Voyage Log July 06 SVALBARD

6 – 12 July, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 7 

The Albatros 

SVALBARD: 

LAST STOP 

BEFORE THE 

NORTH POLE 

© Yuri Choufour 

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

The Albatros 

Editor-in-Chief: 

Staff Writers: 

Layout & Design: 

Expedition Leader: 

Assistant Expedition Leader: 

Shop Manager: 

Expedition Photographer: 

Zodiac Master: 

Kayak Master: 

Rifle Master: 

Expedition Guide/Lecturer: 

Front Cover Image: 

Back Cover Image: 

Photography Contributors: 

Yeti (Jes Gravgaard) 

Amanda Dalsgaard 

Yeti and Gaby Pilson 

Bernabe Urtubey 

Steve Egan & Lars Maltha Rasmussenen 

Nadine Smith 

Yuri Choufour 

Steve Traynor 

Slava Nikitin 

Stefano Tricanico 

Amanda Dalsgaard 

Rashidah Lim 

Wan Meng Chieh 

Wilson Cheung 

Aviajaja Schlüter 

Yeti Gravgaard 

Jim Cao 

James Floyd 

Emil Maltha Rasmussen 

Kittiwake © Yuri Choufour 

Ny-Ålesund © Gaby Pilson 

Renato Granieri Photography 

Gaby Pilson 

Yuri Choufour 

© Gaby Pilson 

6-12 July, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

The Voyage 

By the Numbers 

Day 1: Into the wild 

The Seven Sisters of Szczecin 

The King of the Arctic 

Day 2: Hottest Day in the Arctic 

Day 3: North to 80 o 21.541’N 

Ice is Nice – Glacier Fun Facts 

Day 4: Ny Ålesund and Ny London 

Day 5: Icy Waters 

Svalbard: A Breeding Ground for 

Migrant Birds 

Day 6: The final day 

Polar Diplomacy 

A Brief History of the Zodiac 

Day 7: Home Again 

A Final Note 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19

By the Numbers… 

Page 5 

Voyage Statistics: 

Northernmost Point: 

Total Distance Travelled: 

80 o 21.541’N, 10 o 08.286’E 

554 nautical miles 

Excursion Locations: 

Longyearbyen: 78 o 12.651’N, 15 o 32.408’E 

Billefjord: 78 º 28.702’N, 14 º 15.457’E 

Signahamna: 79 o 16.362’N, 11 o 34.061’E 

Møllerfjorden: 79 º 16.502’N, 11 º 51.052’E 

Pack Ice Cruise: 80 o 21.541’N, 10 o 08.286’E 

Ny-Ålesund: 78 o 54.871’N, 11 o 59.759’E 

Ny-London: 78 o 56.237’N, 12 o 01.548’E 

14 Julibukta: 79 o 07.554’N, 11 o 48.352’E 

Alkhornet: 79 o 13.110’N, 13 o 52.685’E 

Poolepynten: 78 o 27.201’N, 11 o 51.156’E 

Longyearbyen: 78 o 12.651’N, 15 o 32.408’E 

6-12 July, 2019 

Volume 1, Issue 7

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 © Yuri Choufour 


Volume 1, Issue 7

DAY 1: Into the wild 

6 July 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 inLongyearbyen. 

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 


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, intrue 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. 


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 itholds. 

“ 

We can only ever experience true 

beauty in nature when we are 

brave enough to seek it out… 

” 


6-12 July, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 7

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 inSzczecin, 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 itcould operate inminefields 

• 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 Baltictraffic, 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 inMajuro 

and renamed 2010 to Atlantic; 

renovations inItaly and intraffic 

Stockholm-Helsinki-St.Petersburg 

during summer and laid up (October 

2010) inSt Petersburg 

2012 Sold to ISP inMiami and renamed to 

Ocean Atlantic under Marshall 

Islands flag 

2013 Used as a hotel ship inthe German 

bight wind farm project 

2015-2017 Laid up inHelsingborg and taken to 

Gdansk in Poland, where totally 

refitted 

2017 Chartered to Quark Expeditions 

2017-present Chartered to Albatros Expeditions. 

© Renato Granieri Photography 


Volume 1, Issue 7

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. 




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 7

DAY 2: Hottest Day in the Arctic 

7 July 2019 – Lilliehookbreen & Regnardnest 

Page 9 


The M/V Ocean Atlantic sailed through Cross Bay 

and into Krossfjorden around the time the sun would 

normally be rising in our homelands. However, as we 

arrived to our afternoon destination, it was shining 

brightly and had been all night long, here in the land 

of the midnight sun. 

The journey down the dramatic Lilliehookfjorden 

ends in the spectacular 11 km wide glacier named 

Lilliehookbreen, our destination for this morning’s 

Zodiac cruise. Lilliehookbreen is fed by ten large 

tributary glaciers and an even greater number of 

smaller ones making it one of the largest glacier on 

the west coast of Spitsbergen. 

The weather was stunning with blue skies and no 

wind, making for excellent photography conditions 

to capture the mirror effect of the glacier on the icy 

cold waters below. An abundance of Arctic terns, 

kittiwakes, guillemots, northern fulmars and 

common eider ducks perched on the floating glacier 

ice or swam about near the Zodiacs. 



Regnardpynten has historical significance due to the 

1910 and 1912 German Zeppelin expeditions. These 

early explorers first came here because they initially 

believed the area was suitable for an airship base. 

Regnardpynten is also home to the historic Lloyds 

Hotel. Despite the 5 stars on the door, do not expect 

to find establishment offerings of any kind of service 

or hospitality. It is simply this is just an unusual small 

hut painted bright orange. 

Following the tundra walk, the guests were given yet 

another chance to Zodiac cruise! This time, it was an 

after-dinner activity where guests and guides alike 

were greeted by hundreds of sea birds, as well as 

many charismatic megafauna hauled up on the ice 

floes (harbour seals). All in all, it was a fabulous way 

to wrap up our first official day of our Arctic 

expedition. 


During lunch, the ship repositioned to a nearby site 

called Regnardneset, a historical landing with 

wonderful views and another glacier called 

Kollerbreen. Guests were soon again embarking onto 

the Zodiacs for the short trip ashore to walk amongst 

the Arctic tundra and appreciate the newly 

blossomed wildflowers at Regnardpynten. 

© Steve Traynor 


Volume 1, Issue 6

DAY 3: North to 80 o 21.541’N 

8 July 2019 – Into the endless ice 


Page 10 

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, we learned much 

about these elusive creatures through a couple of 

lectures given by Amanda and Wilson during our 

voyage to 80 degrees north. 



© Yuri Choufourc 

Soon enough, however, it was time to enjoy the 

scrumptious Arctic barbecue, compliments of Chef 

Indra and his talented team. Once lunchtime was all 

but a distant memory, it was time for our afternoon 

activity: a once-in-a-lifetime Zodiac cruise through 

Fuglefjord. With our trusty Zodiacs breaking 

through small floes of brash ice, we managed to get 

up close and personal with dozens of sea birds and 

even a minke whale! After a beautiful afternoon 

filled with wildlife and remarkable views, he 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 inthe ice. 

Thanks to our Captain’s skills and navigation through 

the ice-covered sea, we managed to snap some great 

photos as well as experience many sea birds on and 

above the ice we were cruising through. A great 

celebration announcement was set forth as we sailed 

passed 80 degrees north. 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 enjoyed the icy views from a 

cozier location on board. 



30 June - 6 July, 2019 

Volume 1, Issue 6

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 


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. 


Page 11 

1 

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. 

3 


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. 


Volume 1, Issue 7

DAY 4: 

Ny Ålesund and Ny London 

9 July 2019 

Page 12 


In brilliant sunshine and perfectly calm conditions we 

landed by zodiac at Ny Alesund and walked up to the 

main town. The party split into various groups, one 

heading past Roald Amundsen's bust towards the old 

mooring mast erected in 1926 for his North Pole 

expedition with the airship NORGE. 

Another group headed towards the dog compound 

looking for wildlife, spotting an ivory gull feeding on 

some of the dog rations. Arctic terns nested very close 

to (and even on) the road. 

Everyone also visited the well-stocked shop where 

there was a brisk trade in souvenirs, clothing and soft 

toys. Postcards (and stamps) were also popular, with 

the added option of posting them from one of the 

most northerly post offices in the world. The museum 

opposite the shop had excellent displays about the 

history of the town. The final stoup around 11am was 

at the ‘Yellow River’ Chinese Research Station for a 

group photo. 


© James Floyd 

Continuing our hike across the barren tundra, we 

looked at the wild flowers and colourful lichen. Two 

reindeer were spotted, one lying down in the snow 

to cool off. 

After dinner, we had a Zodiac cruise looking for a 

polar bear which has been spotted earlier. It was 

located lying down in the grass, though we could not 

approach within one mile. After the bear encounter, 

we cruised around the bay before returning to the 

repositioned ship. 

© James Floyd 


In the afternoon we landed on Blomstrand Peninsula 

to visit the old quarrying operations at Ny London. 

These had been started in 1911 by investors from 

London, England, to extract the supposedly excellent 

marble. Industrial machinery was installed, including 

steam boilers, stone saws and a large crane. 

Unfortunately, the marble disintegrated rapidly into 

small fragments due to frost action and the operation 

was abandoned by 1920. 


Volume 1, Issue 7

DAY 5: Icy Waters 

10 July 2019 – Conway Breen 

and 14 th of July Breen 

Yet again we started the morning with a wakeup 

call from our Expedition Leader Berna. After 

a quiet night spent at anchor at the Kongsfjord 

we were ready to explore more of the 

beautiful Svalbard. The Zodiacs were launched, 

and the morning was spent cruising around the 

Conway Glacier and amongst the icebergs. We 

swapped the blue sky of the past days for a 

more mystical feeling with slight fog and a 

beautiful soft grey light. The chilly breeze gave 

us a real Arctic touch and through our camera 

lenses we saw the pristine nature glide by. 


On return from our Zodiac exploration most of 

us warmed up with a warm cup of tea and 

delicious chocolate chip cookies before we 

were ready for the amazing Polar Plunge 

event. Icy waters, great music, lots of smiles 

and a shot of vodka put us all in the right mood 

for the big jump. A big congratulations to all 

who dared the Arctic waters and plunged into 

the big ocean! The cheering from Deck 7 and 

the Mudroom made the whole experience 

even more special. 

Page 13 


For all Arctic swimmers and spectators, we 

shared a celebratory lunch in high spirit before 

we yet again were ready to gear up with warm 

clothes and cameras. This time the destination 

was the 14th of July Glacier with great birdlife 

and a bit of a swell. Here we encountered cliffs 

with lots of guillemots, colourful puffins, 

screeching gulls, and even reindeers. It was 

stunning getting close to the bird cliffs and see 

the rugged coastline these animals call home. 

To top off our Zodiac cruise we went closer to 

the glacier and even had a bit of a rumble as 

pieces of ice broke off and fell into the water. 

Icy blue icebergs covered in kittiwakes was 

scattered around the area as we moved through 

the waters. 

Onboard the ship Wilson animatedly told us 

about his Antarctic experiences and his travels 

to the South Pole before we dove into the art of 

dumpling making. These tasty treats were ready 

for us to enjoy at dinner together with a 

wonderful buffet dinner. 




Volume 1, Issue 7

Svalbard: A Breeding Ground for Migrant Birds 

Dr. George Swan, Lecturer (Ornithology) & Expedition Guide 

Page 14 


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 inthe region. 


Volume 1, Issue 7

Day 6: The Final Day 

11 July 2019 – Alkhornet & Poolepynton 

On this last day of our cruise, Berna woke us up with a 

message that we were back to more average Svalbard 

weather. The peak of Alkhornet was covered in clouds 

and if the clouds would cover the site, we would not 

be able to do a landing in polar bear country with a 

bad visibility. 

However, the clouds lifted and half of our group 

landed beneath this impressive cliff with the voices of 

thousands of breeding kittiwakes and guillemots. On 

our walk we came very close to several Svalbard 

reindeer that were either resting or grazing. Most of 

us were also lucky to see two young foxes resting and 

playing on the rock just outside their hide. 

Meanwhile the other half of the guests enjoyed a 

Zodiac cruise, when a minke Whale was surprisingly 

spotted, and eventually all guest on the Zodiacs saw 

the whale very close. 

Page 15 



All in all, Alkhornet and Poolepynten 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. 

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 

Atlanticafter a fantasticvoyage inSvalbard. 

During lunchtime we relocated to Poolepynten on 

Prins Karls Forland known for an important walrus 

haul out. And sure enough, there was a large group of 

walrus resting on top of each other next to a small hut. 

We approached slowly the walrus in small groups and 

enjoyed also seeing the walrus coming out of the 

water to rest. Finally, we enjoyed a lazy walrus rolling 

his way down the beach to the water instead of 

bothering lifting his massivebody. 



Volume 1, Issue 7

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 16 

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. 





Volume 1, Issue 7

A Brief History of the Zodiac 

Steve Traynor, Zodiac Master 

Page 17 

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 differentinventions needed to come together to create the craft we use today. 


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 three - 

tube 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. 


Volume 1, Issue 7

DAY 7: Home Again 

12 July 2019 - Longyearbyen 

After last night’s end-of-voyage festivities, we 

awoke much too early for our final morning on the 

M/V Ocean Atlantic. As the she 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 onwards. 

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 18 


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 itholds. 

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! 



Volume 1, Issue 7

A Final Note… 

Page 19 

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 


Volume 1, Issue 7

Voyage Log July 06 SVALBARD

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