At Sea/ Bjørnøya
This morning as the guests of Endeavour awoke and stepped out on deck, it was quite apparent that we were not in the midst of the mild gulf stream any longer. The temperature had dropped steadily from 60ºF to 38º F. The water temperature had dropped from 42º F to 33º F, all attributing to the briskness of the air. We have now left behind the lush green fjords of Norway, and are fully enshrouded by the polar environment.
Early in the afternoon we arrived off of Bjørnøya (Bear Island), about 250 miles north of mainland Norway. Do not be deceived by the name, as this is not the usual spot for bears to be spotted. As a matter of fact, up until this summer, it has been a couple of decades since one has been on the island during the summer. However, this summer is the exception. Early this spring as the ice retreated more rapidly than usual, it left a mother polar bear and her two cubs on the island. At the moment the bears are healthy, living off of birds and eggs, leaving the small radio station, and the 9 people who work there, alone. Time will tell how nature’s course will play out.
Bjørnøya is a famous place for arctic cod, an oceanic cod (“oceanic” because it migrates as opposed to the “coastal” cod that does not migrate). These cod spawn in the Lofoten Islands, but migrate north following food and currents. The fish are plentiful here at the island, and our galley staff wastes no time hopping into a boat for a try at fishing. Fortune smiled upon these fishermen, and within a few hours they were bringing this succulent fish back to the ship for all to enjoy.
Cod are not specialty feeders, they will bite at almost anything available. The cod around Bjørnøya have a buffet of underwater creatures to choose from, varying from krill, to other types of fish, and crab. In the stomachs of these cod, one can see the animal of choice is the type of spider crab pictured above. Its scientific name is Hyas coarctatus, and it is found everywhere on the sea bed of Bjørnøya, crawling along the sea floor, in the kelp, and on the rocks. It is a very common crab, noted for its triangular shaped shell, where it has hooks holding various pieces of kelp or shell, creating a cleaver disguise, and an easy escape from a predator.
This is just the first taste of our polar adventure. There is much, much more to come...
This morning as the guests of Endeavour awoke and stepped out on deck, it was quite apparent that we were not in the midst of the mild gulf stream any longer. The temperature had dropped steadily from 60ºF to 38º F. The water temperature had dropped from 42º F to 33º F, all attributing to the briskness of the air. We have now left behind the lush green fjords of Norway, and are fully enshrouded by the polar environment.
Early in the afternoon we arrived off of Bjørnøya (Bear Island), about 250 miles north of mainland Norway. Do not be deceived by the name, as this is not the usual spot for bears to be spotted. As a matter of fact, up until this summer, it has been a couple of decades since one has been on the island during the summer. However, this summer is the exception. Early this spring as the ice retreated more rapidly than usual, it left a mother polar bear and her two cubs on the island. At the moment the bears are healthy, living off of birds and eggs, leaving the small radio station, and the 9 people who work there, alone. Time will tell how nature’s course will play out.
Bjørnøya is a famous place for arctic cod, an oceanic cod (“oceanic” because it migrates as opposed to the “coastal” cod that does not migrate). These cod spawn in the Lofoten Islands, but migrate north following food and currents. The fish are plentiful here at the island, and our galley staff wastes no time hopping into a boat for a try at fishing. Fortune smiled upon these fishermen, and within a few hours they were bringing this succulent fish back to the ship for all to enjoy.
Cod are not specialty feeders, they will bite at almost anything available. The cod around Bjørnøya have a buffet of underwater creatures to choose from, varying from krill, to other types of fish, and crab. In the stomachs of these cod, one can see the animal of choice is the type of spider crab pictured above. Its scientific name is Hyas coarctatus, and it is found everywhere on the sea bed of Bjørnøya, crawling along the sea floor, in the kelp, and on the rocks. It is a very common crab, noted for its triangular shaped shell, where it has hooks holding various pieces of kelp or shell, creating a cleaver disguise, and an easy escape from a predator.
This is just the first taste of our polar adventure. There is much, much more to come...
