To arrive at Wrangel Island aboard National Geographic Orion for the first time was an accomplishment that words fail to describe. Such a northerly Russian outpost of polar bears and birds stands as legend in the minds of explorers since it was first discovered, and today’s activities did not disappoint in the slightest. Our first landing ashore was accompanied by musk ox and polar bears while harlequin ducks bobbed in the water. And the afternoon brought still more white bears to observe along the shoreline: a day to be remembered as we explore further this mighty island.