Remarkable Bear! The Joy of Sun, Ice and Polar Bears

Meeting Polar Bears on the Drift Ice of Svalbard

This will be my final piece on recent adventures in Svalbard. After encountering Polar Bears on rocky shores and Polar Bears on towering glaciers, we finally met Polar Bears on a brilliant day of blue skies and ice. But not without some challenges.

In Eastern Svalbard, the captain slowly pulled our ship into the drift ice and parked. Polar Bears are very curious with an excellent sense of smell (I’ve heard that they can smell a seal from two miles away!) The presence of a ship sticking out above the ice should attract Polar Bear attention. Sadly, we were totally fogged in for a full 36 hours. Nothing but murky white.

We were invisible

Then the next “morning” (midnight sun after all) opened crystal clear – and in no time, a marvelous Polar Bear approached on the ice.

This was a Happy Polar Bear!

Not only was he gorgeous, but he was also performative, clowning, rolling, posing.

This Bear stayed with us for the better part of an hour, then raised his nose to the wind

and took to the water

Polar Bears are superb swimmers, and think nothing of swimming for miles in search of a juicy seal! Swimming and climbing up and over the drifting ice. We followed this bear for a very long time.

Until finally, our very happy bear strolled off toward the horizon.

It was a day of fine memories, of ice and sun, water and Bears. Thank you Svalbard!