tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77473225598518401232024-03-05T17:15:59.314-08:00Wild PlacesCold and/or remote parts of the world; beautiful scenery, spectacular wildlife and thoughts on science and the natural world.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.comBlogger304125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-28795127545192858742015-09-24T17:50:00.001-07:002015-09-24T17:50:46.002-07:00Breaching Humpbacks in AntarcticaI can’t believe I didn’t post...<img src="http://ift.tt/1KCE8i4" /><br />
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<p><b>Breaching Humpbacks in Antarctica</b></p>
<p>I can’t believe I didn’t post this ages ago. My last trip of the Antarctic season as EL, back in late February, we set out for a morning of whale watching. It’s always a risk deciding to ‘go whale-watching’ as you never know if they will turn up. This time it paid off because this Humpback appeared just 30 minutes after weighing anchor. It breached countless times, sometimes coming quite close to us. At first the breaches were less than a minute apart, but as he or she tired out they got further and further apart and it ran out of energy and spent most of its time logging. </p>
<p>Why do whales breach? We’re not sure, and it’s possible that the question ’why?’ when applied to animals may be meaningless anyway. What does it achieve? Again we are not sure – perhaps communication, stunning prey, showing off, shedding parasites, driving away competitors and/or predators or just having fun. I like to think it’s the latter; it certainly looks joyful.</p>
<p>Later we were treated to surface-feeding groups of Humpbacks. Between these whales and two pods of Orca, one with a breaching baby, it was a pretty successful day of whale watching.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-8601883918361695312015-09-19T15:45:00.001-07:002015-09-19T15:45:54.393-07:00lauren: An Iceland adventure with Alex, in wide-view. <img src="http://ift.tt/1MjjBCV" /><br />
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<p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://ift.tt/1MjjBTj">lauren</a>:</p>
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<p>An Iceland adventure with <a href="http://ift.tt/1KNpZk9">Alex</a>, in wide-view. </p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-89940925428727744042015-09-19T05:13:00.001-07:002015-09-19T05:13:28.998-07:00IcelandMy fourth visit to Iceland, but by far the best. Armed...<img src="http://ift.tt/1iEkk8e" /><br />
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<p><b>Iceland</b></p>
<p>My fourth visit to Iceland, but by far the best. Armed with 12 days and a 4WD camper van we felt totally free to explore. After wending our way through the beautiful Westfjords via a spectacularly narrow and crumbling road, we drove through deserts and lava fields, bathed in hot springs and hot rivers, hiked over sand dunes and year-old lava and cooked amazing meals in the van as we careered across the island.</p>
<p>My favourite part was the Highlands; they are a glaciated sandy desert criss crossed by rough tracks weaving through canyons lined by slabs of lava and dipping in and out of rivers. We went into the Highlands three times and saw the northern lights every time. We also got stuck in a river.</p>
<p>While we came to Iceland with high hopes it exceeded our expectations. It was the most adventurous road trip I’ve done, with several roads we weren’t sure we could get down, and plenty of time spent under the bonnet. Thank you to <a href="http://ift.tt/1I09uTZ">Lauren</a> for being there to share the experience and for being an amazing travel companion.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-25166724164429260742015-09-19T02:07:00.001-07:002015-09-19T02:07:30.186-07:00Making the most of having a 4WD we tried out a route that was...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-57942458997400791122015-09-18T17:20:00.001-07:002015-09-18T17:20:54.582-07:00Waves crash on a black sand beach on the south coast of Iceland.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-18338069336887312952015-09-12T13:50:00.001-07:002015-09-12T13:50:34.164-07:00lauren: 3 years ago, I placed seeing the northern lights at...<img src="http://ift.tt/1K5LEEW" /><br />
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<p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://ift.tt/1K5LEF0">lauren</a>:</p>
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<p>3 years ago, I placed seeing the northern lights at the “top of my list.” I wasn’t quite sure how to accomplish it, as the months I spend in Antarctica and the Arctic are in the polar summer, when it’s daylight 24 hours a day. </p>
<p>But this 12 day road trip in Iceland was my chance, and I’ve been cautiously optimistic every night. Until day 7, we’d been bogged down with rain, fog and cloudy nights, but last night, last night was just perfect. </p>
<p>We were in Askja in the highlands, a desolate expanse of lava fields, small mountains and endless horizons. What an incredible experience. I have huge respect for aurora photographers and their patience. </p>
<p>Here are a few photos I took. I hope I get another chance to see more, but if not, this was an incredible first experience. </p>
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<p>I was lucky enough to see beautiful northern lights with Lauren last night. The Icelandic Highlands are stunning; we drove through lava fields and a desert, forded rivers, hiked through sand dunes, clambered across year-old lava and bathed in hot rivers. It was incredible.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-76938225721938192182015-09-06T15:20:00.001-07:002015-09-06T15:20:34.904-07:00Kvitøya This last Arctic trip in Svalbard I was lucky and...<img src="http://ift.tt/1Nk93q1" /><br />
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<p>Kvitøya</p>
<p>This last Arctic trip in Svalbard I was lucky and privileged enough to land on the hallowed ground of what is considered by many to be THE most remote and inhospitable island in Svalbard; Kvitøya. If you want to know how hallowed this island is, I saw many people fall to their knees and kiss the ground.</p>
<p>Some years the ice never releases its grip on the island, and even when it does there are always several bears on the tiny scrap of beach that lies on the edge of the ice cap which makes up the vast majority of the island. Visiting at all is a rare and exciting event, but a landing is exceptionally rare.</p>
<p>In addition to the rarity of landings, the island has a harrowing history with mysterious gaps that don’t bear thinking about.</p>
<p>In 1897 Andrée’s Arctic Balloon Expedition set off from Danskøya to the North Pole. In doing so, Strindberg, Frænkel and Andrèe vanished from history and nothing more was heard for 33 years.</p>
<p>Doomed from the start by a badly leaking balloon and the loss of their steering apparatus on takeoff, they crashed on the ice after just two days. Ill prepared for travel on the ice, they spent months aiming for first Franz Josef Land and then Sjuøyane in Svalbard. Defeated by the drift, they settled for the winter on the ice, but their floe very soon broke up on the rocks surrounding the ice covered Kvitøya. Coming ashore, their diaries record only a few days of survival before entries cease.</p>
<p>In 1930 a chance landing on the rarely visited island soon uncovered mysterious remains of sleds and bodies. The identity of the party was an international sensation. The photos, deep frozen, were thawed and developed, giving a glimpse into the nightmare into which they descended.</p>
<p>But the discovery raised as many questions as it answered. Strindberg was buried in a shallow grave, Frænkel lay in the remains of the tent and Andrée was sat on a a ledge above the tent, his rifle at his side. How did they die? How did they survive for months on the ice but succumb after just a few days on the island? Why do their diaries, previously so detailed, tell us so little?<br /></p>
<p>Was Strindberg killed by a bear? Did Frænkel, weakened by trichinosis or lead poisoning, succumb to exhaustion and exposure? Did Andrèe, faced with a winter alone with two dead men, doomed to months of watching for bears alone in the dark, knowing he could never get back to civilisation without the help of his companions, take an overdose of morphine and fall asleep forever on that ledge, sitting there on solitary bear watch for 33 years?</p>
<p>Even on a sunny, calm day like the one we experienced for a few hours this summer, Kvitøya is a cold, barren and inhospitable place. There is no shelter from the swell, fog rolls down off the ice cap and numerous bears stalk the immense Walrus haul out.</p>
<p>Think of a lonely man, his expedition a failure and his companions dead, sitting on a rocky ledge on a barren beach, overlooking the grave he helped to build and contemplating the utter hopelessness of his situation. Death is a certainty…should it be violent, at the jaws of a bear, or prolonged, gripped by hunger and cold? Or should it be quick and painless? I don’t think anyone today could begrudge that choice.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-67636988915105018902015-09-03T07:31:00.001-07:002015-09-03T07:31:15.100-07:00Karl XII-øya is one of the most remote islands in the Arctic...<img src="http://ift.tt/1NcB0jw" /><br />
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<p>Karl XII-øya is one of the most remote islands in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Locked away in pack ice for most of the year, Rolf Stange puts it best:</p>
<p><i>“The end of the world! It is hard to imagine anything more remote than this island.”</i></p>
<p>In 1928 Italian aviator Umberto Nobile, returning from the North Pole in his airship <i>Italia</i>, crashed on the ice somewhere not far to the north of this island group, losing a third of his crew. With land faintly visible over the ice, three men set out to search for help. One died on the ice but the other two were eventually rescued by Soviet icebreaker <i>Krassin</i>.</p>
<p>I first became aware of the island three years ago when flicking through the ‘Arctic Pilot’. Information was distinctly lacking, restricted to a single overhead photo (see above). Intrigued I made an attempt to land but the logistics fell apart on the day and I was limited to a distant view</p>
<p>A few days ago I finally got there. As expected it was remote and covered in Polar Bears. A little part of my internal world map has been filled in.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-20199069299075056312015-09-02T10:15:00.001-07:002015-09-02T10:15:45.134-07:00Normally I would say that this lack of sea ice is a bad thing,...<img src="http://ift.tt/1KIs9nL" /><br />
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<p>Normally I would say that this lack of sea ice is a bad thing, but these open seas mean we can try for esoterica such as Karl XII-øya and go to the coveted island of Kvitøya. More on our travels to remotest North East Svalbard to come…</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-53872927870999983852015-09-02T08:53:00.001-07:002015-09-02T08:53:45.982-07:00There are bears here. Good.<img src="http://ift.tt/1LUuz4i" /><br />
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<p>There are bears here. Good.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-10528876787945193832015-09-02T02:21:00.001-07:002015-09-02T02:21:02.137-07:00Farewell to 50 let Pobedy and to ice breaking…on to Svalbard and...<img src="http://ift.tt/1KGRq1B" /><br />
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<p>Farewell to 50 let Pobedy and to ice breaking…on to Svalbard and adventures steadily further south. I’ll miss the ice but looking forward to more bears, walrus and far north eastern esoterica!</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-9868687613454686252015-08-25T13:42:00.003-07:002015-08-25T13:42:23.279-07:00lauren: Best GoPro of the season, taken last week flying...<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/137290066?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" title="Heli Tours Through a Fogbow in the High Arctic" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
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<p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://ift.tt/1U4W2Vo">lauren</a>:</p>
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<p>Best GoPro of the season, taken last week flying helicopters through a fogbow while breaking ice south from the North Pole. </p>
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<p>Flying helicopters was one of my highlights of our North Pole season. <a href="http://ift.tt/1I09uTZ">Lauren</a>’s video sums up the beauty of the great northern pack wonderfully.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-20868388400207394462015-08-25T13:42:00.001-07:002015-08-25T13:42:22.059-07:00Polar bear crossing a melt pond deep within the Arctic Ocean.<img src="http://ift.tt/1U4W1AM" /><br />
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<p>Polar bear crossing a melt pond deep within the Arctic Ocean.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-1932870214750154612015-08-25T12:56:00.001-07:002015-08-25T12:56:47.848-07:00After two months staring at a black-and-yellow ruler trying to...<img src="http://ift.tt/1Kifh7D" /><br />
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<p>After two months staring at a black-and-yellow ruler trying to determine ice thickness, it’s so pleasing to see our data being used to assess and model sea ice this summer. We were the ONLY source of thickness data on this side of the Arctic Ocean, which astonished us and also further validated the value of this project – we know we don’t collect as much data as other observers, but if we’re the only ones doing it then it is SO worth it.<br /></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-66907722647677011632015-08-24T12:21:00.001-07:002015-08-24T12:21:57.916-07:00lauren: I’m in Helsinki for a few days, resting after finishing...<img src="http://ift.tt/1ERqXs0" /><br />
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<p><a href="http://ift.tt/1U2M3zR" class="tumblr_blog">lauren</a>:</p>
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<p>I’m in Helsinki for a few days, resting after finishing up my North Pole season. </p>
<p>The highlight of my 7th voyage (!) to the North Pole was this polar bear. I had been longing for an “iceberg bear” since my first season in the Arctic, and wow, just amazing when it finally happened. We spent an hour with this wonderful creature, who was very patient with our big orange ship. </p>
<p>I also took a TON of video which I’ll edit together and share soon but for now, I hope you can get a good feel for this special Arctic moment through these photos.<br /></p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-25350270774765890502015-08-11T09:09:00.001-07:002015-08-11T09:09:19.259-07:00Arctic Helicopter and Icebreaker<img src='https://farm1.staticflickr.com/522/20489871665_1608b534b4_b.jpg' style='max-width:586px;' /><br />
<div>Arctic Helicopter and Icebreaker; Flying around Champ Island, Franz Josef Land. http://flic.kr/p/xdBWZp</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-70646963513211202242015-08-11T07:23:00.001-07:002015-08-11T07:23:45.492-07:00Back from my third North Pole commute this summer. Some glorious...<img src="http://ift.tt/1DG2Pxz" /><br />
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<p>Back from my third North Pole commute this summer. Some glorious weather and helicopter rides and data collection has carried on fantastically.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-57561782489572101202015-08-01T05:12:00.001-07:002015-08-01T05:12:36.295-07:00Champ Island, Franz Josef Land. Captain nosed the ship into the...<img src="http://ift.tt/1JD9V6D" /><br />
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<p>Champ Island, Franz Josef Land. Captain nosed the ship into the channel separating Champ from Salisbury Island and the views of the glaciers were amazing.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-28366593195138679352015-07-31T05:50:00.001-07:002015-07-31T05:50:24.581-07:00Champ Island Glacier, Franz Josef Land<img src='https://farm1.staticflickr.com/422/20143899316_ebee3e63cd_b.jpg' style='max-width:586px;' /><br />
<div>Champ Island Glacier, Franz Josef Land; http://flic.kr/p/wG3KsU</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-3053189032693942612015-07-31T02:57:00.001-07:002015-07-31T02:57:37.509-07:00Citizen Science at the North Pole Measuring melt pond sizes,...<img src="http://ift.tt/1OEOO3p" /><br />
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<p>Citizen Science at the North Pole</p>
<p>Measuring melt pond sizes, depths and salinities at the North Pole with our team of citizen scientists. The trip was fantastic and we had an excellent core group of ice observers. Now we are gearing up for the next one!</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-74259581472211917872015-07-31T02:07:00.001-07:002015-07-31T02:07:34.615-07:00Having fun in choppers in Franz Josef Land.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-24688517899191695782015-07-24T02:10:00.001-07:002015-07-24T02:10:27.143-07:00Extremely Northern Polar Bears?Last cruise, July 12th, we saw a...<img src="http://ift.tt/1LAmlhp" /><br />
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<p><b>Extremely Northern Polar Bears?</b></p>
<p>Last cruise, July 12th, we saw a mother Polar bear with two cubs. What was remarkable to us was their latitude; a very respectable 85 05′N 62 34′E.</p>
<p>Why is this unusual? Well, the central Arctic is a bit of a desert. It’s not for lack of primary productivity, so it may be due to a lack of open water most of the year. A LOT of life in the Arctic is concentrated at the ice edge and in polynyas. Polynyas are concentrated around the rim of the Arctic Ocean, leading to this rim sometimes being dubbed the “Arctic Ring of Life”. Open water is required for mammals like whales and seals to breathe, and for bears to be able to access these animals to hunt. Perhaps the summer is too short to encourage many animals to venture so far south into the newly opening leads of water, but it seemed there was time enough for this adventurous trio.</p>
<p>The cubs were very large, almost as big as mum, perhaps indicating an age of 2 years+ or thereabouts. The further north bears are the longer they seem to spend with mum before they leave, so they could be older than the average 2-2.5 years age at which they separate.</p>
<p>Bears are a constant source of mystery and excitement to me, and every one is a privilege to see. But these ones were just a little bit more mysterious than most.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-75108963352898530602015-07-23T02:06:00.003-07:002015-07-23T02:06:52.389-07:00Flying helicopters off a nuclear icebreaker in the Arctic...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-25893639418326317522015-07-23T02:06:00.001-07:002015-07-23T02:06:51.867-07:00Measuring melt pond salinity and depth profile at the North...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747322559851840123.post-32828371240434885972015-07-22T02:12:00.001-07:002015-07-22T02:12:37.594-07:00Helicopter operations in the Arctic OceanWe have been using the...<img src="http://ift.tt/1TPzzrH" /><br />
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<p><b>Helicopter operations in the Arctic Ocean</b></p>
<p>We have been using the helicopter tours to collect video data on the melt pond coverage; this is important as the more melt ponds there are, the more of the sun’s energy the ocean absorbs. The white ice reflects heat into space but for a long time climate models assumed that all of the ice was reflective. Now the ponds are being included but we need to work out just how much of the Arctic is covered by them and how they are evolving through the season.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07380591538280714384noreply@blogger.com0