geese seemed exactly the same as those he had seen
grazing in the Netherlands during the winter. He
hypothesised in his journal: could these birds winter in
the Wadden area and summer in the Arctic? De Veer
knew one thing to be certain, however: they certainly
tasted similarly.
We now know that de Veer’s tentative observation
was spot-on and that the birds he encountered were
probably Brent geese (Branta bernicla) who do,
indeed, winter on the eastern coasts of the North Sea
but spend the summer months breeding in the Arctic.
They make their journey down south and up north
every year and, in doing so, join a whole host of other
migratory birds that make use of Svalbard’s short, but
highly productive, breeding season.
Although the geese arrive to forage on the mosses,
saxifrages and other terrestrial plants, it is the
productivity of the inshore waters and surrounding
seas that draws the biggest crowds. Millions of
seabirds arrive from the Barents Sea and the North
Atlantic to breed on Svalbard’s cliffs and feast on the
zooplankton that blooms in the summer’s 24-hour
daylight. Some come from even further afield; Arctic
terns breed on the coastal flats of Svalbard after
making a staggering journey from their winter foraging
grounds off the Antarctic coast.
Although the summer season is short, and birds must
hurry through the courtship, laying, incubation and
chick rearing processes before the cold weather
returns, those that time it right will head south in
August with that year’s young following close behind.
In acknowledgement of the importance of Svalbard for
breeding birds, 65% of its land area is protected as by
National Parks and Reserves, a testament to the
immense biodiversity in the region.
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Krossfjord Adventures
27 June 2019 – Möllerfjord & 14 Julibukta From the Voyage Log
Page 15
The morning greeted us with clear skies and a
promising forecast. At 06:30, our Expedition Leader,
Berna and his team disembarked the ship to
undertake a scouting mission on the potential
landing site we had chosen for the morning. As soon
as the area was thoroughly scouted, we came
ashore for a beautiful guided walk around the
diverse and intricate Mollerfjord landscape.
The walk was through some rocky terrain, where all
participants had an opportunity to witness some of
the first blossoms of Svalbard’s spring flowers.
Nutrient leaching from the melting snow and ice
provides excellent fertilizer for the ground below.
These flowers are adored by the Svalbard reindeer,
who also made an appearance this afternoon and
provided an excellent encounter for the guests on
shore.
© Yuri Choufour
© Yuri Choufour
© Yuri Choufour
After a fantastic morning, we started our afternoon
with a zodiac cruise along the ridged sedimentary
cliff line adjacent to a breathtaking glacial front,
known as the 14 th of July Glacier (Fortjende
Julibreen) - a significant and beautiful glacier that
got its name from the French national holiday.
Here, we were able to get a close-up view of the
nesting sea birds in the area. There were guillemots,
(both black and Brunnich’s), barnacle geese,
glaucous gulls, kittiwakes, and even a few pairs of
the charismatic Atlantic puffin! As the cruise
continued, the guests got the chance to see a
handful of Svalbard reindeer, sprinkled along the
lichen covered and flower blossoming hillside.
These reindeer are genetically unique to Svalbard
and can be identified by their white fur and often
long antlers. As the afternoon came and went, the
wind picked up and zodiac riders held onto their
seats as the expedition team brought everyone
safely back to the Ocean Atlantic.
After all the guests were onboard, thawed-out and
dry, Lars (Assistant Expedition Leader and
Ornithologist) held a lecture on the longest
migratory species on the planet - the Arctic Tern.
We wrapped up the evening with the daily recap
and plans for tomorrow. Dinner was served while
ship cruising along some incredible glacier fronts as
we worked our way through the night to Ny-
Ålesund, which we planned to make a landing at
and explore first thing in the morning.
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

A Love Story
Gregers Gjersøe, Snowshoe Master & Expedition Guide
Anna Charlier and Niels Strindberg were very much in
love in the spring of 1897. Their passion was music and
they often played together; Anna played the piano
while Niels played the violin. But, Niels also had
another passion – his dream to fly to the geographical
North Pole in a hydrogen balloon.
After many years of effort, Niels’ dream was more
than just a fantasy, however, it was an adventure
waiting to happen. Eventually, a three-man crew,
including Niels, Knut Frænkel, and August Salomon
Andree, were ready to set off on the expedition of a
lifetime in their trusty balloon, The Eagle.
In July of 1897, the trio sailed to Danskøya, a little
island in the northwestern part of Svalbard, and
prepared their balloon for the attempt. Although his
working hours were preoccupied with his upcoming
journey while waiting, Niels read a book to pass the
time. The bookmark he used was a card made by
Anna, which showed the three men flying in a balloon
and she had drawn herself. On the bottom of the card
she wrote: “To where I cannot follow”. In his pocket,
Niels kept her portrait and around his neck he wore a
gold heart, complete her picture and a lock of her hair.
On July 11, 1897, the trio took off from their little
island. After the takeoff, the balloon started spinning
and plunged toward the sea. Panicking, the crew
ejected more than 200 kg of ballast, causing the
balloon to fly too high and disappear behind the
clouds. No one heard anything from the trio for the
next thirty-three years…
According to Andree’s calculations, the hydrogen
balloon could stay afloat for at least 30 days, but the
journey came to an end after just 65 hours. The three
men had landed less than a third of the way to the
North Pole, and now had a long way to walk on the ice
back to Svalbard. The trio packed their sledges, but
they were very heavy, making it difficult to walk more
than a few kilometres at a time on the polar ice. Some
days they worked hard for more than 10 hours, but
they made no progress. In fact, they were moving
further and further north, despite their best efforts,
thanks to the drifting ice.
Along the way, Niels kept writing to Anna. On July 24,
1897, he wrote his last letter – a birthday
© Gaby
cardPilson
for
Anna. In it, he wrote that he was in the best of health
and that she didn’t need to worry about the
expedition.
23-30 June, 2019
Page 16
He promised that they would be make it home in
the end. But, due to the drifting ice, Niels was
constantly moving further away from Anna and
toward the North Pole he so desperately wished to
fly to.
Eighty-eight days after they started, the three men
finally made it to a small and isolated island called
Kvitøya by floating on an ice floe. After only a few
days on Kvitøya, all the three men died in October
1897, although no one knows why.There are many
different theories: carbon monoxide poisoning,
polar bear attack, and scurvy, among others.
But, it was only after ten years that Nils was
declared dead. Two years later, Anna married the
Englishman Gilbert Hawtrey, a 38-year-old French
teacher. At the wedding Anna told Gilbert that she
loved him, but her heart belonged to Niels.
Finally, after thirty-three years (1930), the remains
of the three explorers where found at Kvitøya, along
with all their equipment. Niels’ letters to Anna were
found in the camp and, after some examination,
were sent to Anna. The bodies of the three
explorers were brought back to Sweden, where
thousands of people came to welcome them home.
Anna died when she was 78 years old and is buried
in Torquaq. Although she shares the grave with her
husband, Gilbert Hawtrey, there is no heart in her
body.
The 4 th of September 1947 would have been Nils
Strindberg`s seventy-seventh birthday. In the early
morning, without seeking permission from the
authorities, Nils brothers secretly carried out Anna
Charlier’s final wish. After she died, her heart was
operated out of her body and cremated. Without
involving anyone, they opened Nils Strindberg`s
grave and lowered a small silver chest into it. The
chest held Anna Charlier’s heart, a final act
demonstrating the love she had for a wanderlustfilled
arctic explorer.
Volume 1, Issue 5

Page 17
The Northernmost Settlement
28 June 2019 – Ny-Ålesund & Ny-London From the Voyage Log
However, despite its coal mining background, Ny-
Ålesund is one of the most important sites in the
history of exploration of the North Pole. From here,
Roald Amundsen vied with Richard Byrd to be first to
fly over the North Pole. Byrd’s version of events
remains contested, but Amundsen successfully
crossed the pole with an Italian crew, provoking an
argument as to which country should take the
plaudits for the expedition.
© Renato Granieri Photography
Ny-Ålesund’s scenery can only be described as
dramatic - open vistas over Kongsfjord, jagged
mountains topped with sandwich-neat layers of
sediment, and glaciers inching their way to their
inevitable finale on the fjord. What more could you
ask for?
These days, though, Ny-Ålesund is populated only by
a group of international researchers, who use the
town’s northerly location to study vital aspects of the
Arctic’s environment, all of which is coordinated by
the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Few places have such incredible scenery, so Ny-
Ålesund is much different than many of our homes,
though it is somewhat typical of an Arctic settlement,
with its combination of colourful houses and buildings
sitting on top of a raw, barren landscape of gravel and
tundra.
The juxtaposition of the two is both breath-taking and
intriguing, though we took it all in stride; we even
handled disembarking on a quay like professionals: no
beach, no wet landing. It was like a tightrope walker
saying, “Look ma’, no hands!”
Although Ny-Ålesund grew up on coal, only the
remnants of mining remain: the old coal grading
plant, a disused railway track, and a wonky train that
lugged coal from 1917 to 1958, now restored and
going nowhere.
© Renato Granieri Photography
Soon enough, however, it was time to leave Ny-
Ålesund behind. During lunch we repositioned to Ny-
London on the other side of the fjord for a leisurely
walk in the tundra.
As we walked across tundra, we saw reindeer grazing
in the distance, ptarmigans in flight, and snow
buntings foraging on the ground At the lake, we were
treated to some good views of nesting red throated
divers, long–tailed ducks and purple sandpipers, while
overhead we saw arctic terns and a solitary long
tailed skua.
All the while, evidence of a failed mining operation
was more than plentiful, with an abundance of old
machinery, railroad tracks, and other such miningrelated
equipment paying homage to what was once
a major economic focus of the region.
© Renato Granieri Photography
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Polar Diplomacy
Thomas Bauer, Lecturer (Historian) & Expedition Guide
The polar regions of the high Arctic and the Antarctic
are some of the least explored parts of our planet
Earth. Compared to the rest of the world, these
regions have seen relatively few human inhabitants
and their ecology is dominated by snow, ice and
wind. The main inhabitants of these regions are polar
bears, walrus, seals, whales, birds and reindeer in the
high Arctic; and penguins, whales, seals and large
flying seabirds, such as the wandering albatross, in
Antarctica.
The Svalbard Treaty
The Svalbard (formerly known as Spitsbergen)
archipelago and the Antarctic continent have one
important commonality: they have never had a
permanent human population. From this fact arose
the interesting question of who owns these lands of
ice and snow?
In Svalbard this issue was settled on 9 February 1920
when the Treaty Relating to Spitsbergen (Svalbard)
Page 18
was signed in Paris. The archipelago had previous
been declared terra nullius or “no-man’s-land”
because no country had laid claim to it. The Treaty
recognized the sovereignty of Norway over all of
Svalbard but at the same time declared that nationals
of all the other signatory countries (USA, UK with its
dominions, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan,
Netherlands and Sweden) would have equal rights to
those of Norwegians to carry out commercial or
mining operations around the archipelago.
The Treaty also specified that this was to be a region
of peace where, according to Article 9: ‘Norway
undertakes not to create nor to allow the
establishment of any naval base in the territorial
waters of Svalbard’. Thus, was created the first
agreement between states to allow several countries
to enjoy the privilege of using existing resources in
Svalbard while at the same time maintaining the
region as a place of peace.
© Renato Granieri Photography
© Gaby Pilson
© Renato Granieri Photography
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Becoming an Expedition Guide
Gregers Gjersøe, Snowshoe Master & Expedition Guide
Page 19
Back in 1999, I crossed Greenland on skis with two of
my Danish friends. When we finally made it to the top
of the ice cap, we decided to celebrate by flying the
Danish and the Greenlandic flag. Unfortunately, we
ended up placing the Greenlandic flag upside down
because none of us was sure which way was correct...
During the remainder of the expedition, as we made
our way down from the top of the ice cap, I started
thinking more about why and how three Danish guys
could possibly know so little about Greenland, despite
the fact that it’s a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
When I returned home, I decided to learn all I could
about Greenland and the polar regions, travelling
extensively, not only to Greenland, but throughout the
Arctic and the Antarctic. The polar areas became my
passion and have been for the last twenty years. I
became so fascinated by the polar regions, that I
wanted to share my knowledge and love for these
places with other people. There is so much to love and
experience in the polar regions, from great scenery
and wildlife to the culture of the peoples who have
populated the Arctic since time immemorial.
© Renato Granieri Photography
I haven’t always worked in the polar regions, though.
Since childhood, I was very interested in navigation,
aerodynamics, metrology and aviation. I acquired my
pilot’s license in 1985 and worked as a commercial
pilot for Scandinavian Airlines during a 30 year career.
There, I was able to satisfy all of my interests while
learning how to work as part of a team, bringing the
aircraft from point A to point B in the safest way
possible.
After ending my pilot career, I took up yet another
dream of mine that had occupied my mind since
crossing Greenland. In Danish schools, there is very
little focus on the history and cultures of Greenland
and the Faroe Islands; thus, there is very little
awareness within the Danish population about these
countries. I wanted to create a much better awareness
and, therefore, I started the Polar School
(Polarskolen).
The school is run as a non-profit organization with a
board of nine members. I am chairman of the board
and there are members from the Danish government,
from Greenland, the Faroe Islands as well as teachers.
We have received funding from the Royal Crown
Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary.
Now, I travel Denmark, visiting schools with our
educational materials. Presently we teach 7 th graders,
but we are working towards having materials for 1 st
graders and 4 th graders.
Based on my background and experience in aviation
and in the polar regions, I could not think of a better
way to combine my passions for the Arctic and the
Antarctic then to become Expedition Guide. These
days, I spend five weeks of the summer in the Arctic
and five weeks of the winter in the Antarctic, so I can
show our guests all the places that I truly love.
23-30 June, 2019
© Renato Granieri Photography
Volume 1, Issue 5

The Final Days
29 June 2019 – Alkhornet & Ymerbukta
Page 20
From the Voyage Log
Although the midnight sun and the evening activities
kept us up much too late the preceding night, it’s only
fitting that we to got up early to make the most of our
last full day in Svalbard. After some early morning
pastries and a hearty breakfast, we got our cold
weather gear back on to head out for a final landing at
Alkhornet.
High winds and cold temperatures provided us with a
true arctic experience, as we bundled up for the
bumpy zodiac ride to the landing site. As soon as we
completed the steep, but thankfully short, climb up to
the tundra-covered plateau, however, we were
treated to some stunning views of a staggeringly tall
bird cliff and the surrounding mountain landscape.
© Renato Granieri Photography
Lunch came and went, and soon enough, it was time
for the afternoon zodiac cruise at Ymerbukta. Our
trusty zodiacs glided through the water, treating us to
stunning views of the surrounding mountains, glaciers,
and tundra-filled landscape.
All in all, Alkhornet and Ymerbukta proved to be a
glorious ending to a fantastic set of excursions during
our voyage around Svalbard. Although we’d love to
stay longer, life has other plans in store for many of us,
so we waved a fond farewell to Svalbard and all of the
adventures its wonderful landscape holds as we
zoomed back to the ship for the final time.
© Gaby Pilson
As we head out on our final guided walk of the trip, we
were treated to excellent views of the Svalbard
reindeer (Spitsbergen’s charismatic ungulate), while a
few of us even managed to enjoy a quick sighting of
the ever-elusive arctic fox.
Whether you were on the lookout for foxes, or were
mesmerised by the abundant wildflowers sprawled
across the tundra, it was hard, however, to miss the
tens of thousands of nesting seabirds high up on the
cliffs of Alkhornet. The cacophony of sounds of each of
these birds as they try to find their nest is one that
we’d be hard-pressed to forget.
Once back on the ship, we enjoyed our last afternoon
tea, a celebratory evening of cocktails and fine dining,
which was capped off by a decadent spread of
chocolate-based deserts to wrap up an amazing
culinary experience, thanks to the talents our head
chef, Indra.
Finally, we packed our bags, organized our belongings,
and prepared for disembarkation the next day and our
journeys home - a bittersweet adieu to the Ocean
Atlantic after a fantastic voyage in Svalbard.
Like all good things, however, our final landing came
to an end. After an equally exciting zodiac ride, we
were finally back on the ship for a well deserved lunch
and break before the afternoon’s activities.
© Renato Granieri Photography
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

A Brief History of the Zodiac
Steve Traynor, Zodiac Master
In expedition cruising, the most important tool we use is the Zodiac inflatable boat. These manoeuvrable,
reliable, robust vessels are the workhorse of the expedition cruise industry, from the north of Svalbard to
the southern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a long history – as you can see from the stages
below, many different inventions needed to come together to create the craft we use today.
Page 21
© Renato Granieri Photography
1838 Charles Goodyear (USA) discovered the process for vulcanising rubber (a US patent was granted
in 1844) – this process is used for hardening and strengthening rubber.
1843 Goodyear’s process was stolen by Thomas Hancock (UK) using the process of reverse
engineering; less controversially, Hancock invented the “masticator” – a machine for re-using
rubber scraps – this made the rubber industry much more efficient.
1845 The first successful inflatable boat (Halkett boat) was designed by Lieutenant Peter Halkett
(UK), specifically for Arctic operations. Halkett Boats were used by the Orcadian explorer, John
Rae, in his successful expedition to discover the fate of the Franklin Expedition.
1866 Four men made the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Britain on a threetube
inflatable raft.
1896 The original Zodiac company was founded by Maurice Mallet (France) to produce airships.
1909 The first outboard motor was invented by Ole Evinrude in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1912 The loss of the Titanic and subsequent shipping losses during World War 1 proved the need for
inflatable rafts for use as supplementary lifeboats.
1919 RFD firm (UK) and the Zodiac company (France) started building inflatable boats.
1934 The airship company, Zodiac, invented the inflatable kayak and catamaran
1942 The Marine Raiders – an elite unit of the US Marine Corps – used inflatable boats to carry out
raids and landings in the Pacific theatre.
1950 Alain Bombard first combined the outboard engine, a rigid floor and an inflatable boat (built by
the Zodiac company).
1952 Alain Bombard crossed the Atlantic Ocean with his inflatable; after this, his good friend, the
famous diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau, started using them.
1960 Zodiac licensed production to a dozen companies in other countries because of their lack of
manufacturing capacity in France.
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

Home Again
30 June 2019 - Longyearbyen
After last night’s end-of-voyage festivities, we
awoke much too early for our final morning on the
Ocean Atlantic. As the Ocean Atlantic pulled into its
anchorage in Longyearbyen, we started the process
of leaving behind the ship and the people we’ve
come to know so well over the past week.
Our bags were packed and stowed in the corridors,
ready for our early-morning busses and flights back
to Oslo, Copenhagen, and everywhere in between.
After seven whole days immersed in the landscapes
and amongst the wildlife of the Arctic, it was time
to return home or to wherever our life’s journeys
bring us.
And so – farewell, adieu, and goodbye. Together we
have visited and incredible and vast wilderness. We
have experienced magnificent mountain vistas,
seen icebergs roll and crack, felt the power of the
elements and seen how quickly they can change.
We enjoyed wonder food and comfortable
surroundings aboard the Ocean Atlantic. We
Page 22
From the Voyage Log
boarded zodiacs and cruised through icy fjords at
the end of the Earth. We have shared unique
moments, held engaging conversations, and
laughed together over beers and coffees. We’ve
made new friends and experienced the power of
expeditionary travel.
We hope the expedition team has helped make this
the trip of a lifetime - one that will persist in your
memories for weeks, months, and years, to come.
Although we must say good-bye to these places we
have come to know and love, it is a fond farewell as
we are all true ambassadors for the Arctic and all
the beauty it holds.
On behalf of Albatros Expeditions, our captain and
crew, the expedition team, and everyone else who
helped make this journey a resounding success, it
has been a pleasure travelling with you. We hope
that you will come back and experience these
wonderful places with us once again!
© Yuri Choufour
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5

A Final Note…
Page 23
As any good expedition comes to a close, many of us experience the
effervescent excitement that comes when we immerse ourselves
completely in an adventure. Although we all came into this voyage with
our own expectations and personal motivations, on the ship, we quickly
learned that the best plan is the one that we end up doing.
While weather and the landscape
can conspire against us in the
northern latitudes, the right mindset
can make all of the difference.
Wind, rain, sleet, and snow make
no difference when we come
prepared for an adventure and all
the excitement it holds. Whether
you saw what you came for or you
experienced something else
entirely, when you set out on an
expedition, you come for the
mountains and the wildlife, but
stay for people and places you
meet along the way.
Although we all eventually have to
leave behind our beloved Ocean
Atlantic, there are always a few
things we can take home from an
expedition:
• An acceptance and
embracement of adversity and
uncertainty when the natural
world alters our plans.
• A fondness for the wild and a
strong desire to keep remote
natural locations as beautiful
and free as they can be.
• An insatiable interest in learning
more about the people, places,
and cultures in some of the
most remote parts of the world.
As you unpack you bags, you may
find souvenirs and keepsakes from
your journey. Your camera may be
filled with countless photos,
however blurry, of the many
animals and mountains that have
crossed our paths. At the end of
the day, however, what matters
most is the experience of, the
journey to, and the memories of
these wild and wonderful places.
Best wishes from all of us on the
expedition team as you continue
on with your adventures!
Berna Urtubey
Expedition Leader
Lars Maltha Rasmussen
Assistant Expedition Leader
Thank you for experiencing the Arctic with us at Albatros
Expeditions. We hope to see you aboard the Ocean Atlantic
again in the future!
Steve Egan
Assistant Expedition Leader
23-30 June, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 5