Storfjord, Svalbard
Once more we have been reminded and surprised by the riches that the Arctic has to offer. Many of us came to Svalbard in search of the ice bear, and we have been well rewarded. Today we saw a further four bears – a single onshore this morning and then a mother with two cubs this evening. However, in addition to some memorable bear sightings we have all gained a deeper appreciation of this region and what it can offer the visitor who is prepared to look beyond the headline-grabbing charismatic megafauna.
When walking over the tundra it is sometimes impossible not to step on the abundant and beautiful but tiny flowering plants. In places seabirds fill the air, rushing to raise their chicks and take advantage of this all-too-brief time of plenty in the Arctic summer. Walruses and seals haul out on the beaches and ice floes. The pinkish hue in a snow bank is evidence of snow algae. Where ice forms on the sea it is stained off-white by the growth of diatoms, confusing the eyes that strain and search for ice bears. Lowering the remote operated vehicle below the ice and the surface of the near freezing ocean we can find delicate soft corals, anenomes, nudibranchs and much more.
There is life everywhere one looks for it. A welcome, but perhaps unexpected, abundance and diversity in this apparently frigid and inhospitable land.
Once more we have been reminded and surprised by the riches that the Arctic has to offer. Many of us came to Svalbard in search of the ice bear, and we have been well rewarded. Today we saw a further four bears – a single onshore this morning and then a mother with two cubs this evening. However, in addition to some memorable bear sightings we have all gained a deeper appreciation of this region and what it can offer the visitor who is prepared to look beyond the headline-grabbing charismatic megafauna.
When walking over the tundra it is sometimes impossible not to step on the abundant and beautiful but tiny flowering plants. In places seabirds fill the air, rushing to raise their chicks and take advantage of this all-too-brief time of plenty in the Arctic summer. Walruses and seals haul out on the beaches and ice floes. The pinkish hue in a snow bank is evidence of snow algae. Where ice forms on the sea it is stained off-white by the growth of diatoms, confusing the eyes that strain and search for ice bears. Lowering the remote operated vehicle below the ice and the surface of the near freezing ocean we can find delicate soft corals, anenomes, nudibranchs and much more.
There is life everywhere one looks for it. A welcome, but perhaps unexpected, abundance and diversity in this apparently frigid and inhospitable land.
