Norway: Bjørnøya Meteo (Bear Island Weather Station), Svalbard

Bear Island (Norwegian: Bjørnøya) is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The island is located at the limits of the Norwegian and Barents seas, approximately halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape. Despite its remote location and barren nature, the island has seen commercial activities in past centuries, such as coal mining, fishing and whaling. However, no settlements have lasted more than a few years, and Bear Island is now uninhabited except for personnel working at the island's meteorological station. I'm very happy to show a cover I recently received from this particular weather station. To note: The cover also shows a Signature of the station leader Nils-Rune Hansson.

Stamps:

Norway Memories (from a set of 6) - Issued: 21-04-2023 

"Posthorn" - Issued: 15-11-2010

 

 

 

Greenland: Karupelv Valley Project 2024

Started in 1988, the Karupelv Valley Project (KVP), led by Dr. Benoît Sittler, is an ongoing, long term research project in North-East Greenland. It is jointly carried out under the auspices of the University Freiburg (GER) and the Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (F). Its main objective is to provide new insights into the processes that govern cyclic fluctuations of lemming populations in high-arctic ecosystems. 

For more Information: https://www.karupelv-valley-project.de/english/

 

Stamp:

EUROPA 2024 - "Underwater Flora and Fauna" (from a set of 2) - Issued: 24-05-2024

Norway: The Netherlands Arctic Station, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

The Netherlands Arctic Station is owned and run by the Arctic Centre of the University of Groningen. It is  situated in Kongsfjorden on the island of Spitsbergen and is part of an international research community in the former mining town of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. In this town, more than 10 nations have their own station while using shared facilities for meals and recreation. The whole local community is focused on science and maintenance of infrastructure. Several stations have independent terrestrial research programs and the Netherlands Arctic Station is the smallest of all. During the summer months the Station Manager is Maarten Loonen, who is very collectors friendly, which can be seen from the beautiful cover below.

Stamp:

EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity" - Issued: 09-05-2023

 

Many thanks to Maarten for this beautiful cover!

Norway: UK Arctic Research Station, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

The UK Arctic Research Station is funded by NERC and managed and operated by British Antarctic Survey, and situated in the international research community at Ny-Ålesund on the high Arctic island of Spitsbergen, part of the Svalbard archipelago. Ny-Ålesund is often referred to as the northernmost Community on the World. Originally established as a mining town in the early 20th century, Ny-Ålesund underwent a transformation in the mid-20th century, evolving into a scientific research center. 

I'm very happy about this cover, because it also got a signature from the Station Manager Iain Rudkin (?). I sent it to the station around August/September 2023 and it arrived back in March 2024.

Stamp:

Norway Memories (from a set of 6) - Issued: 21-04-2023

Norway: Svalbard - Longyearbyen

This great Cover arrived from the far north. Many thanks to Henrik, who send this cover from his latest trip to Svalbard. There are two points to mention on this cover. First the stamp seems to be a personalised issue from Svalbard (from the offical 'Postal Norge'). The second point is the cancel. Its not from the local post office (you can see it here). As I'm told you can ask for the cancel at the local Radisson Blue Hotel. You can try to make your own cover and send a prepared letter to: Radisson Blue Polar Hotel, Box 554, NO-9171, Longyearbyen.

Stamp:

Personalised Issue "Svalbard" - Issued: unknown

♁ 78° 12′ N, 15° 38′ O

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on Expedition PS136

The Polarstern expedition PS136 started on 22 May 2023 in Bremerhaven, Grmany and led to the Fram Strait between Greenland and the Svalbard archipelago. The expedition wanted to contribute to various large national and international research and infrastructure projects (FRAM, MUSE, iFOODis, HiAOOS, ICOS-D, SIOS) as well as to the new research programme „Changing Earth – Sustaining our Future” („Erde im Wandel – Unsere Zukunft nachhaltig gestalten”) of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). The cruise ended on 19 June 2023 in Tromsø, Norway.

Source: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/57718/1/Expeditionsprogramme_PS136.pdf 

To note, the Alfred Wegener Institute will no longer process collectors mail send to the Polarstern due to the "ever-increasing workload". This is very sad news for any Polarmail collector.

Stamp:

Definitive Issue - "Flowers" - Issued: 03-01-2005

Argentina: Argentina in Antarctica

Many thanks to Julio for this fantastic cover from Argentina. To match the exact postage he added a few more stamps on the back of the cover. In total the postage seems to be 6500 Argentine Pesos for this letter which is around 16-17 Euros. So a big thank you Julio for sending me this cover and also for adding some mint stamp with it.

Stamp:

Argentina in Antarctica (m/s) - Issued: 16-08-2022

Stamps:

11x Definitives - National Parks ($500) - Issued: 15-05-2022

1x Definitives - National Parks ($200) - Issued: 22-07-2019

South Georgia: Bird Island Research Station

Bird Island Research Station is an important centre for research into bird and seal biology. Lying off the north-west tip of South Georgia, Bird Island is one of the richest wildlife sites in the world. The research station, active since 1957, was completely redeveloped in 2005 and today provides accommodation for 10 staff.

To note the second postmark on the cover showing a nice cachet of "RRS Sir David Attenborough". It is a research vessel owned by the Natural Environment Research Council and operated by the British Antarctic Survey for the purposes of both research and logistic support. The vessel is named after broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough. 

Stamp:

Queen Elizabeth 90th Birthday s/s - Issued: 21-04-2016

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on Expedition PS129

The expedition PS129 of the German research vessel Polarstern wanted to provide contributions to scientific projects encompassing physical oceanography, marine biology and marine chemistry, with the aim to investigate the water masses of the Weddell Sea and adjacent oceanic regions, and the ecological and chemical cycles within the regions. The expedition was another continuation of the long-term time series work in the framework of Hybrid Antarctic Float Observation System (HAFOS). The Polarstern  departed from Cape Town, South Africa, on 3 March 2022, taking a route across the Southern Ocean to Antarctica and back, and ended on 28 April 2022 in Stanley, Falkland Islands.

Source: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/55571/1/Expeditionsprogramm_PS129.pdf

Stamps:

The Dangers of Climate Change - The Forest is Climate Protection - Issued: 07-10-2021

Definitive Series "Flowers" 0.10ct - Issued: 08-06-2017

Canada: "Polar Bear Capital of the World" - Churchill, Manitoba

Churchill is a town in northern Manitoba, Canada, on the west shore of Hudson Bay, roughly 140 km (87 mi) from the Manitoba–Nunavut border. It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname "Polar Bear Capital of the World" and to the benefit of its burgeoning tourism industry. 

Stamps from the right:

Mammals - Issued: 27-10-1998

Landscape Images - Issued: 08-09-1972

Canadian Mammals - Issued: 28-12-1990

Many thanks to Marie!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill,_Manitoba#/media/File:Churchill,_Manitoba_(2010).jpg

 

 

Germany: Sir Ernest Shackleton 100th Death Anniversary (1874 - 1922)

 

 

Stamp:

Personalized Stamp issued by German Polar Society (from a set of 10)

Norway: Jan Mayen - "2. Cover"

My second cover from this tiny volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean. Many thanks to Rune for sending me this! 

You can find my first one here!

 

Stamps:

"Jan Mayen" - Issued: 21-02-2020

British Antarctic Territory: RRS Bransfield

 

Mailed through Rothera Research Station.

Stamps:

RRS Bransfield - Issued: 30-11-2000

 

Many thanks to Jan!

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on Expedition PS127

RV Polarstern departed 5 December 2021 from Bremerhaven, Germany and arrived on 4 January 2022 in Cape Town (South Africa) with a planned port-call in-between in Las Palmas (Canary Islands) 16 December 2021, on the expedition PS127. During the Expedition physical, biological and chemical seawater parameters as well as atmospheric measurement parameters have been measured. Also Training on hydroacoustic measurement systems have been conducted. Latest developed and newly installed measurement systems have also been tested.

 

Source: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/54871/1/PS127_Expeditionsprogramm.pdf

Stamp:

The Lorelei - Issued: 01-10-2020

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on the Expedition PS113

The cruise leg PS113 coincided with the return voyage of Polarstern after finishing her Antarctic research season 2017/18. PS113 started on the evening of 08 May (2018), delayed by one day due to the somewhat difficult arrangements at the harbour of Punta Arenas, Chile. Tailwinds and a strong tidal current setting towards the Atlantic in the Strait of Magellan, but helped us to regain part of the lost ship time right at the beginning of the cruise. As planned, an intermediate port call at Las Palmas, Canary Islands, took place on 03 June for the exchange of personnel. According to schedule PS113 ended in Bremerhaven early on 11 June 2018.

Source: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48505/1/BzPM_0724_2018.pdf  

Stamp:

Baby-Animals (from a set of two) - Issued: 02-01-2018

Belgium: Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station

The Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, located on Utsteinen Nunatak in Queen Maud Land (71°57′00″S 23°20′49″E), is a Belgian scientific polar research station, which went into service on 15 February 2009. The station is named after Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, the eldest daughter of King Philippe of Belgium. This Cover is from the Belare (Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition) of 2017 to 2018 and  shows the autograph of the Expedition leader.

Stamp:

King Philippe - Issued: 14-03-2016

Many thanks to Juanvi Garcia!

France: T.A.A.F. - Dumont-d’Urville Station - L’Astrolabe

The Dumont d'Urville Station (French: Base antarctique Dumont-d'Urville) is a French scientific station in Antarctica on Île des Pétrels, archipelago of Pointe-Géologie in Adélie Land. It is named after explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, whose expedition landed on Débarquement Rock in the Dumoulin Islands at the northeast end of the archipelago on January 21, 1840. It is operated by the "French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor", a joint operation of French public and para-public agencies.

This cover was carried by the french Icebreaker L’Astrolabe as you can see by the blue cancellation in the middle of the cover. The L’Astrolabe is used to bring personnel and supplies to the Dumont d'Urville Station.

Stamps:
Mawson's Huts - Issued: 02-01-2013
Logos of French South and Antarctic Territory - Year 2015 - Issued: 19-03-2015

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on the Expedition PS117

Polarstern Expedition  PS117 focusses on providing contributions to scientific projects encompassing physical oceanography, marine biology and meteorology, with the general aim to better understanding  of  the  evolution of  the Weddell  Sea water  masses and the ecological and chemical cycles of the Weddell Sea. In addition to the immediate scientific program, this expedition also serves to resupply the German Neumayer Station, Antarctica to support the multifaceted scientific activities originating from there.

To realize these aims the Polarstern departed on 15th December 2018 from Cape Town, South Africa and crossed the Southern Ocean to Antarctica and back, to finally end on 7 February 2019 in Punta Arenas, Chile.

I'm very happy to receive this nice Cover with an extra Cachet Postmark from this Expedition.

Stamps:
Definitves "Eranthis hyemalis" - Issued: 08-06-2017
Stamp Day - The 150th Anniversary of the North German Postal District - Issued: 13-09-2018

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on the Expedition PS107-ARK-XXXI/2

The Polarstern expedition PS107 to the Arctic (Tromsø – Tromsø) started on 23 July 2017 and led particularly to study areas in the central and eastern Fram Strait. With this expedition it contributed to various large national and international research and infrastructure projects (e.g. INTAROS, FRAM, SIOS, OceanSITES) as well as to the research programme PACES-II (Polar Regions and Coasts in the changing Earth System) of the Alfred-Wegener- Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI). The cruise ended on 19 August 2017 in Tromsø, Norway.

Note the signature on the cover, I'm not sure from who it is, but I suspect its from the Chief Scientist of this Expedition Ingo Schewe.

Stamp:
EUROPA "Castles" - Issued: 11-05-2017

Spain: Cover from B.I.O. Hesperides

BIO Hespérides (A-33), is a Spanish polar research vessel. It was built in 1990, by Bazán Shipyards of Cartagena (Spain). Hespérides is used to service the research bases in Antarctica, mainly the Spanish Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base, as well as to perform research voyages. It is operated by the Spanish Navy and the responsible of the scientific equipment is the Spanish National Research Council.

The Ship departed from its base in Cartagena back in December 2016 for its 30th Antarctic campaign. Throughout this campaign 17 scientific research projects took place. Many of these projects were related to research on climate change and global warming. It arrived back in Cartagena in the End of May 2017.

Stamp:
The 30th Anniversary of Spain as Member State of the European Union - Issued: 07-07-2016