Up
on the cliff a man stood guard with a rifle. I glanced nervously
around, blinking away the snow that had landed on my eyelashes.
People were staring eagerly with cameras poised. I took a deep
breath, pulled off my fleece sweater and trekking pants and rushed
into the icy water. The water was a shock, but I smiled and even
laughed as I sank into the Arctic sea. The water was only 34 degrees,
and the outside air around 36 degrees. Here, in Magdalenefjorden Bay,
we were a few hundred miles from the North Pole. I came out of the
ice water quicker than an Olympic sprinter, fumbled quickly into my
outerwear, jumped into a zodiac raft, and in less than ten minutes I
was relaxing in a sauna wondering if I had crossed the border from
partially civilized to simply crazy. I still found it hard to
believe that I was on my dream trip – a seven day Arctic cruise
around Svalbard, Norway.
Svalbard
is located in the Arctic ocean 370 miles north of the Norwegian
mainland. Only a few cruise lines operate in this remote location due
to the short summer season that boasts twenty-four hours of sunlight
from June through August. I traveled on the M/S Expedition, a
converted car ferry turned cruise ship operated by G Adventures formally known as GAP Adventures. I
was extremely pleased with the layout of the cruise ship, which holds
130 people comfortably and was currently carrying 78. Because of our
smaller group on this trip, I was able to meet so many wonderful and
interesting people from all over the world – this was of the most
diverse international group I have ever traveled with, but we all
agreed on one thing, and that was that were were in for the adventure
of a lifetime.
Our
sailing headed south along the rugged Svalbard coastline,and within
15 hours, we were called to the bow to witness our first polar bear
sighting. It was truly awe-inspiring as we gazed through our
binoculars at this arctic giant meandering down a steep cliff in the
distance. This bear, not caring one way or the other about its new
audience, continued its normal routine. We, too, had to acclimate to
a new routine if we wanted to witness more polar bear sightings. We
then headed down to the elaborate mud room to get ready for our
zodiac boat expeditions. These Zodiac boats are perfect for
navigating the sea ice and getting up close and personal with the sea
and wildlife. I became lost in the moment as we zipped around
Hornshund bay and saw all types of birds around us. We saw including
hundreds of kittiwakes which look similar to seagulls flying
around us as well as thick-billed black Murr
father and son pairs swimming in the sea next to us. The Murres are
very similar to Penguins but are able to swim.
The
next morning, while in my cabin, John, one of the lead expedition
guides, came over the loudspeaker and said in the most deep,
animated voice, “You
are about to see the mother-load of polar bear sightings – at least
seven polar bears feeding on a whale carcass”. We quickly jumped
into the awaiting zodiacs and navigated over and around the sea ice
and five-foot swells. As we approached the shoreline, we watched in
amazement, as the polar bears reluctantly shared a forty-foot whale
carcass. A few people got sick and were picked up from the rafts and
taken back to the ship. J.P., a doctor from Seoul, looked at me from
behind his camera lens with the biggest grin as he compared our
first-day polar bear sighting with this one. He explained “A
polar bear this size,” as he squeezed his forefinger and thumb
together, “is not a polar bear, but THIS
is a polar bear!” and returned quickly to capture more
once-in-a-lifetime memories.
In
the days ahead, we hiked on tundras, spotted more wildlife and
learned about the many varieties of flora, which have only a few
months to survive in this rugged wilderness. This seemingly
barren and inhospitable region was teeming with life. I enjoyed
viewing the Arctic Birch trees but you’d have to look on the ground
since they do not grow larger than two centimeters. The mountains
ranged from soft limestone plateaus to jagged mountain peaks climbing
majestically into the Arctic sky. We stumbled upon large amounts of
bones and antlers while trekking through the frozen tundra that
seemed incredibly well preserved. We once sat upon dampened ground
and observed reindeer fattening themselves on the lichen and grass
only feet from us. Although much of the ground is still frozen, there
are areas that thaw and allow the wildlife to feed on the short-lived
flora. As we hiked back to the ship, I couldn’t help but think to
myself, “This truly is the last great wilderness.”
A
few days into our expedition we stood on the ship’s deck we
witnessed miles of glaciers and fjords where 100- million year-old
rocks are covered with birds and ice. Another day, on Marienbreen, we
gazed in astonishment as our guide Frank called out to his walrus
friends, “Woofie! Woofie!” In return to this call, these
gentle giants actually came up within feet of our ship and us. I
paused, “Were we at Sea World?” No, the icy Arctic air and the
harsh, yet inviting, environment reminded us that we were
experiencing raw nature. We gathered on the ship’s bow along
Wahlenberg Fjorden and watched thousands of sea birds fly over us,
while keeping our fingers crossed that our clothes and gear would not
get splattered by bird droppings. There was a never ending cornucopia
of wildlife, such as the Arctic Fox, Beluga whales, Atlantic Puffins,
kittiwakes, geese, reindeer and more. At the base of of of the
numerous glaciers we floated at the base of a cliff of puffins, and
watched these looking birds flutter back and forth over our heads.
Four
days into our seven day adventure the cruise took us to the furthest
point north at latitude
80º 30’ N, which
was very close to the North Pole. During breakfast our cruise
director, Julio Preller, excitedly pointed out in his charming broken
English that the world’s largest
two mammals –the Blue and Fin whales were swimming alongside the
ship. So travel blogger “Wildjunket”
Nellie
Huang, myself and others quickly prepared for the snow and ice and
below freezing temperatures to stand out on the bow to watch these
magnificent mammals feed in the frigid Arctic waters.
My
favorite moments happened were sailing off Nordaustlandet ice fields
on the third day. We all were captivated by a polar bear stretching
on a sheet of ice that seemed carved out just for her just yards off
the bow of our ship. She captured our hearts with her bear antics and
not long afterward we came upon a mother Walrus and cub on an ice
floe. The midnight sun was dancing along the edge of the ice field
and the entire scene was bouncing in hues of lavender, yellow and
blues and it was at this moment time stood still for me as I became
one with this environment, not even the icy cold air could bring me
out of my breathtaking ly beautiful spiritual moments.
Crew members and expedition leaders were
always armed with rifles and on the lookout for polar bears while we
hiked on land. The safety protocol and teamwork of this crew was top
notch
Considering
A trip to the Arctic?
Best
time: June-August. I prefer later in the season, although some of the
blooming flowers may be missed, but there is a greater chance to see
more wildlife and travel further north as a direct result of the
moving sea ice. I also recommend booking at least six months in
advance to save on airfare as well as the stateroom accommodations
you would most desire.
Ship’s
Amenities: There is one dining room, and the rooms are nicely sized
and outfitted with very comfortable and modernof
suites.
G Adventures Realm of the Polar Bear cruise has a bearantee:
“You are guaranteed to see a polar bear sighting or your money
back.” Book with VIP Alpine Tours to guarantee the best rates and let me assist with the best staterooms and service.
View my photo album here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vipalpinetours/sets/72157627488049514/
Christina
Ernst owns VIP Alpine Tours in Cleveland, Georgia and has visited
over fifty countries and specializes in international adventure
travel, Alpine regions and Christmas Markets of Europe.
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