The Barents Sea
Summer has come to the Svalbard Archipelago and here, well north of the Arctic Circle, the sun has neither risen nor set. Along with the constant daylight, it is ice that defines this region. Last winter’s sea ice, thousands of square miles of it, has broken up. The small bergs get pushed by the winds and currents and, in places, are rafted together in jumbles of white blocks that reach to the horizon. After working through very heavy pack ice at the north end of Bear Island last night and early this morning, we steamed for Storfjord, the body of water between Spitsbergen and Edgeoya. Again we encountered the pack ice and spent the better part of the day cruising along the edge in search of wildlife.
The morning turned brilliant with high cirrus clouds and deep blue skies. The warming rays of the sun and the flat seas made for ideal conditions. The entire ship’s compliment was on deck for most of the day. We felt we had a mission. The conditions were perfect for finding polar bears and we were determined in our efforts. Shoulder muscles grew tired after long hours of holding binoculars while eyes ached from searching. We found several seals in the water and on ice floes. Walrus were also spotted in the distance. A myriad of sea birds kept us company through the day but it was the ice bear that was the focus of our search. Staff members rotated duty in the crow’s nest and all others kept the bridge wings and decks manned with spotters.
Dinner hour came and went, but without success. The plan for the evening called for a landing after dinner at Edgeoya where we’d found a small bit of beach free of ice. As the Zodiacs were readied for launching the cry went out, “there’s a polar bear in the water!” We crowded the starboard side of the ship in silence as the magnificent animal swam to a small berg, hauled out to walk for a bit and then entered the water again. This was repeated many times as the bear made its way to shore. For the next ninety minutes we were treated to wildlife watching at its best. The bear ambled along the beach, walking over snow patches, rocky areas and then across the tundra up from the shore. It rolled onto its back and scratched on the ground. It raised its head to sniff the air and seemed to investigate closely everything in its path. We’d also been watching a number of reindeer grazing in the distance, oblivious to the presence of the top predator of the north. A polar bear’s diet consists almost exclusively of seal meat and we didn’t anticipate an encounter between these two species. But this bear had other plans, and after a long approach it ran for the herd. The reindeer split into two groups, with all the young and attending adults in one group and only adults in the other. While the little ones made good their distance, the others ran towards the bear and then drew it away. This same technique was worked several times until the bear lost interest or perhaps tired. Most likely it was a young bear and it was only sport after all. After a long day of hard work and effort our rewards came in a grand style. Our first polar bear of the voyage and the reindeer encounter as a bonus.
Summer has come to the Svalbard Archipelago and here, well north of the Arctic Circle, the sun has neither risen nor set. Along with the constant daylight, it is ice that defines this region. Last winter’s sea ice, thousands of square miles of it, has broken up. The small bergs get pushed by the winds and currents and, in places, are rafted together in jumbles of white blocks that reach to the horizon. After working through very heavy pack ice at the north end of Bear Island last night and early this morning, we steamed for Storfjord, the body of water between Spitsbergen and Edgeoya. Again we encountered the pack ice and spent the better part of the day cruising along the edge in search of wildlife.
The morning turned brilliant with high cirrus clouds and deep blue skies. The warming rays of the sun and the flat seas made for ideal conditions. The entire ship’s compliment was on deck for most of the day. We felt we had a mission. The conditions were perfect for finding polar bears and we were determined in our efforts. Shoulder muscles grew tired after long hours of holding binoculars while eyes ached from searching. We found several seals in the water and on ice floes. Walrus were also spotted in the distance. A myriad of sea birds kept us company through the day but it was the ice bear that was the focus of our search. Staff members rotated duty in the crow’s nest and all others kept the bridge wings and decks manned with spotters.
Dinner hour came and went, but without success. The plan for the evening called for a landing after dinner at Edgeoya where we’d found a small bit of beach free of ice. As the Zodiacs were readied for launching the cry went out, “there’s a polar bear in the water!” We crowded the starboard side of the ship in silence as the magnificent animal swam to a small berg, hauled out to walk for a bit and then entered the water again. This was repeated many times as the bear made its way to shore. For the next ninety minutes we were treated to wildlife watching at its best. The bear ambled along the beach, walking over snow patches, rocky areas and then across the tundra up from the shore. It rolled onto its back and scratched on the ground. It raised its head to sniff the air and seemed to investigate closely everything in its path. We’d also been watching a number of reindeer grazing in the distance, oblivious to the presence of the top predator of the north. A polar bear’s diet consists almost exclusively of seal meat and we didn’t anticipate an encounter between these two species. But this bear had other plans, and after a long approach it ran for the herd. The reindeer split into two groups, with all the young and attending adults in one group and only adults in the other. While the little ones made good their distance, the others ran towards the bear and then drew it away. This same technique was worked several times until the bear lost interest or perhaps tired. Most likely it was a young bear and it was only sport after all. After a long day of hard work and effort our rewards came in a grand style. Our first polar bear of the voyage and the reindeer encounter as a bonus.
