Just like the previous summer, I got to join a boat trip in Kongsfjorden with the crew of the Dutch station in Ny-Ålesund, in between busy field days. This time, we explored Gerdøya and Blomstrandbreen.

Gerdøya has been ice free for a relatively long time compared to other islands in the fjord, and harbours lush vegetation (well ok, relatively lush for a High Arctic island..) and thick, mossy organic soils. I found several interesting plants, mosses and liverworts that I had not seen on Svalbard before. I am always reluctant to sample anything, in case the species is rare or I damage a sensitive population. But I regret not taking better photo’s or maybe a tiny sample just this one time, because I have a hunch that maybe one of the things I found is not known to occur in this area. We will never know, unless I go back some time.. 🙂

Blomstrandbreen is a poster child of glacier recession. It has retreated so much in recent decades that the Blomstrand “peninsula” (Blomstrandhalvøya) has become detached from the coastline and turned out not to be a peninsula at all, but an island. Several other islands have appeared from under the ice. We waited at a safe distance in front of the glacier and listened to its rumbling sounds. Maarten recorded our trip and musings in front of the glacier in a 360-degree video. You can drag the view to have a look around the boat.