Busy busy busy.....

After a week camping on the wonderful island of Bear Island, I am now back i civilization. Working mostly 15hr days, trying to solve the mystery of the great skua, I was looking forward to a few relaxing days working on the computer. But things want it differently. Since I arrived Spitsbergen (another Arctic island) I’ve been busy running around preparing for the one month long expedition I am leading on the east coast of the archipelago. Its probably one of the most remote places in Europe, so its important that everything is in shape. On top of this, I am also putting up a nice exhibition about the Arctic wildlife called ”Polar Moments”. It has allready been up for a month in my home town, and there I got really good backfeed on it, so I am a little bit excited to see how the true Arctic people judge these images. In other words not much time for photography, so I leave you with a few images from my work on Bear Island.

Our camp. It doesn't look like much, but its one of the best places I have ever been.

Myself negotiating with a GREAT skua - at the end we agreed to let him fly. Photo: Hálfdán H. Helgarson


-EG-

Out and About

In a few hours I leave for my 7th summer in the Arctic. I am off for a nice start to a very remote and beutiful island - Bear island. Nine people live here as part of a weather station. The weather station change crew every six months, and for the rest of year they barely see any people.

Well, I  am not going there to see the people either, but to do fieldwork on seabirds as part of a team employed by the Norwegian Polar Institute. I will be busy, teaching new people the methodology and catching great skuas. Hopefully I get the chance to do some photography inbetween all the work. People often think I am going on holiday when I'm off for fieldwork. Even though I get to see many interesting places, its often hard work with 12-18 hrs working days in all sorts of weather and usually seven days a week.

Anyway, the nature experienses I get during my fieldbiology jobs is worth the effort. Going to remote places also means no phones or email for some time - which itself is making going to these places worth it.

The island and the great skua. In July, the average is 27,5 days with fog, so this view is actually pretty rare on Bjørnøya. Because of all the days with bad weather, you learn to appreciate the good days even more.....