As we awoke to the sounds of slushing, and the occasional bump alongside the ship, it could only mean one thing, we are in the ice! After many days of anticipation we are finally here. This morning, more than the usual group of early risers filled the bridge. Curious guests were amazed at the sight before them. Large flats of sea ice were drifting beside us, and the excitement rose even more whenever the ship did not veer from course to avoid the sea ice in front of us. You could almost feel everyone hold their breath moments before the ice would split as National Geographic Explorer cut her way through the frozen seascape.
Our goal today was to find a polar bear, not easy when you consider the vastness of the ice and the limitations of traversing it in a ship. But our ship’s officers are not easily deterred, and they were as determined as they were skilled. Often we would pass a piece of ice with the fresh footprints of our prize, but the hours went by, and still no bear. At least there was beauty all around us, and none could deny the hypnotic effect of the ice. As is often the case, our guests come for the wildlife, and fall in love with the ice. The searching did bring another prize, a bearded seal that let us venture very close indeed. Our Captain showed us that even with a four hundred foot vessel, he could stealthily approach a seal lying on a piece of drift ice without ever disturbing the seal. The mark of a good naturalist. We watched for a while and then, as carefully as when we approached, our ship backed away, leaving the seal undisturbed.
As the day went on our spirits were not dampened. Yes, we wondered if we would see a bear, but we all know there are no guarantees with wildlife. Soon enough hours had passed that it was time to call it a day, Re-cap would begin shortly, and our expedition leader promised our staff would stay vigilant throughout the night. Then, as one of the naturalists was giving his presentation, the call came from the bridge, they had found the jackpot. As quickly as possible we rushed to our cabins for more appropriate clothing, and our cameras. As we remerged onto the front decks, we spied for the first time the ice bear walking across the ice. The only noise was the clicking of cameras and the sighs of our guests as they realised the dream of the day. There before us was our first polar bear, the iconic symbol of the Arctic. We were in the presence of wildlife royalty, and we would savour every minute of the encounter. The long wait had been worth it, and as the creamed coloured bear made its way across the ice, we were contented, and re-energised for the next day ahead.
