Another Polar Bear Day!

Ok…the fog, rough seas and changing ice conditions has again changed our itinerary, so I am going to say we spent the morning motoring in the Hinlopen Straight and eventually disembarked on the zodiacs near Von Otteroya but I’m not 100% positive. This was our first time off the ship in nearly two days!

Of course we enjoyed seeing all the polar bears from the bow, but at the same time we were happy to have an opportunity to cruise the bay…or at least I think. After about an hour of cruising around in miserable conditions, a deep fog and mist in the air, my hands and feet were frozen and I was less than enamored with the kittiwakes, guillemots, and icy coastline. I don’t think I was the only one silently wishing we could go back to the ship.

DISCOVER
polar bear mama and cub checking out its reflection

Polar Bear Mama with a Cub Visited Our Ship!

Our day started early…just after midnight. The message in Australian accent sounded over the PA system, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but a polar bear is visible to the naked eye around 11 o’clock to the ship.” I don’t think either of us had really gone to sleep. We had only returned to the room in the last hour after watching the bears in the distance. After the announcement, David, told me he wasn’t getting up, however, I got dressed in lightning speed. I was going to see that polar bear!

POLAR BEAR PARADISE
cliffs and birds at Allkefjellet

First Walrus Sighting in the Arctic!

Today on our Arctic Expedition with Quark, we started slightly earlier. Breakfast call was 7:30am. The 23 knot wind precluded us from kayaking, so we joined the zodiacs as we toured the shore of towering dolomite and limestone spires with ledges cut out for countless bird colonies at Allkefjellet.

The contrast of the white and black rock, along with the green tundra, dirty snow, and low clouds added to the dramatic setting where over 60,000 pairs of Brunnich’s guillemot breed. It’s amazing to know in September no birds will be present. It’s also amazing to think that of 10,000 species of birds around the world, only 30 species of birds breed in the Arctic and only about 100 species have been recorded.

WATCH FOR WALRUS
kayaker group at Monacobreen

Reflections in the Arctic at Bockfjorden and Monacobreen

This morning on our Quark Arctic Expedition, we were called to breakfast at 8am. Along with the regular options, we could also order French toast. The weather was absolutely magnificent. The breezeless morning let us stand outside on the deck comfortably and snap photos of the surrounding peaks reflecting in the placid bay at Bockfjorden, a portion of Woodfjord, which is part of the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park. The area is home to an old, snow covered volcano and at least today, fantastic kayaking conditions!

GO FOR A PADDLE
puffin in the sea

Duck, Duck, Goose in the Arctic!

First Day on the Sea Adventurer Operated by Quark Expeditions

The loudspeaker wake up call came at 7:30 for breakfast starting at 8. I opted for an omelet and fruit. David added some lox to the mix. There was no shortage of food at the morning buffet. The rest of the morning was filled with preparation…a kayak fitting to adjust our foot pegs, a boot fitting for our landings, and of course a briefing on all the does and dont’s in the Arctic. We now know the correct way to enter and exit the zodiac, how to clean our boots at the gangway, and the importance of staying close to one another and near the guide with the rifle in case a polar bear comes near!

EXPLORE!
reindeer near Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

Longyearbyen and Its Outskirts

We began our day in Longyearbyen with a buffet breakfast at the hotel…mostly European. With our check out time at 11 and well before our ship boarding time, we packed our bags and left them in the common area for Quark Expeditions to pick up. In the meantime, we joined a “taxi” tour of Spitsbergen with 13 others. It was more like a shuttle bus tour. Regardless, I was grateful to find a short and relaxing activity around Longyearbyen and Spitsbergen before embarking on our circumnavigation around Svalbard!

EXPLORE!
icebreaker in longyearbyen harbor

Finally Arrived in Longyearbyen, Norway

Getting to Longyearbyen

We left Wednesday evening. It is now Thursday night at 10:15 in Oslo and still light. We only have one more leg to our journey tomorrow morning when we fly to Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard, Norway. So far, our trip has been rather uneventful.

We took a red eye on a British Airways 747, a rickety old plane. I skipped the meal service, took a sleeping pill and actually slept a good six hours quite comfortably in coach. I couldn’t believe it. I usually get four hours of sleep at best! We killed time during our five hour layover in London by having lunch at Giraffe, browsing the shops, and catching up on some reading.

OFF TO THE ARCTIC