(a mini-) TRIP REPORT: Svalbard, Norway, June/July 2016
Plastic Bear was very tolerant, and paid us no attention as we followed him/her down the beach, as it played with
"toys" found in the litter and chewed on just about everything plastic it found.
"OK, no wise-ass comments about my wide posterior, or I'll take a chunk out of your Zodiac!"
Our last significant sighting of polar bears was a sow and her 2 "pre-teens" (probably about 18 months old) as they walked the beach
and rocky shoreline. All told we saw about 11 bears, and we were fortunate to photograph 6 of them. The previous tour had only seen about 3
or 4, so we were lucky.
Since most of Svalbard is national parks, it is common to see old hunter's cabins now used as ranger cabins or emergency shelters
I don't mean to get too repetitious here, but I thought following the bears on their walk might give you
some idea of the interesting lichen covered rocks found on this island
The bears finally ended up on the very tip of the island, looking longingly at another island in the distance.
The sow then entered the water...
...dutifully followed by the cubs...
...and they all proceeded to swim to the other island several miles away
Onward to Page 4
