Surrounded by ice!

This morning, we found ourselves on the eastern side of Spitsbergen, at the Negribreen glacier. After breakfast, we boarded our Zodiacs to experience this spectacular display of ice formations up close. The ice around us crackled like sparkling water as air bubbles trapped within it were released into the atmosphere. Ahead of us, the immense glacier front rose majestically, glowing white against the deep blue sky.

The Svalbard archipelago is home to countless glaciers and ice caps – as much as 60% of Svalbard’s surface is covered by ice. Many of Svalbard’s glaciers are several thousand years old, offering an awe-inspiring sense of perspective. Parts of the glaciers and the icebergs that break away as they calve resemble blue crystals.

The intense blue colour is a sign of ice that has been compressed under high pressure over a long period of time, forcing out air bubbles and making the ice denser. Blue wavelengths of light can then penetrate the ice more easily, giving it its strikingly intense blue colour.
 

We navigated the Zodiacs among smaller pieces of ice and icebergs for almost three hours. We never tired of the incredible ice formations – each one was unique and beautiful.

As our excursion began to draw to a close, we were treated to a magnificent finale in the form of a gigantic iceberg that resembled a cathedral. It was difficult to grasp its sheer size, but the gulls flying in and out through the cathedral-like arches of ice gave us a sense of its enormous proportions.

What a fantastic day in the wilderness of Svalbard!

Vänligen notera! Beroende på vilket objektiv som används för fotografering eller videoupptagning kan ett djur uppfattas närmare än vad det är. Vi följer alltid rådande riktlinjer i Arktis för att försäkra oss om att vi inte stör djurlivet.