Svalbard
Exploring the ice…Today was a day of exploration migrating our way through the pack ice in search of the great ice bear (Ursus maritimus). Our first of three close encounters occurred at about 6 am with many of us a bit bleary eyed from watching bears the night before, but as the bear approached within 10 meters of the ship everyone’s tiredness was a thing of the past and camera shutters were firing. It is such a joy to visit an area that is as wild and pristine as the high arctic. Our solitude in this environment can be compared to that of the polar bear and John Muir probably stated it the most succinctly in 1881: “The polar bear is a noble-looking animal and of enormous strength, living bravely and warm amid eternal ice. He is the unrivalled master of existence of this icebound solitude.”
The bear’s existence is tied to the formation of ice for this is the medium on which his favorite food is found… the ringed seal (Phoca hispida). Thinking about this, it occurred to me that it would be interesting to get a ring seal’s view of what the environment under the ice looks like. So we lowered the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and took some video of the pelagic realm under the ice. Many shapes could be seen and bubbles were off gassing due to being released from their crystalline prison as a result of increased molecular motion and change of phase. The above photo is a snapshot of a 200-foot exploration under the ice with the only way back being following the rov’s tethered cable to the launching platform of the Zodiac. Who knows what adventure tomorrow may bring on this photo expedition.
Exploring the ice…Today was a day of exploration migrating our way through the pack ice in search of the great ice bear (Ursus maritimus). Our first of three close encounters occurred at about 6 am with many of us a bit bleary eyed from watching bears the night before, but as the bear approached within 10 meters of the ship everyone’s tiredness was a thing of the past and camera shutters were firing. It is such a joy to visit an area that is as wild and pristine as the high arctic. Our solitude in this environment can be compared to that of the polar bear and John Muir probably stated it the most succinctly in 1881: “The polar bear is a noble-looking animal and of enormous strength, living bravely and warm amid eternal ice. He is the unrivalled master of existence of this icebound solitude.”
The bear’s existence is tied to the formation of ice for this is the medium on which his favorite food is found… the ringed seal (Phoca hispida). Thinking about this, it occurred to me that it would be interesting to get a ring seal’s view of what the environment under the ice looks like. So we lowered the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and took some video of the pelagic realm under the ice. Many shapes could be seen and bubbles were off gassing due to being released from their crystalline prison as a result of increased molecular motion and change of phase. The above photo is a snapshot of a 200-foot exploration under the ice with the only way back being following the rov’s tethered cable to the launching platform of the Zodiac. Who knows what adventure tomorrow may bring on this photo expedition.
