Some days one has to work hard to find Polar bears, but that makes the task that more interesting . The Inuit, those closest to the arctic environment, say that Nanook, the bear, can turn into a piece of sea ice and disappear without a trace. Indeed, this often seems to be the case as we strain to see a small slightly off-white spot on the white background of the drift ice. Fog, which is an expected element in the waters of the eastern Barents Sea, makes the game even more difficult and seems to pull your eyes out of their sockets as you try to focus on distant objects in the murky mist.
Finally, at 0100 hrs, when all God’s creatures should be bedded down for a much deserved rest, one of our intrepid staff spots a small moving object on a dimly-visible ice floe. As we approach, there stands our prey, himself as ever hunting for the ubiquitous ringed seal on which he thrives.
The key to successful bear spotting of course is constant vigilance and finding the right kind of ice. One more bear is found a few hours later. Some of us, staff and guests alike, can now seek the comfort of our beds, much like the ice bear who curls up beside its hard earned seal dinner to rest after a successful day in the drifting ice.
