Our destination is isolated Jan Mayen Island, home of the world’s most notherly active volcano (the last eruption was 1985). From Wikipedia:
For some time scientists doubted that the Beerenberg volcano [JAC: the big one in the pictures; there are two others] would become active, but in 1970 it erupted for about three weeks, adding another 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi) of land area to the island. It also erupted in 1973 and 1985. During an eruption, the sea temperature around the island may increase from just above freezing to about 30 °C (86 °F).
A nice warm bath! That’s the only thing that would persuade me to take the infamous “Polar Plunge”, a staple of Arctic and Antarctic cruises. You put on your bathing suit, tether yourself to a rope, and then jump into the sea emitting a porcine squeal as you hit the freezing water (3 degrees C). Half of the passengers did this, which I see as a bizarre form of braggadocio and masochism. However, you do get a nifty badge for your efforts.
Jan Mayan appeared, as if by magic, early this morning, and is the only bit of land for hundreds of km around. Here’s its location from a CIA map given on Wikipedia. I’ve added the arrow. It’s a two-day sea voyage SW of Svalbard:
The island is spoon-shaped, with the spoon part containing the big volcano and its effluent:
. Like Svalbard, it’s also also Norwegian, and is often lumped together with the archipelago. It has no permanent inhabitants but plenty of gravel. We were told at last night’s briefing that there are 18 inhabitants, most of them members of the Norwegian military, but also two meteorologists. There’s also a gift shop that will be open for our arrival; I’m curious to see what they are selling.
Most ships are not allowed to land there, but with some clever bargaining on the part of our expedition leader, we were given permission to land this afternoon.
As Wikipedia notes:
Jan Mayen (Urban East Norwegian: [jɑnˈmɑ̀ɪən]) is a Norwegian volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population. It is 55 km (34 mi) long (southwest-northeast) and 377 km2 (146 sq mi) in area, partly covered by glaciers (an area of 114.2 km2 (44.1 sq mi) around the Beerenberg volcano). It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide isthmus. It lies 600 km (370 mi) northeast of Iceland (495 km [305 mi] NE of Kolbeinsey), 500 km (310 mi) east of central Greenland, and 900 km (560 mi) northwest of Vesterålen, Norway.
The island is mountainous, the highest summit being the Beerenberg volcano in the north. The isthmus is the location of the two largest lakes of the island, Sørlaguna (South Lagoon) and Nordlaguna (North Lagoon). A third lake is called Ullerenglaguna (Ullereng Lagoon). Jan Mayen was formed by the Jan Mayen hotspot and is defined by geologists as a microcontinent.[2]
Although administered separately, in the ISO 3166-1 standard, Jan Mayen and Svalbard are collectively designated as Svalbard and Jan Mayen, with the two-letter country code “SJ”. It was also given the web domain of .sj. However, the domain is not in use and Norway’s .no is used in its place.
Jan Mayen is home to Beerenberg, which is the northernmost subaerial active volcano in the world.[3][4]
And one more factoid (two, actually; bolding is m):
Jan Mayen Island has one exploitable natural resource, gravel, from a site located at Trongskaret. Other than this, economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway’s radio communications and meteorological stations located on the island.
GRAVEL!
And, as Poseidon Adventures notes:
Though it is an integral part of the Kingdom of Norway and there are people living on the island year round, there is no way for a tourist to get to Jan Mayen other than by cruise ship or yacht. Though the island’s stunning scenery and abundant birdlife would easily place it among the world’s top wilderness tourism destinations, only a few hundred people make it to the island each year because of the infrequency of cruises.
We are 180 of those lucky people. Here are some photos of the Beerenberg Volcano taken from the ship a few minutes ago. We are approaching from the north. Since I have better internet now, the resolution is higher (I had to degrade them by only about 55%). The volcanos arose because the island sites on a number of intersecting fault lines and on the mid-Atlantic ridge.
From inside the ship:
And on the ship’s bridge navigation pane, which is duplicated in the lounge. The position of the ship is the circle, and Jan Mayen is to the south:
Closer in as we pass down the west side of the island to the landing harbor. Note the snow cloud blowing off the peak:
A close-up of the peak and its blowing snow:
. . . and the view from my cabin. I can’t nap when there’s something like this right out the window.
More, of course, after we land and when I get a chance to put in proper photos. What kind of plants and animals will we encounter after our landing. Will I see a puffin? What’s in the gift shop? There are many lingering questions.
Your closing line, “There are many lingering questions,” sounds like something Hili would say.
I’ve seen a few videos of this obscure, very cool island.
Thank goodness you’re not being a fool: —DO NOT — under any circumstances consider the idiotic “cold plunge” bs. Anywhere. It is hazardous for a lot of people, particularly older ones. We couldn’t stand the embarrassment: “PCC(E) died on an insane heart attack dare on a cruise.”
“Hold my beer” or “Get a load of this, mates!” ideas are why we don’t live as long as women.
D.A.
NYC
And AIUI, as a rough generalisation women do tend to be more cold-tolerant; consider English Channel swimmers.
Your photos here, and imaginings of more ominous weather, evoke various themes and moods. I wonder what reflections could emerge in “Calling Jan Mayen.”
This is exhilarating and fascinating, I love this adventure!
Photos are great. It’s a big volcano!
The cold plunge is dangerous. Let someone else die of cardiac arrest.
What a cool view from your window!
Your photos of the mountain especially move me. I think it’s because scenery seen from a distance typically has no moving parts. No life forms that move are big enough to be seen from that distance (unless I suppose if a humpback whale suddenly breached) so we don’t expect to be told that anything is moving in a photograph. Even a waterfall or waves breaking on shore at a distance just appear as white foam. But then I see that snow plume and imagine how much mass the wind over the summit must be moving to be visible out at sea….and just, Wow!
Thanks for posting that series, especially with the close-up to show us it’s not just cloud but actual solid snow. It even looks like another mountain behind Beerenberg.
Did this expedition visit Bear Island as well?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Island_(Svalbard)
I enjoyed a book about Bear Island many years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Island_(novel)
Sounds like a wonderful voyage and adventure. Thank you for sharing..
Gosh, I remember reading that years ago in my Alistair MacLean/Hammond Innes phase. Thrilling stuff!
Spectacular! You were lucky to get such perfect weather there. Looks like the volcano’s crater has been breached by a glacier.
Breathtaking. Thank you for sharing this adventure with us.