Sunday 2nd August - Sjuoyane Ice Cruising - Monacobreen Glacier

It was not a bad night at all - daylight all night! It was a beautiful sunny morning when I went up to the observation lounge for a cup of tea while cruising into the fjord that leads to the Monacobreen or Monaco Glacier, our destination for this afternoon's Zodiac ride.

We had breakfast with Eugene and Jurate from Toronto, plus another couple from Florida and then went to the mandatory briefing on Arctic protocols for environmental care and safety. The morning was then spent out on deck looking at the spectacular scenery. Wendy went and tried on the boots she was borrowing from the ship and I had my own ones labelled.

Later, we went to the restaurant for lunch, during which there was a large calving off the glacier, which went on for quite a long time. Unfortunately, I did not have the camcorder with me!

We had a lazy afternoon waiting for our Zodiac ride at 4.30pm. We went out on deck at the front to watch our progress towards the glaciers and became increasingly chilly as we felt the cold air coming off them. We were the last off the ship as we were put in Group 4, the final Zodiac grouping.

Cruising up the fjord to our destination, Monacobreen Glacier

Below you can see Monacobreen on the left, and another glacier that was linked to Monacobreen on the right. This is now separated by the mountain in the centre, as the glaciers retreat. Monacobreen was named after Prince Albert I of Monaco at the end of the nineteenth century. Breen is Norwegian for glacier. It is at the head of Liefdefjord in the Spitsbergen National Park.

 

Monacobreen Glacier with the afternoon sun glinting off the still waters in the fjord

The wall of ice at the face of the glacier 

Our Zodiac driver was John Fonseca, an American who has spent time at both the North and South Poles.

Shortly after this photo was taken, a huge chunk of ice calved off into the fjord, causing large waves and swell to hit our Zodiac.

Our guide and Zodiac driver, John Fonseca

John gave us a fascinating insight into life at the Poles. He kept us well informed as we cruised up to the glacier. There were constant sounds of ice calving off the glacier and several really large falls took place. The sounds of the ice moving, as the glacier crept forward, reminded me of thunder. The magnificent sight, combined with the sounds of movement, was truly impressive. I managed to get one good slow-motion film and some photos. If we heard the sound of the calving, we knew we had missed it, as the sound comes after the event, so we would see only the splash. There were hundreds of Arctic terns feeding at the base of the glaciers and John said that, when they all fly off, it could be a sign that something is about to break off. Also, the areas of bluer ice are usually the places where calving is taking place.

After nearly two hours, we headed back to Silver Explorer. John is a lecturer, but also one of the bear guards, together with Chris Srigley and Luke Kenny. Our Zodiac had to be the last back to the ship as we were carrying the gun! This is an Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) rule. Soon after our return, it was time for Captain Denis Radja's welcome cocktail party, followed by dinner. We had been invited to dine with Selvaggia Rimoldi, the cruise consultant. Also on our table were Philip and Kay Snowden from Australia, Judith from Perth and Maria Paola, the sister of Selvaggia. It was an interesting evening, and I had an intriguing conversation with Judith, who has been married three times!

We all went to bed but then, just before midnight, we were wakened by news of blue whales near the ship. We went up on deck and watched the whales spouting and then briefly coming to the surface. I managed to take one piece of video. Below are three stills taken from it. Not brilliant, but a good record of having seen the giant of the oceans, the largest creature ever to have inhabited the earth!

The huge plume of spray as the whale 'blows'. The blow is a very distinctive ball shape, quite unlike that of other species of whales.

The distinctive shape of a blue whale spouting

The gently curving back of the whale as it starts to dive

The small dorsal fin of a blue whale (upper right)

Another box ticked!!