Moffen Island Svalbard Norway
Norway
Frequently Asked Questions
No, never. No ship lands passengers there: the island is a strictly protected nature reserve and vessels must keep a minimum of 500 metres away from 15 May to 15 September. All viewing is done from the deck.
A thin bank of gravel barely breaking the surface of the sea at 80 degrees north. No cliff, no summit, no village: a ring of shingle enclosing a shallow lagoon, north of the mouth of the Wijdefjorden on the northern coast of Spitsbergen.
For its walruses. The island holds one of the largest colonies in Svalbard, and the approach coincides with crossing the 80th parallel. Two reasons that make it a highlight of any expedition cruise.
At a proper distance, brown shapes against the pale gravel: dozens of walruses, sometimes more than a hundred, piled at the southern tip. Their tusks catch the low light and the wind carries their low grunts up to the deck.
Some do. Curious animals swim closer and raise their heads out of the water to watch the watchers. Naturalist guides narrate from the deck and explain the biology of these giants, which can exceed a tonne.
Because by the mid-20th century decades of hunting had all but wiped the walrus out of the archipelago. Moffen was central to the species' return. The 500-metre rule, far from spoiling the experience, is what gives it its character.
It is a rite of passage crews mark with pleasure: the horn, an announcement from the bridge, passengers gathered on deck to photograph the latitude on the display. Beyond lies the permanent pack ice, and few inhabited places on earth sit closer to the pole.
No, never. It depends entirely on weather and ice, and can be called off at any moment. Treat it as a possibility rather than a promise — which is precisely what makes it valuable.
Binoculars, essential for picking out walruses at 500 metres, and a telephoto lens if you photograph. A windproof shell, hat and gloves are required even in high summer: Arctic air gives nothing away on an open deck.
Sometimes. Polar bear and whale sightings do occur in these waters, and the sea, dotted with drifting ice depending on the season, gives seals somewhere to rest. Keep an ear on the ship's announcements.
