A couple days ago, we took a small break from the little auks to go on an excursion to Gnolledan, a mountain near the Polish station. Gnolledan is a steep cliff-faced rock slab rising directly out of the sea that serves as the breeding colony for thousands of black-legged kittiwakes and thick-billed murres. It is one of the most beautiful and amazing places on Svalbard.
To get there, we took a zodiac with our friend Lech. We all wore our survival suits, and looked stunning! Even better, Lech gave us each a turn at the wheel (motor).
Derek LOVES driving…speedily!
Lech tries to explain the difference between right and left to me. I have trouble.
Julia faces the waves with gusto!
As soon as we arrived, a little Arctic fox came up to say hello. He took particular interest in our anchor, and even attempted to eat it.
Derek decided he wanted a closer look…
Nina helping with the gear upon arrival:
Before heading up to the cliff, we stopped to say hi at the Gnolledan trapper’s hut. It now serves as the home base for any scientists doing research in the area. While we were there, three botanists were sharing the tiny building.
Nina and Derek enter…
Forcing two botanists outside. I can barely stand up inside the building, but it is nice and warm!
The two poles with the cross bar in front of the door is to keep bears out – they can’t fit through the logs. Many of the cabins on Svalbard have this sort of safety lock. Turns out, it also keeps Laurel’s out (or in):
When we started our walk, we first went to the natural “hot” springs that run nearby (hot=not freezing). The water bubbles up out of the ground near the beach…where I was finally able to get a semi-decent shot of the purple sandpiper:
Lech, leading us up to the cliff face:
From afar, you can’t see much – but you can certainly hear the birds! The sound of kittiwakes, gulls, and murres is constant, and you can see them swooping through the air around each other.
At the base of the cliff face, we had an extraordinary view of the fjord. The glacier across the way:
At the cliffs, we could see the nests of the birds. The kittiwakes have neat little nests along the ledges, and the murres have incredibly managed to nest in the most impossible cracks. Their eggs are specially shaped so that they roll in a circle, rather than straight off the cliff.
Climbing up:
Kittiwakes nesting:
Kittiwakes and murres:
Amazing place! Once we got back to the station, we decided to go for a little survival-suit swim:
All in all a spectacular day!