We get a good glimpse of a polar bear, who haughtily turns his back on us, grunting walruses and grazing reindeer.
The next day, it is too foggy to make a landing. We would not be able to see a polar bear approaching before it was too late, so …
Instead, we follow the pack ice northwest from Seven Islands, which is as far north as we can get in the ship. We are now at almost 81ºN. The islands are the northernmost landmass reachable by normal means, being 1024.3 kilometers (637 miles) south of the North Pole.
We see a polar bear on the way, sitting on the ice. It looks at us then almost demonstratively turns its back to us.
We also see a group of walruses on an ice floe, and catch a fleeting glimpse of a bowhead whale.
Eventually, we leave the pack ice behind us and follow the contintental shelf southwards. Here is typically an upwelling of nutrients, so it is common to see whales. We see white-beaked dolphins and various kinds of whales that are too far away for me to identify. All I see are their blows.
Next morning, we take the zodiacs to a place called Poolepynten. Here we encounter animals. A couple of adult reindeer females and a calf graze. At one point they come too close to a ruddy turnstone nest, so the bird hassles them until they move on. Terns fly close over our heads. They might have nests in the area, too. We hear the chirpings of snow buntings.
We also see walruses. They are so laid-back and relaxed that they barely take notice of us. Nevertheless, we keep a distance of about 50 m, staying behind a line that our guide has etched in the sand.
Some of the walruses hang around in the water doing I know not what. They are not feeding. Maybe just having a bit of fun.
The beach is littered with driftwood. In the past, hunters and trappers would have used the wood for building and fuel. That is no longer permitted.
A whale must have beached here many years ago. It is interesting to note how porous the bones are, and how they form a basis for new life in the form of mosses, lichens and flowers. As long as we do not disturb things, Nature will find its way.
