Hi everyone, Matt here for my final post...
Once the field reports from the sea-ice sampling in Van Mijenfjorden and the research cruise around Spitsbergen were completed, there were a lot of goodbyes to good people. We had shared intense experiences during field-work and studies and on our own expeditions into the Arctic Wilderness. With a large student and research community, it was going to be difficult to see everyone.
The Student Council came to the rescue. They chartered 2 boats for an end of season party cruise to the Russian town of Barentsberg. We were lucky with the weather and were able to wear t-shirts in the heat of the Midnight Sun as the DJ kept us dancing to the rhythm as we bounced along the waves. In Barentsberg itself we went to the local brewery for what have to be the worst ales I’ve ever tried to drink, but this pales into insignificance because along the way we saw seabirds, a Minke whale, a fin whale and even a small blue whale!
As for our own Marine Biology team, we had a “Pot luck” evening. This involves everyone cooking and bringing a dish and having a buffet-style meal. With 18 of us cooking our favourites (and some cod and halibut by-catch from our sampling trawls on the cruise) the meal was great. We showed our photos and videos and then climbed out onto the roof to enjoy the sunshine and talk about the past and the future.
For my own departure the weather was astonishing. The sky was clear blue (almost unheard of in Svalbard at this time of the year) and the views from the plane as my friend Kristin and I flew to Oslo were magnificent. Kristin had booked the window seat, so she got my camera and gets the photo credits here! Over the years I’ve seen some extraordinary views from plane windows, but flying over an Arctic island that I’ve invested so much time and energy in studying and exploring was the most special. After so long living on an island of snow, ice and rocks, it was lovely to fly over Norway and see trees as the mountains give way to the forests of the south on my way back to England's green and pleasant land.
Time to prepare for our dissertation projects and plan the next adventure…
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| Photo credit: Kristin Sundby |
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| Photo credit: Kristin Sundby |
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| Photo credit: Kristin Sundby |
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| Photo credit: Kristin Sundby |
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| Photo credit: Kristin Sundby |
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