Near Bölscheöya Island & South Edgeöya
We spent the day in the ice, a true expedition day in the Arctic. Our morning started with the gentle announcement that a polar bear was sighted just ahead of the National Geographic Explorer. We rushed to the outer decks to see a large bear quietly sleeping the morning away on a small piece of ice.
Just after breakfast there was another chance to spend time with a polar bear and it was again resting its head on its paws on the ice. It is such a wonderful opportunity to see these massive animals in their own natural habitat.
We sailed towards Bölscheöya Island but there was too much brash ice in the area so we found a small group of islands nearby and it was the perfect place for a zodiac cruise. At the start of the cruise we discovered a group of six walrus resting on one of the flat pieces of ice. One of the males had long tusks and must have weighed over 3,000 pounds. It was incredible to see this humongous creature slowly roll over and ever so gracefully scratch his back on the ice!
The rest of the day was just a memorable one, with several more polar bear sightings. We even saw a large bear drag its seal kill off the ice and swim away with it.
The ice is such a key part of the Arctic ecosystem. It was a real treat to spend an amazing day middle of it and see so much wildlife.
