In the Ice
This morning the guests of Endeavour awoke with a sense of excitement and anticipation. What would the day bring? Our plans were vague… no set destinations, no set times, just two words stuck out our minds – Polar Bears! We were in search of the fast ice edge on the eastern side of Spitsbergen. It was here we hoped to find the elusive ice bear.
It took us until mid-afternoon to reach pack ice dense enough to offer ideal hunting ground for bears. During the summer months bears patrol ice floes for their staple diet, the ringed seal. As we approached the ice, there were seals lying on the floes, showing we were on the right track.
Captain Leif Skog eased the ship into increasingly heavy ice as the fog, which had been with us for most of the day, lifted allowing us to admire the rugged coast, lined with glaciers. With everyone on deck, scouring the ice with their binoculars it was not long until our first bear was spotted. In perfect wind and glassy calm water, the captain quietly maneuvered the ship close to the bear, which was crouching, silently lying in wait for surfacing seals at the ice edge. Only the clicking of camera shutters broke the silence, as we all enjoyed amazing views of the animal we had come so far to see right below the bow of Endeavour. More bears soon followed, including a mother with her two cubs that were born this spring.
Whilst we continued to scan the ice from above, our undersea team decided to explore what lay under the ice. Launching the ship’s remote submarine, the ROV, piloted by undersea specialist Dennis Cornejo, allowed us to glimpse the rarely seen environment below the ice. Descending still further into the icy depths, the craft reached bottom over 200 feet below, illuminating a very different world beyond the reach of light from above. The sea bed, composed of soft sediments which rain down from above, was covered in bright red brittle stars, and stalked sea anemones.
The ROV operation was cut short by the approach of yet another bear. No doubt attracted by the smell of dinner cooking. Another delicious meal prepared by the Endeavour galley which we were able to enjoy after the bears departure. Polar Expeditioning in comfort and style!
This morning the guests of Endeavour awoke with a sense of excitement and anticipation. What would the day bring? Our plans were vague… no set destinations, no set times, just two words stuck out our minds – Polar Bears! We were in search of the fast ice edge on the eastern side of Spitsbergen. It was here we hoped to find the elusive ice bear.
It took us until mid-afternoon to reach pack ice dense enough to offer ideal hunting ground for bears. During the summer months bears patrol ice floes for their staple diet, the ringed seal. As we approached the ice, there were seals lying on the floes, showing we were on the right track.
Captain Leif Skog eased the ship into increasingly heavy ice as the fog, which had been with us for most of the day, lifted allowing us to admire the rugged coast, lined with glaciers. With everyone on deck, scouring the ice with their binoculars it was not long until our first bear was spotted. In perfect wind and glassy calm water, the captain quietly maneuvered the ship close to the bear, which was crouching, silently lying in wait for surfacing seals at the ice edge. Only the clicking of camera shutters broke the silence, as we all enjoyed amazing views of the animal we had come so far to see right below the bow of Endeavour. More bears soon followed, including a mother with her two cubs that were born this spring.
Whilst we continued to scan the ice from above, our undersea team decided to explore what lay under the ice. Launching the ship’s remote submarine, the ROV, piloted by undersea specialist Dennis Cornejo, allowed us to glimpse the rarely seen environment below the ice. Descending still further into the icy depths, the craft reached bottom over 200 feet below, illuminating a very different world beyond the reach of light from above. The sea bed, composed of soft sediments which rain down from above, was covered in bright red brittle stars, and stalked sea anemones.
The ROV operation was cut short by the approach of yet another bear. No doubt attracted by the smell of dinner cooking. Another delicious meal prepared by the Endeavour galley which we were able to enjoy after the bears departure. Polar Expeditioning in comfort and style!
