You know the old saying; boys will be boys. Today I let my mind wander just a bit about what it means to be a mammal and to be a male living here in the harsh conditions of the high Arctic. Our day aboard the National Geographic Endeavour offered us a glimpse into the lives of two very different Arctic male lifestyles; one terrestrial and one marine.

This morning we found ourselves anchored off the Rosenberg Valley on Edgeøya Island in the Svalbard Archipelago. A melt water stream had cut a terraced path through verdant tundra surrounded by ice covered mountain peaks. Small groups of reindeer were grazing here and there on the rolling hills of the valley. These wild reindeer are a subspecies found only in Svalbard (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). As reindeer go they are rather small, but a male in the summer time here will weigh almost 200 pounds, half again as much as a female. They are the only deer worldwide where both sexes have antlers, and the males today were proudly displaying their relatively huge racks, complete with the “shovel” portion extending out over the eyes of each adult bull. Even better for all of our photographers, the antlers were in velvet making for beautiful backlit images. Soon these adult males will begin to use these impressive antlers against each other in competition for the right to mate with females. Antlers will clash, battles will be won and lost, and the species will continue to thrive. Protected since 1925, the reindeer population here on Edgeøya Island is estimated to be about 2,500 animals.

Our afternoon brought a glimpse into the bachelor lifestyle of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus). Mating season is over and several males were hauled out on the beach at Kapp Lee on western Edgeøya Island. Male walrus are HUGE, in fact of all the pinnipeds worldwide they are second in size only to the elephant seal. A large male may weigh over two tons, while the female of the species weighs slightly more than half her male counterpart. Just as with our reindeer, both male and female walrus sport their own characteristic field identification; in this case modified upper canine teeth in the form of paired tusks. Male walrus use the tusks much as the reindeer use their antlers; to battle other males for the right to mate with females. Walrus may also use these modified teeth to fend off attacks from polar bears and Orcas and to help pull themselves up onto ice floes. Walrus here in Svalbard have been fully protected since 1952 and the population estimate is around 600.

Perhaps the most poignant fact about these bachelor walrus assaulted us as we motored downwind from the group…they STINK! Yup, just like men living together in cramped conditions everywhere, some things just never change!