Legendary crusing photographer Rick Tomlinson leads a wildlife expedition sail in Svalbard trying to find polar bears and gorgeous surroundings to seize
It’s 0600 and I hear motion down beneath, our information Marcel going for his bathe. I’d woken a few hours earlier after I knocked a pillow protecting the window and vivid, vivid, daylight got here streaming in. I couldn’t get again to sleep, we have been in an space the place polar bears had been just lately sighted and I might really feel they have been on the market proper now.
Marcel got here up, took one go searching and calmly stated, ‘There’s a bear.” The place? I’d been staring on the identical space for 2 hours and seen nothing, the truth is I nonetheless couldn’t see it!
We have been aboard the expedition yacht Qilak within the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard on a photographic expedition that was initially deliberate to mark a sixtieth birthday two years in the past, however bought rescheduled on account of Covid. Qilak is a 66ft purpose-built high latitude expedition yacht owned and skippered by Belgian Philippe Carlier, whose distinctive idea happened after he ran into designer Merf Owen in a pub in Hamble.
Constructed at KM Yacht Builders in Holland in aluminium, and launched in 2016, Qilak incorporates lots of the skipper’s personal concepts in addition to the design groups and KMs enter. She is distinctive by her define, robust and purposeful, but with just a few extra comforts than a few of the different expedition yachts I’ve labored on.
Qilak spent a lot of the pandemic in Norway and Iceland and had sailed to Svalbard just a few weeks earlier than we joined her in Longyearbyen. At 78° north that is probably the most northern city on this planet with a inhabitants of simply over 2,000. Whenever you take a look at a map, first discover the highest of Norway, then go up one other 500 miles – that’s the Svalbard archipelago and Longyearbyen is on the island of Spitsbergen.
It’s simply over 600 miles to the North Pole. By comparability the cruising space on the Antarctic Peninsula is round 63° south, some 1,600 miles from the South Pole such is the impact of the Gulf Stream on northern climates.
Qilak could be our base, our lodging and our transport, and it was with nice pleasure all of us met on board after two years of contact solely by electronic mail and Zoom.
The company have been a German household, mates and grownup youngsters, the mother and father each very eager photographers who annually would take an prolonged images journey for his or her trip. For this birthday they’d signed up for a ‘Rick Tomlinson Pictures Expedition’ through Qilak’s web site.
Stepping ashore for a hike. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
Taking care of us and retaining us secure on board the 4 crew consisted of proprietor/captain Carlier, Spanish first mate Carlos Torre, Czech Tomas Lindovsay on the inside, and native specialist information and gun handler Marcel Schütz from Switzerland, which actually made for a global group.
Wild topics
Might remains to be early within the Arctic and this 12 months the pack ice was properly established a great distance south so venturing onto the north coast was inconceivable.
Given these limitations we made our method north to discover the Lillehookfjorden and Kongfjorden, stopping on the way in which to {photograph} the walrus colony on Sarstangen. At round 100 miles it concerned an in a single day passage, however you wouldn’t have identified it as we sailed in 24 hours of daylight. This was the one day of poor climate and we have been set to take pleasure in 9 days of sunshine, blue skies and mirror-like waters as a big space of excessive stress dominated the world.
Walrus colony photographed at Sartstangen on the way in which to Lillehookfjorden. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
As soon as within the fjords we’d method the glaciers and drift with the brash ice, or anchor Qilak in a secure location then use the Zodiac RIB to take folks ashore to hike, or use the Zodiac to discover across the ice and islands.
Temperatures have been round 4° however within the solar it could really feel a lot hotter. Nonetheless, there was nonetheless numerous snow on the bottom mendacity as much as a metre deep which might make strolling onshore fairly tough. Additionally ashore was the very actual hazard from polar bears, so information Marcel carried a flare pistol and shotgun each time we have been on land.
Photographers can by no means make certain fairly what they’ll see throughout an expedition to the Arctic, however bearded seals make for perfect topics. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
Because the images information I might speak via what I used to be seeing, which lens I used to be utilizing and why. I’d provide extra assist to the much less skilled within the group and let the extra skilled do their very own factor, however at all times readily available to reply questions and focus on strategies.
Within the evenings we’d edit our photos, then share them on a giant display within the saloon. Normally the entire group would acquire one thing from this, together with me. The temptation with wildlife is to fill the body with the topic, but it surely’s additionally essential to point out the atmosphere and habitat they’re in – in any other case you may be taking pictures in a zoo!
Nonetheless, as with all guidelines in images, these guidelines are made to be damaged. By coincidence we have been all utilizing Nikon gear – my favorite lens is the Nikon 200-500mm zoom. To maintain the photographs sharp with the lengthy lenses a quick shutter pace is required, normally no less than 1/2,000 sec with ISO 400.
Qilak anchored within the mist at Svalbard. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
With wildlife you possibly can’t assure what you’ll see however because of Marcel and the expertise of skipper Phil we have been in a position to benefit from the chance. For a visit like this polar bears are usually on the prime of everybody’s want record, however it’s a must to be sensible and it’s not a certainty that you just’ll see them. That stated, on my 5 journeys as much as Svalbard we at all times have.
Nonetheless, walrus, whales, reindeer, puffins and the various several types of seabird, plus the attractive glaciers and icebergs are kind of assured. Every single day we have been fortunate to see quite a bit, helped by the attractive climate making the ice and glaciers sparkle.
Capturing midnight
I’d introduced a drone for one particular shot of Qilak within the ice by a glacier. I’m not a fan of utilizing drones on this atmosphere, significantly across the birds and wildlife, however away from them they provide a singular perspective and present what it’s wish to be on this distant place. I wished the sunshine as little as attainable for the image, and at the moment of 12 months this meant taking pictures at midnight. This is likely one of the nice issues of a devoted images journey on a small vessel – you could have the required time and once you wish to attempt one thing all people buys into it.
At midnight first mate Carlos and I took the Zodiac away from Qilak to launch the drone clear from the mast and rigging. The sunshine had softened just a bit, however in images phrases there’s solely two F stops variation between taking pictures at noon or midnight up right here.
Qilak among the many ice. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
The place attainable I have a tendency to make use of a drone purely to get the excessive vantage level, so I take the RIB out to the place I’d usually shoot from after which the drone goes up vertically, I take the shot after which it comes down and we hand catch it – minimising as a lot danger in flying or retrieving it as attainable. I exploit the DJI Phantom 4 because it has correct legs to catch it with. The draw back is it’s a lot bigger than, for instance, a Mavic and awkward to journey with on plane.
The image was precisely what I’d envisioned, displaying Qilak as a small boat within the wilderness. I used to be actually happy with the end result and it’ll characteristic in my 2023 calendar.
Zooming in to get a shot of a polar bear. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
The bear hunt
Whenever you begin a visit like this it initially appears like you could have on a regular basis on this planet, however immediately time hurries up and in just a few days it’ll be over. I felt we have been repeating what we have been photographing and we hadn’t seen all of the issues we wished to: specifically a polar bear. From our contacts and analysis most up-to-date sightings have been within the fjords nearer to Longyearbyen so we made the choice to move again that method.
Once more we made an in a single day passage and I joined within the watch system, actually having fun with the time alone and accountable for the boat. There was no wind so we motored at a cheap 6 knots. It was stunning retaining watch within the pilothouse with autopilot on, espresso in hand.
Crusing to Svalbard in
24-hour daylight in Might. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
Inside Isfjorden we went first into Dicksonfjorden after which into Ekmanfjorden. It was right here that Marcel noticed the bear. Even with binoculars I nonetheless couldn’t see it. We lifted the anchor and made our method throughout the fjord. A small expedition cruise ship had additionally noticed it and was heading that method too. Each vessels drifted by the ice shelf with the bear a great distance off within the distance, seeming unaware of our presence.
My thoughts was racing; would he come our method or stroll off? We have been watching him for fairly some time as he slowly paced backwards and forwards, then immediately he was inside digital camera vary, quickly closing the space between us. He started taking curiosity within the boats, coming proper below the bow of the ship, trying and sniffing, then elevating up on his again legs to get a greater view. Sensing nothing to eat below there, he turned his consideration to us.
On a yacht with some open water between you and a bear is a secure place to observe from; the bear can’t climb onto the boat from the water so we have been in a position to keep a secure place whilst he got here shut, checking us out.
Expedition spotlight, a polar Bear in Dicksonfjorden. Photograph: Rick Tomlinson
Whereas we see a cute cuddly polar bear, he’s seeing us as lunch. Marcel was pleased with our state of affairs so we drifted alongside, watching and photographing. All you may hear aboard Qilak was digital camera shutters going off in speedy hearth, then a pause to alter lenses because the bear grew to become too shut for the five hundred, then 300, then the 70-200 zoom.
As we drifted nearer to the ice edge skipper Phil used the engine to maintain us at a secure distance. When the bear got here shut and reared up on his hind legs once more, reaching his full peak to get a take a look at us on deck, we used the engine and bow thruster to maneuver a bit additional away.
Having had loads of time to get our photos we have been in a position to put the cameras down for some time and simply watch and luxuriate in this magnificent creature’s presence till he determined to maneuver off. We have been all on a excessive from the expertise and felt so fortunate to have had such an encounter. Instantly afterward everybody went beneath and the saloon desk was quickly lined with cameras, laptops and ipads as SD playing cards have been downloaded and photos proudly proven on the massive display.
We nonetheless had just a few extra days to discover and the climate continued to be so stunning it was laborious to go beneath and fall asleep. We simply didn’t really feel drained because it was so vivid within the sky at 0300. Regardless of the sunshine, we spent one evening at anchor just for the wind and tide to alter and convey numerous ice across the boat.
Carlos and Phil have been on watch and determined we should always transfer – however there was an issue, we couldn’t raise the anchor because the chain was frozen to the ice. Numerous motoring and winching and poking with a ship hook later we ultimately set it free and moved to a safer place. It was a reminder that regardless of the balmy circumstances we have been in a troublesome atmosphere.
We left the boat and the crew again in Longyearbyen, having loved a implausible expertise. Qilak continued to function within the space for the remainder of the season. On the next journey they didn’t get to see a bear, though they did take pleasure in some nice hikes on the glacier. You by no means fairly know what you’re going to see on these journeys, however they’re at all times memorable!
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