Last night our expedition leader told us we could sleep in this morning, but the wildlife had a different plan. Slightly after seven in the morning we spotted a distant polar bear on sea ice. Slowly and quietly we assembled outside and deftly crept our ship closer. The bear was very active and curious, hopping between floes and stopping frequently to give us a look. After some time running about, the bear got comfortable and fell asleep as kittiwakes and ivory gulls flew by. Such an incredible encounter with icons of the arctic left us with high spirits as we spent the rest of the day sailing through breath-taking ice and sea.