Svalbard
Svalbard never ceases to amaze and astound ones senses and mind. It seems everywhere the guests of Endeavour travel, something new and exciting appears. Some might think that seeing 11 polar bears in two days could make the experience blasé. This is hardly the case, as each bear has its own distinctions and indeed personality: from the friendly bear that came to the ship and blessed us with “a kiss,” to the bear we caught mid-meal with a fresh ringed seal kill.
Today was no different as the guests of Endeavour experienced their first Walrus! We found these five big males having a lazy afternoon on the beach at Torellneset. These gigantic mammals can weight up to one and a half tons, and are amazingly strong swimmers. They are mainly creatures of the ice, living on the moving floes. In the summertime, as the pack ice breaks up, they often come ashore by the thousands, hauling out on beaches, lying close together and molting. This is called “thigmotaxis.” In Svalbard, Walrus were nearly hunted to extinction. However, they have been protected since 1952, and their numbers are slowly on the rise, almost 2000 individuals at present.
Not only have we seen some amazing creatures at the top of the water, but below as well. Svalbard's underwater realm is one of the least studied in the world. As a matter of fact, it was not until a couple of decades ago that a real interest was taken in what was going on below the surface. As a result, there are many “sea monsters” up here that are not readily identifiable. On Endeavour we have an ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle). The undersea specialist, Dennis Cornejo, and his team send this machine down below diver depth (it can go to almost 500 ft) controlled on the surface by joysticks, the signals sent back and forth via an umbilical cord. This machine films the creatures that live at these depths, and the film from the exploration is presented to the guests onboard. Pictured here is a Burrowing Anemone never before seen by the ROV team. These anemones burrow into the bottom, but keeps itself extend above the surface, waving its tentacles through the water column, collecting its food. The surprise about this anemone is when it feels threatened it can retract its entire body below the sedimentous surface.
What an incredible and dynamic experience our trip has been so far. Thanks to the midnight sun our days are endless and the adventure continues.
Svalbard never ceases to amaze and astound ones senses and mind. It seems everywhere the guests of Endeavour travel, something new and exciting appears. Some might think that seeing 11 polar bears in two days could make the experience blasé. This is hardly the case, as each bear has its own distinctions and indeed personality: from the friendly bear that came to the ship and blessed us with “a kiss,” to the bear we caught mid-meal with a fresh ringed seal kill.
Today was no different as the guests of Endeavour experienced their first Walrus! We found these five big males having a lazy afternoon on the beach at Torellneset. These gigantic mammals can weight up to one and a half tons, and are amazingly strong swimmers. They are mainly creatures of the ice, living on the moving floes. In the summertime, as the pack ice breaks up, they often come ashore by the thousands, hauling out on beaches, lying close together and molting. This is called “thigmotaxis.” In Svalbard, Walrus were nearly hunted to extinction. However, they have been protected since 1952, and their numbers are slowly on the rise, almost 2000 individuals at present.
Not only have we seen some amazing creatures at the top of the water, but below as well. Svalbard's underwater realm is one of the least studied in the world. As a matter of fact, it was not until a couple of decades ago that a real interest was taken in what was going on below the surface. As a result, there are many “sea monsters” up here that are not readily identifiable. On Endeavour we have an ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle). The undersea specialist, Dennis Cornejo, and his team send this machine down below diver depth (it can go to almost 500 ft) controlled on the surface by joysticks, the signals sent back and forth via an umbilical cord. This machine films the creatures that live at these depths, and the film from the exploration is presented to the guests onboard. Pictured here is a Burrowing Anemone never before seen by the ROV team. These anemones burrow into the bottom, but keeps itself extend above the surface, waving its tentacles through the water column, collecting its food. The surprise about this anemone is when it feels threatened it can retract its entire body below the sedimentous surface.
What an incredible and dynamic experience our trip has been so far. Thanks to the midnight sun our days are endless and the adventure continues.
