Ny-Alesund - Northernmost Human Habitation - 7 Aug 2015

Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard

 

You are here....

We left the northernmost ‘town’ of Longyearbyen, and arrive at the northernmost ‘settlement’ of Ny-Alesund in Kings Bay- Latitude 78.56.00 N.  It has a population ranging between 30 and 150 (scientists from 15 countries of the world) depending on the season.

Hudson discovered the Bay in 1607, and called it Whale Bay, as – in his words – ‘they frolicked like carps in a fish pond’. In 1710, it was renamed Kings Bay and the Kings Glacier covered the entire Bay. No more frolicking whales nor glaciers reaching the sea…..

Now...

...and then

Between 1901 and 1905 mining companies bought concessions here. Coal was extracted until 1963, when a series of firedamp explosions resulted in the mine’s closure.

After the Norwegian Institute of Geophysics started to operate a research station around 1920, the idea of conquering the North Pole by air began. Byrd, Amundsen and Nobile made attempts, some tragic in result.  Amundson started flight to the Pole via Zeppelin ‘Norge’ here, thus adding to his famous feats: being the first to fly over the North Pole, first to step on the South Pole, beating Scott by a month, and second to reach the North Pole on foot – or ski/dog sled.

Amundsen

 

Relics of the olden days are found throughout the settlement: an abandoned steam locomotive dating back to 1920 mining days, coal shafts and conveyors, Amundsen’s polar accommodation and Zeppelin pole, a number of wooden houses belonging to mining personnel. A few buildings have been converted into a small museum, a little store, and a post office.

Downtown Ny-Alesund

International Scientists Settlement...

The rest of the historic structures are used as accommodation scientists’ quarters. A number of recently built buildings house laboratories, a gym, a mess hall, storage facilities and garbage collection containers (garbage is shipped back to mainland Norway). A major project under construction is a new Geodecy Station – Earth Observatory – which should be fully functioning in 2018 and using quasars 12 billion light years away, to measure earth surface and its changes (including sea level changes) to the millimeter. Norways Mapping Authority will be commanding the Ny-Alesund Earth Observatory.

There is an airport – but do not expect daily flights. There are many installations, which monitor outer space – one of them on Zeppelin Mountain, only reached by cable car (reserved for scientists).  Flora, fauna, climate and climate change, geodecy….all seem to be subject to be studies by resident scientists.

The Dock, short but sufficient for Prinsendam

Abandoned Mining Locomotive

The ‘harbour’ looks as if recently updated. What seems to be a relatively new breakwater/pier protects a small marina with modern floating docks, where research-Zodiacs are tied up. Prinsendam used the short commercial dock, a few steps from ‘town’.

We are in protected tundra and in protected Polar Bear land. So ‘don’t step off the road’ signs everywhere.

Mosses and lichens grow even under the stilted houses....

Bears frequent the settlement on occasion, and are active at all times outside of it.

And here is what you do, as not to shoot anyone accidentaly in town...

Abandoned Mining Sched

Do not leave town without a fire arm. Our invasion of passengers on the small settlement was ‘traffic –controlled’ by Prinsendam staff, who were positioned along the main street to hinder anyone attempting to venture near some of the buildings, anywhere onto the natural tundra, and definitely not a step beyond the ‘fire arm free’ zone.

Herding Barnacle Geese

Scientists at work...

Gotcha!!!!

 

There was no Polar bear in town today; the one who apparently visited yesterday was busy today eating a dead walrus somewhere along the coast. Barnacle geese had been rounded up in their pond upon our arrival, and spend the day in a wire cage with scientists checking them out. Once we re-boarded, the geese were let go again.

Barnacle Goose Chicks are banded here...

Flirting Terns

Keeping Watch over the nest...

The air is filled with the twitter of Arctic Terns, who are nesting and breeding now. They like to build their nests in gravelly ground (hence forbidden to step there – the eggs blend into the gravel). They are fiercely protective of their young, and dive bomb man or beast, daring to come too close, and peck ears and heads. Local advice: carry a stick pointing up – the attack is then diverted from one’s head to the top of the stick.

Terns do attack - I can bear witness to that....they descended on me with bloodcurdling screams

How to fight off terns...

A few reindeer grazed  just outside town limits. There is plenty of moss and lychen and lots of purple saxifrage, a small flower, for them to graze on.

Abandoned Mining Conveyor

Tundra Fjord and Glaciers

Oldest House in Ny-Alesund

We spend the day making ‘the permitted round’ on ‘the main road’ once or twice, taking in the spectacular scenery surrounding us. The sun did not penetrate the cloud-cover, however, visibility afforded vistas over the far away glaciers and towering peaks beyond the Bay. Descriptive signage along the road explained the historic significance of various buildings, bringing the past alive in some way.

Many passengers took advantage of the little post office, sending postcards from the extreme north to loved ones back home.

The Post Office

The sole little store in town sported a queue of eager purchasers all day long. They must have bought literally hundreds of stuffed animals (polar bears, walruses, seals), loads of t-shirts, fleece garments with Ny-Alesund motifs (mostly made in China), local maps, postcards, books, fridge-magnets and other doo-dahs.

Buyers patiently awaited their turn at the cash register (Visa accepted), and a local lady acted as ‘door keeper’ to maintain the crowd inside at a manageable level. 

The town receives expedition ships almost daily (with few passengers); a number of larger cruise ships call in sometimes. The post lady mentioned, that she was lucky to have had the day off when one of the Costa ships called in once with over 4000 passengers aboard – and only two ladies staffing the little shop.

Calving Ice Berg

I spent only a day here, but for sure a most unusual day. It is difficult to imagine, how a handful of people live here, dedicated to research, tolerating harsh climate and a long polar night, dealing with scarce human contact and being deprived of what we may consider the ‘comforts of civilization’. It must take an very strong character to volunteer for a stint of work in this northernmost outpost of human habitation.

These are not the bears we saw....but they are sure 'cute' when little....

On our cruise out of the Bay, a polar bear mother and her cub wandered along the shore not too far from ‘town’. Without binoculars, it looked like a white blob, but on closer inspection – indeed: the one and only sighting of a Polar Bear on this voyage!