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!!