Svalbard – 2016020 – Whales

It's our last day at sea cruising back to Longyearben and we happen upon some whales...Blue, Minke and Humpback.  Not a whole lot to see but they are actually massive.

Svalbard – 2016019 – Glaciers up close

Today we sign up for a zodiac ride to see three glaciers with Magnus, one of the naturalists...he knows lots.  It's a beautiful day.

Blue ice means freshly calved

Serving us some hot drinks

Look how small the two zodiacs are!

Svalbard – 20160618 – Walrus

We've seen polar bear and caribou but no walrus yet.  The expedition leader is getting nervous as some of the guests probably put him under pressure.  We're honey badgers so we don't give a sh-t.

The ship goes to a cove where the walrus congregate...and they are there.  We zodiac ashore and then silently walk 100 yards to look at them.  We must be quiet so as not to stampede them.

Svalbard – 20160618 – Caribou

We go ashore in the zodiacs.  This trip we go on a hike to explore and eventually run into some caribou grazing...mother, father and inquisitive youngster.

Doug (notice the rifle)

Hardy vegetation

NatGeo photographer

Svalbard – 20160617 – Hinlopen Straight

This morning we are up at 6AM to visit Kapp Fanshawe…it is home to one of the largest seabird nesting areas in Svalbard. The captain pulls the bow right up to the cliffs where we watch thousands of nesting birds.

They do not actually build nests but lay an egg right on the ledge and tend to it...when hatched they soon push the chick into the water to avoid getting eaten by predators.

Svalbard - 20160616 - Polar bear

Undeniably the one thing that everyone wants to see is a polar bear; however, we’re not at a zoo where we can reliably produce one. 

The staff is going to great lengths to lower our expectations of seeing, as Luccho says, some “fluffy wildlife.” But the search is on.

We are heading north to find the pack ice, the habitat of the bears, above 80 degree latitude. It’s just before dinner and the captain spots a bear swimming in the water.  We would be dead from hypothermia in a few minutes…the bear is having fun.  The ship slowing approaches and the bear keeps its distance…we will not force an encounter.

After dinner another bear is spotted on the ice and it seems unbothered as we slowly approach. I would conservatively estimate that $400,000 of lenses are pointed at this lone bear and thousands of images made!  

Bear

Bear watching us

Sane bear reverse pose

Same bear

Bear taking off

The bear is now walking along and the ship is matching its pace…I move from the bow to the stern to get a different perspective.  I see that the bear is going to go across the bow so I hustle towards the front and head for the bridge. 

Not paying close attention I stumble on the top step and slam my face into the deck…in front of a crowd I try to act nonchalant like an embarrassed cat but the warm taste of blood is in my mouth and the ship’s doctor sees it all, corrals me and leads me to her office. A scrape on the knee and a gash inside my lip that is borderline for a stitch (which I decline) ... the doctor concurs.

The real bummer is that she gives me Tylenol PM and I sleep through some amazing bear sightings (mother and 3 cubs).  All I get out of this is a swollen lip…oh well.

Svalbard – 20160616 – Hamburgbukta

The wind is too strong for us to do zodiac cruises at Hamburgbuktal so we go up the coast to another sheltered bay where we explore some glaciers.  

Again, each zodiac carries a rifle.We board the zodiacs to explore a glacier up close.

Doug-naturalist

approaching

Bird! 

 I get lectured by Doug when I try to "call" this bird...Arctic manners.

In the afternoon we go ashore for a hike. There are some abandoned buildings and many logs that have floated here from Russia. There is also a surprising amount of plastic trash on the beaches. The Lindblad folks bring along special trash bags to collect as much as possible.

Old Russian building

logs from Siberia

waiting too head back