Bjørnfjorden
Awakening to a six o’clock wake up call, the guests of Endeavour knew this was going to be a jam-packed morning. But with a polar bear mother and cub sighting by six-thirty, they also knew it was going to be an incredibly special morning. Arriving in Svitfjorden in the early morning, it did not take long for the afore mentioned mother and cub to be spotted, and what a sight, their bodies part of a sparkling dance, as their white fur glistened in the sunlight, reflecting both water and ice. Reluctantly pulling the ship away, and sailing around to Bjørnfjorden, the guests ate breakfast gazing at upon the scenery of towering cliffs, and cascading glaciers spilling down to the water.
Preparing for the mornings activities, one could chose from an up-close and personal walk along a glaciers edge; a kayak in and amongst the crackling ice; or a Zodiac cruise along the glaciers, and between the islands that line this fjord. But why choose between such incredible activities when you can do them all? And indeed many of the guests filled their morning experiencing all the fjord had to offer.
For all onboard, the highlight of the day was seeing not only one mother and pair of yearling cubs, but two. This threesome spotted on an island within the fjord. Known in Scandinavia as the Isbjørn (Ice Bear), here in Svalbard the estimated polar bear population is 2,000 individual animals. Unlike in the Canadian Arctic, where the Inuit are still allowed to hunt polar bears for commercial and personal use, all the bears in Svalbard are protected. The only reason for a bear here to be shot upon is in self-defense, and even if this occurs, whether hit or not, there is a strong investigation by Sysselmannen, the Svalbard governmental body.
Although many think of the polar bear as a terrestrial animal, it could truly be called a marine mammal. Its Latin name of Ursus maritimus, or sea bear, should give it away, as these bears spend most of their lives living on the sea ice, where they hunt their staple diet of seals. Polar bears are just as comfortable swimming in the water, as they are walking on land, and have been seen 200 miles away from any land. Using their large paws to paddle through the water, sometimes diving to 20 feet.
Cute and cuddly, that is how most of us have been raised to see polar bears, whether it has been the stuffed toys we see in the stores, or even the polar bears behind bars in the zoo. In actuality, seeing these bears in their natural habitat, be it with a fresh kill or simply lazing about on the rocks as this mother and two cubs are doing, is enough to instill the awe and respect they deserve. Yet alas, one cannot help looking at this maternal scene and getting that warm-fuzzy feeling.
Awakening to a six o’clock wake up call, the guests of Endeavour knew this was going to be a jam-packed morning. But with a polar bear mother and cub sighting by six-thirty, they also knew it was going to be an incredibly special morning. Arriving in Svitfjorden in the early morning, it did not take long for the afore mentioned mother and cub to be spotted, and what a sight, their bodies part of a sparkling dance, as their white fur glistened in the sunlight, reflecting both water and ice. Reluctantly pulling the ship away, and sailing around to Bjørnfjorden, the guests ate breakfast gazing at upon the scenery of towering cliffs, and cascading glaciers spilling down to the water.
Preparing for the mornings activities, one could chose from an up-close and personal walk along a glaciers edge; a kayak in and amongst the crackling ice; or a Zodiac cruise along the glaciers, and between the islands that line this fjord. But why choose between such incredible activities when you can do them all? And indeed many of the guests filled their morning experiencing all the fjord had to offer.
For all onboard, the highlight of the day was seeing not only one mother and pair of yearling cubs, but two. This threesome spotted on an island within the fjord. Known in Scandinavia as the Isbjørn (Ice Bear), here in Svalbard the estimated polar bear population is 2,000 individual animals. Unlike in the Canadian Arctic, where the Inuit are still allowed to hunt polar bears for commercial and personal use, all the bears in Svalbard are protected. The only reason for a bear here to be shot upon is in self-defense, and even if this occurs, whether hit or not, there is a strong investigation by Sysselmannen, the Svalbard governmental body.
Although many think of the polar bear as a terrestrial animal, it could truly be called a marine mammal. Its Latin name of Ursus maritimus, or sea bear, should give it away, as these bears spend most of their lives living on the sea ice, where they hunt their staple diet of seals. Polar bears are just as comfortable swimming in the water, as they are walking on land, and have been seen 200 miles away from any land. Using their large paws to paddle through the water, sometimes diving to 20 feet.
Cute and cuddly, that is how most of us have been raised to see polar bears, whether it has been the stuffed toys we see in the stores, or even the polar bears behind bars in the zoo. In actuality, seeing these bears in their natural habitat, be it with a fresh kill or simply lazing about on the rocks as this mother and two cubs are doing, is enough to instill the awe and respect they deserve. Yet alas, one cannot help looking at this maternal scene and getting that warm-fuzzy feeling.
