Near Kvitoya
Searching for the next big thing
All eyes are trained forward into a bracing wind as we scan the horizon for the next large mammal to enliven our day. Looking for wildlife is an integral part of each day in Svalbard, where the animals are dramatic but scattered sparsely around an icy seascape. Spotting the cream-coloured blobs (polar bears) is made more effective by having many eyes on the prowl, while darker blobs (seals and walruses) are much easier to spot and are an effective reward to keep novice eyes on the job. More often than not, our early detection of these beasts allows us to make a stealthy and close approach with a chance to observe the behaviors and details of such rarely seen creatures. Today’s efforts yielded three groups of walrus, two polar bears, many harp seals, and, unusually for this area, a hooded seal.
Searching for the next big thing
All eyes are trained forward into a bracing wind as we scan the horizon for the next large mammal to enliven our day. Looking for wildlife is an integral part of each day in Svalbard, where the animals are dramatic but scattered sparsely around an icy seascape. Spotting the cream-coloured blobs (polar bears) is made more effective by having many eyes on the prowl, while darker blobs (seals and walruses) are much easier to spot and are an effective reward to keep novice eyes on the job. More often than not, our early detection of these beasts allows us to make a stealthy and close approach with a chance to observe the behaviors and details of such rarely seen creatures. Today’s efforts yielded three groups of walrus, two polar bears, many harp seals, and, unusually for this area, a hooded seal.
