The east side of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway
The blue and white Polar Bear pendant now flies proudly from the jackstaff of Endeavour. We have seen the mighty marine mammal in his natural habitat—the Arctic ice. We began our day in Bear Sound (that was clever of us!), between Wilhelminaøya (Island) and the east side of Spitsbergen. The remnants of the winter pack ice (frozen sea water) remained—perfect habitat for white bears. Seals, bearded and ringed, were dotted around the ice, lounging, but not in perfect comfort, for among them was a polar bear that gave every indication of searching for its next meal. It alternated periods of crouching, waiting, watching, with a sudden rush over the ice towards a resting seal. This round went to the seal. It dove into the water and escaped.
We proceeded to Kapp Freeden for a full morning of activities: a walk over the flower-rich tundra, kayaking among beautiful pieces of blue glacial ice, and a Zodiac cruise to Vaigattbreen, one of the longest glacial faces of Spitsbergen. Here we found large numbers of kittiwakes and Arctic terns feeding on invertebrates stirred up and shocked into immobility where fresh water from the glacier meets the salt water of the fjord.
Our afternoon and evening were spent cruising in search of ice and the creatures found thereupon. We found a large male walrus lounging on the ice. The ship handlers skillfully approached for a close view and then backed off, leaving the walrus undisturbed on the ice. Shortly thereafter, another polar bear gave us the view shown above. We spent the night with the ship docked comfortably in the pack ice while a polar bear slept soundly nearby, in plain view.
The blue and white Polar Bear pendant now flies proudly from the jackstaff of Endeavour. We have seen the mighty marine mammal in his natural habitat—the Arctic ice. We began our day in Bear Sound (that was clever of us!), between Wilhelminaøya (Island) and the east side of Spitsbergen. The remnants of the winter pack ice (frozen sea water) remained—perfect habitat for white bears. Seals, bearded and ringed, were dotted around the ice, lounging, but not in perfect comfort, for among them was a polar bear that gave every indication of searching for its next meal. It alternated periods of crouching, waiting, watching, with a sudden rush over the ice towards a resting seal. This round went to the seal. It dove into the water and escaped.
We proceeded to Kapp Freeden for a full morning of activities: a walk over the flower-rich tundra, kayaking among beautiful pieces of blue glacial ice, and a Zodiac cruise to Vaigattbreen, one of the longest glacial faces of Spitsbergen. Here we found large numbers of kittiwakes and Arctic terns feeding on invertebrates stirred up and shocked into immobility where fresh water from the glacier meets the salt water of the fjord.
Our afternoon and evening were spent cruising in search of ice and the creatures found thereupon. We found a large male walrus lounging on the ice. The ship handlers skillfully approached for a close view and then backed off, leaving the walrus undisturbed on the ice. Shortly thereafter, another polar bear gave us the view shown above. We spent the night with the ship docked comfortably in the pack ice while a polar bear slept soundly nearby, in plain view.
