Polar Bear Paydirt

Polar Bear Paydirt Coordinates 81.06.327 N 21.12.753 E We are approximately 550 miles from the North Pole. With an early morning rise, the Vavilov hits paydirt! We saw 4 Polar Bears, two at least 1,000 lbs.(!), hunting over the ice pack. Absolutely amazing! I have some terrific shots that I will post when I get back. The bears have a buttery, creamy beige color to them set against the white and blue of the ice. Two at first approached the ship, some coming as close as 150 feet from us! Their noses in the air, and once they get a whiff of us, and see we're not suitable for lunch, they back off and continue their hunt for seals. They seemed healthy and obviously huge, which of course is a great sign that they've been eating well. However, the naturalists warn that though they look healthy, their hunting habitat is slowly decreasing due to the lack of a strong ice pack this year. These bears up here at 81 degrees latitude seem to be OK. It's the ones lower than 81 that may be in more trouble, being stranded on land without able to get further north due to the ice pack staying at such a high latitude. But our quest was definitely fulfilled this morning; a great day on the Vavilov and everyone seems to have a wide smile and great excitement. We're heading away from the ice for now, and heading towards the Seven Islands, an archipelago that will take us on a southerly direction to look for bears on land and a sizable walrus colony. So far, a great day!!

Above 81 Degrees and Climbing

Above 81 Degrees and Climbing Coordinates: 81.06.593 N 12.27.252 E We have made it to the highest point yet in our expedition, above 81 degrees latitude (check out a map/globe and you'll see how high up North we are). We journeyed this far north to get to the ice pack, where the Polar Bears tend to spend most if the summer hunting for food, primarily seals. It's been a tough go of finding the bears so far, no sightings on land nor out on the ice, perhaps due to the sea ice reaching farther north this year because of global warming. Or maybe it's because they're not giving us a heads up to where they're hanging out. Regardless it's our task we wish to undertake in finding them, not them finding us. Sailing through giant tabular icebergs, not so rare in the Antarctic but fairly rare in the Arctic are always awe-inspiring. An occasional seal will pop up through the ice surface, check out the scene, and then dart back under the ice, eating the plankton on which it feeds, and that attracts the Polar Bears to the area. We also had a rare and spectacular Ivory Gull fly over the Vavilov's bow. The Ivory Gull is the farthest northerly bird species on Earth. Google one if can, it's so incredibly beautiful and majestic. You know you're really, really North when you see one of these guys. We also took a Zodiac out to explore some of the area that wasn't inundated with ice, but no signs of terrestrial life was discovered. It's so serene out in the open water, the ice being pushed aside by our ship, and the fog rolling in from time to time, changing the view of the horizon, of the light, of the shades of blue and white that dominate the surroundings. Sitting on the bridge, high up on a perch above the sea gives an amazing perspective. The ship cutting through the water, steaming towards an endless sky, a never-darkening sky adds a serenity and contemplativeness that's impossible to replicate back home. It makes one's mind wander, to think about one's life and circumstance, to count one's blessings and put one's priorities in order. Thank God I'm not having a midlife crisis! ;-) After many late night carousings it's time for an early night tonight for some much needed sleep. I plan to get up and meet Amir on deck at 5:30 a.m. to scan the horizon for Polar Bears, a hot cup of tea (its about 38 degrees Fahrenheit outside) and take in all of this dreamy imagery as much as possible, as long as it lasts. Wish you all could be here!

Time to Head North

Time to Head North Today (Monday, July 29) brought us to the Northeastern edge of Svalbard, where we went on a land excursion up to some pretty impressive glaciers like the Monacobreen Glacier. There we found a dead Polar Bear, that had passed away about a month ago, most likely due to starvation. The bear's main food source here in Svalbard are the ringed seals, and the bears travel northward on the pack ice in the summer towards the seals. But because the pack ice was so poor this past winter, many bears have been stranded in the area where they are because the land bridge of pack ice is not consistent throughout the region. Our expedition decided to make our way due north to reach the pack ice (above 81 degrees latitude) to get to their summer habitat. So up north we head, daylight 24 hours a day, to break through the ice in our ice-breaking ship to reach the bears!! Also having a great time with my friends David and Debbie from Belgium, he's a photojournalist and she's a travel writer. Late nights laughing and carousing, they travel the world and write a blog with fascinating destinations and stories that Conde Nast and the New York Times publish. And I thought I traveled a lot! They're publishing a book this September on some of their favorite destinations that they've been to. We talked about Greenland this winter; so many places, so little time!

Fearless and Fulfilling

Fearless and Fulfilling Coordinates Lat: 79 16 60N Long: 010 35.33E Our first full day of the expedition found us exploring the Lilliehookbreen Glacier on the Western end of Svalbard by Zodiacs. It was amazing to encounter Arctic Skuas, Atlantic Puffins and Little Auks in the Arctic Ice . The Crush Ice, Growlers (larger chunks of ice that got their name from how when scaling alongside ships they made a deep noise, which sailors thought sounded like they were "growling" at them, and Tabular Icebergs were all coming off the Glacier. And to see calving of the glacier and the rumbling/thunder-like noise crashing into the sea never gets old! We were then off to explore the island of Blomstrandhalvoya, with its Reindeer, Long Tailed Skuas and Arctic Terns and their chicks all making a home on this desolate landscape. A lone reindeer crossed our path no less than 50 feet(!) away, before getting a whiff of us and making a break for it. So up close and personal! The whites and blues of the Ice/Glaciers take on a different colorful hue of their own, and the striations of the receding glaciers are extremely artistic! I was fortunate to spend a good chunk of the day with one of our guides, Sunniva (Sunny) Sorby, one of four of an all-woman team to reach the South Pole after a 700 mile trip across Antarctica, traveling for 67 days into a headwind of up to 50 miles an hour, pulling 200 lb. sleds, without the aid of sled dogs or motorized vehicles. Sunny was the first Canadian woman to complete crossing Greenland East to West and the first Canadian woman to ski to the South Pole! To say that Sunny is an inspirational, humble expeditionary leader is a most understated fact. She exudes confidence but in the most sincere and self effacing way. Hearing her challenges and perseverance in her stories was both rewarding and awe-inspiring in so many ways. We've become friends, and I felt she was truly touched by my own personal obstacles that I have overcome. These are the people I was hoping to meet on this journey. Both thought-provoking and fun, yet sincere and inspirational. All in all, an exhausting but terrific first full day of the expedition!

Spitsbergen, Longyearbyen and the Svalbard Peninsula- Sail Away!!

Spitsbergen, Longyearbyen and the Svalbard Peninsula- Sail Away!! I made it up above the Arctic Circle...finally! Already a change of temperature: from upper 70's in Oslo to mid 40's in Longyearbyen. It's all good. The Spitsbergen Guesthouse where I was staying was pleasant, clean and basic. I don't really need that much when I travel. But I did have to get used to the fact that the sun never set last night. Got up at 3 a.m. and it was bright blue skies! I've never experienced that before, and I have to say it is really neat! So today (July 27) I'm meeting our group at 3 p.m., ready to board the ship at 4. I can't wait!! 4:00 p.m. Boarding the ship, I met my old dear Israeli friend Amir, who was a fellow passenger with me on my Antarctica expedition. This time he brought the wife, kids, mother, and brother-in-law! Also staff members Rose (Australia) and Andy (Argentina) were on the Antarctic trip as well. I have a nice roomie named Paul from Yorkshire, England and all in all, I've settled in. So excited and just being on board again has brought back some wonderful memories of the past trip and sheer excitement of this upcoming adventure. Standing on the deck, the Arctic wind blowing in my face, watching the Arctic Terns, Northern Fulmars and Common Guillemots following the ship as we left port, brings a perpetual smile to my face. I'm back on the expedition, adventures unknown, and I feel so free and anticipatory; it feels amazing! Thanks so much for reading this and sharing this journey with me! It's gonna be a blast!!!

Oslo and All Things Norway

Oslo and All Things Norway The fours days I spent in Oslo were fun and eventful, trying to take in all things Norwegian in a short period if time. Exceptionally clean and efficient, Oslo had some amazing architecture off the top. Buildings of glass and steel come to mind immediately, and the Modern Museum of Art and the Jewish Museum were my most favorite. The seafood was spectacular, with the local shrimp tasting like Maine lobster. Really! All the food was terrific, and there was always a friendly smile to greet you whether it be at a restaurant, the ferry, the islands, or just walking by. And everyone is amazingly fit; an overweight person in Oslo I truly believe just does not exist. I loved taking the ferry to the islands in the Bay, skinny dipping off Langoye, some islands with amazing hiking trails, and some islands where beachgoers had little grills for BBQ were ever-present. The Norwegians love that sun, and grab the chance to soak up that Vitamin D whenever possible. Wouldn't you if YOU lived in Norway?? Although Oslo is so incredibly expensive it boggles the mind. Yes, the salaries are high, and the health care is subsidized, but $9 for a cup of coffee and an almond croissant!? Really?? If you can deal with the expense, Oslo is an amazing place to check out. But I didn't come here only for Oslo. I came truly for the Arctic, so North I shall go!!!

Prelude

I'm preparing to leave soon for my next Epic adventure: Norway and the Arctic!!! After a few days in Oslo and Fjord exploring, I'll be making my way up to Longyearbyen, north of the Arctic Circle and the launching pad for exploring the Arctic (aka the Ushuaia of the North). There I'll be boarding the Oceanographic research vessel the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, the sister ship of the Akademik Ioffe that I went to explore Antarctica and the South Atlantic with. Polar Bears, Beluga Whales, Walruses, 100's of endemic Arctic bird species, and all that the Arctic has to offer await. In addition, we'll be making our way to the Northernmost land mass, the Svalbard Peninsula where these animals are in abundance (relatively). Look for Greenland, and then find Norway. Then find the land mass in between both, due North. That's where I'll be. I'M. SO. STOKED!!! If you want a Postcard from the Arctic, message me your snail mail address (sorry, I deleted all of your addresses from the Antarctica trip). Also I plan/hope to blog from the ship as I did last time (thanks for your help again Micah) and my coordinates will be pinpointed (thanks Laura!). If I can't post from the ship, as the satellite signal may be sketchy, I'll submit the posts when I get back. See you online and try to check out the blog from time to time. Peace. And stay cool.