Whenever I talk about our spring trip to Svalbard, I always get the same response............WHERE?

 

I have ALWAYS wanted to see polar bears in person.  Those HUGE, white, carnivores of the polar region ice.  AND, I was always mistaken as to where one could do that.  I thought they were in Antarctica and that in itself brought on a panic attack.

  

You see, when Ted and I were young marrieds he had visions of someday sailing our own boat around the world.  However, as a child I would get carsick driving to Grandma's house all of three miles away.  The thought of  “around the world”  immediately turned my lips green and made my stomach churn.  However, leaving the larger battles of  “around the world” until a later date, I did lay down one rule..........  “no Capes and no Horns” on our future sailing adventures.

This is where my polar bear conundrum comes in.  While we never retired young enough to do our around the world sail on our own I still have my rule about Capes and Horns.  The Drake Passage between the tip of South America (the Horn) and the continent of Antarctica is the most dangerous stretch of water on Earth.  As much as I want to see Polar Bears I will not do that passage.

 

Then, thankfully, I learned that Polar Bears are NOT in Antarctica, but in the Arctic.  OK, so again you ask.............WHERE?  So here, once again, we are in SVALBARD.............WHERE? ? ? 

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.  One of the world's northernmost inhabited areas, it's known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra.  We're on a Lindblad/National Geographic trip aboard  the Endurance, one of the first of three of their “X” bow ice breaker ships.   This is an Expedition Ship and that in itself defines the voyage.  We are circumnavigating the island of Svalbard and hoping to see whatever we can see..........polar bears, walrus, beluga whales at sea, and arctic foxes on our land hikes as well as Svalbard caribou and beautiful arctic spring flowers emerging.  There is very little set itinerary for a good portion of the trip because of the hopes of “finding” the wildlife we came to see.  

Polar bears are my main objective of this trip because they are majestic to me.  They are the largest land carnivore in the world.  The average bear weighs between 750 and 1500 pounds, and the largest ever recorded was over 2200 pounds.  Classified as marine mammals, they spend most of their time in sea ice hunting for seals.  They have an incredible sense of smell and can locate a seal breathing hole in the ice up to one mile away.  Once there, they then patiently wait by the breathing hole for the seal to surface for air, and then catch their meal.  When seals are unavailable the polar bear will scavenge whale and walrus carcasses or hunt reindeer and seabirds.  Polar bears are nomadic and can walk 15 miles per day, or 5,000 miles in a year.  Their fur is thought to be white however in reality I found them to be beige so they can be spotted on the snow/ice landscape, although NOT easily. That fur is transparent to allow sun to shine thru onto their black energy absorbing skin, and the fur is hollow to add insulation to their layer of blubber for warmth.

Because they rely heavily on sea ice for food and traveling, current climate trends are posing serious threats to their survival.  Polar bears are listed as a vulnerable species because their habitat is rapidly shrinking.  Climate change in the Arctic is happening faster than anywhere else on the planet, as much as twice the global average.  Increasing air and water temperatures melt ice and permafrost, cause less snow to fall and alter biological processes.    Melting ice is one of the most obvious signs of change in the Arctic as well as the reason for sea level rise.  

Loss of sea ice is causing a different problem.  White sea ice is highly reflective, insulating the ocean water and keeping it cool even in the summer.  Today's summers, however, have 50 percent less ice coverage than 50 years ago.  Open, dark blue water absorbs solar energy and ocean temperatures increase globally as a result.  On land, permafrost is melting to release large quantities of methane, which traps much more heat than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Changes to the Arctic's land and water are forcing plants and animals to modify their behaviors and ranges or face possible extinction.         

So I wanted to see polar bears NOW and the very first morning at sea we heard the announcement that there were bears to be seen. It was early morning and everyone ran to the bow of the ship for a look.  We even had people in their robes and slippers hanging over the rail taking pictures.  Bet they were COLD!  Later that day we passed an ice island that was covered in walruses sleeping off their breakfast.  Wondrous first day.

We also did landings on the island for hikes and photo walks.  Prior to any shore landing zodiacs are sent out to scout the area for polar bears.  While seeing Polar Bears was the purpose of our trip, you don't want to see them UP CLOSE like that.  

Safety first, so on shore no group was larger than 15 people, and one of them is staff armed and trained extensively with a 30/06 rifle and he/she also carries emergency flares.  The group is required to stay BEHIND the rifle bearer and obey him.  As I said, polar bears are the largest land carnivore in the world and the rifle bearers are ever vigilant when we are on land because we would merely be a “snack” for a bear.  (I have to add that Ted would have preferred to carry a LARGER bore than the 30/06, if it were up to him!)

On one of the photo walks a member spotted one of the Zodiacs cruising far away along the coast, the pilot was armed and diligent with binoculars.  She said “I hope he sees a polar bear” and our rifle bearer said “no you don't.”  She responded “............over there, not here.”   And once again our rifle bearer said “No you don't.  If we see one on this shore,  ANYWHERE, the ship will sound the alarm and we are all back on board, IMMEDIATELY.”

Our remote landings for photographic walks and hikes on the glaciers were all “wet landings” off a Zodiac  That means you're going to be a minimum of up to your ankles,  in 35 degree water, but boots were available, so no need to pack them.  The photographic hikes were basically covering the terminal moraine of a glacier while the longer hikes cover the higher beauty of the mountainous island.   

A terminal moraine marks the maximum advance of a glacier and contains the sediment that the “snout” of the glacier pushed in front of it on it's forward “march.”  Depending on the geology of the area, a terminal moraine can be 99% clay or 99% stone or any combination of the two.  In Svalbard the terminal moraines were almost totally stone scoured into round “river rock” like spheres from being tumbled under the ice sheet for miles.  And when this stone is combined with water from melting ice it can act like quicksand depending on the depth of the water.  We had to pull more than one hiker out of a deep crossing and one actually lost his boot..............he had a COLD walk back to the ship.  He should have stayed behind the gun bearer as he was instructed because they guide through shallow, safe crossings. (Ted has to add that it is hard to corral someone with a camera around his neck, but this wasn't him!)

Now, seeing polar bears from the ship is a wonderful, safe experience and how this trip is supposed to play out.  So, that's where the captain, his crew and the National Geographic/Lindblad naturalists excel.  They are never without binoculars and cameras around their necks, and they are constantly on the lookout for what we came to see.

 

We had many polar bear sightings, but by far the best was a bear swimming off the bow of the ship.  The Finnish laws about interacting with wildlife are very strict, and you cannot pursue an animal or intrude on their space.  So the captain cut the engines and we watched our polar bear taking a swim.  However, it was not just any swim.  He swam directly toward us as if to say “just what are you doing in my bath tub?”  He raised his head and shoulders out of the water to get a better look, then he stretched out and swam to the starboard side.  He popped up again to look, turned and swam to the port side and checked once again.  It was like watching water aerobics in the Arctic!

And, just when you think you've seen it all, we spotted a jelly fish swimming along side our zodiac!  Once again I was enlightened to the fact that jelly fish are not strictly tropical beings.  Just because the Tropics is the only place I've seen them doesn't make it so.  There are eight varieties of Arctic jelly fish and this one is called the Lion's Mane and it can grow a bell as large as 6” in diameter with tentacles as long as 9”.

So, WHERE??................SVALBARD!  Yes it was cold but I finally got to see those magnificent polar bears that can weigh more than a ton yet move like an ballerina in the water.  Go see for yourself!