In the Land of the Ice Bears

It's 7:30 AM, and as I write this there is more water than ice. There is little to no wind, and the outside air temperature is around 37°F. The water is smooth and calm, reflecting the clouds and sun. Every so often, a sea bird swoops down or lands or takes off, disturbing the perfectly glassy surface. We’re traveling deeper into the sea ice, looking for wildlife: most notably, the polar bear.

Naturalist Adam, with his rifle

Polar bears are the largest land carnivores in the polar region. They are considered ‘marine mammals’ because they wander the ice pack and often swim long distances between ice floes or islands. They are also more dangerous than other bear species because they are much more carnivorous, given the lack of plant matter in the polar regions. In fact, by Norwegian law, anyone who goes outside in the Svalbard must carry a weapon.

On Wednesday, we reached a latitude of around 80°N. Being this far north of the Arctic Circle means perpetual sun. It is so cold that in winter the ocean freezes, causing a thin layer of frozen fresh water that builds up over time, known as sea ice. Unlike glacial ice that is compressed from snowpack and breaks off in chunks that rise up several meters above sea level, sea ice stays relatively flat – like a vast plain of white that stretches as far as the eye can see. When the ice breaks up, it forms interlocking pieces that slowly and gradually drift around and apart.

This is where polar bears like to roam. 95% of bears can be found on sea ice, where their main source of food congregates. Their favorite is the ringed seal - mainly because it is mostly fat. Polar bears don't eat much of the meat; instead, they favor blubber. They will also hunt bearded seals and harp seals, whales, and juvenile walruses.

We continued sailing north from the tip of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. We sailed north and had just reached the beginning edge of sea ice - still in open waters just skirting the edge of ice -  when the call was made that bears had been spotted. One was solitary and fairly far in the distance, but the other was closer to the ship. It was mostly hidden behind a mound of snow, but the ship was slowly creeping closer and soon we could make out the outline of a mother bear and her two cubs. She woke up and wandered further away from the ship before settling down again with the cubs. We floated quietly alongside the ice, drifting closer and closer, but she seemed to have settled down again for the night.

After watching the bear for a while, Jeanne and I decided to go down to bed around 11:30PM. I was getting ready to close the porthole when I glanced outside, and to my surprise the bears were right outside the window. In a stroke of luck and perfect timing, just then the mother was startled and ran right across our field of view. Because we were down in our rooms, we got a great eye-level view. We could easily see the look of urgency in the mother’s face, and the curiosity and confusion in the eyes of the cubs. Turns out the solitary male had made his way over to the ship, and would potentially kill the cubs. Luckily, this one was more interested in us than the other bears, and spent some time circling the ship before wandering away.

For the rest of the next day, we cruised around the sea ice looking for wildlife. There were several seals (bearded and ringed) that dotted the landscape, but for the most part it was a quiet day. During the evening briefing, we were told by the staff that we’d only cruise in the ice through dinner, then we’d have to turn south in order to get to Hinlopen Strait, away from the sea ice where there was less chance to see a bear.

And just before dessert, the call was made: another bear had been spotted. This one looked curiously at the ship before slipping into the water and swimming several hundred meters to another ice floe. 

  

Friday gave us views of two more polar bears – one from afar that was wandering the shoreline near Kapp Fanshawe - unusual that it was on land...

And one on a swath of fast ice, feeding on a recent seal kill.

Covering his kill with snow to protect it from scavengers

The bloody remnants of the kill site

As we cruised around the ice floe, we could see where the bear had made the kill near the edge of the water. Because the ice is constantly changing and melting, being by the edge was risky since there was no guarantee it would be there the next day. We could see where the bear had made his kill, and could follow where he had dragged it further inland (inice?).

It was great seeing these polar bears, looking healthy and active. The sea ice is shrinking - multi-year ice is rapidly melting, and there has been no new sea ice formed the past year. For a species that has adapted so well to this unique environment, it is scary to think how climate change will effect the polar bear population. I'm definitely glad I got the chance to see them while I could, out on the ice!