Rosenbergdalen is a lovely, broad, gently sloping valley on the northwestern corner of Edgeøya. Arctic tundra with its simple beauty and tenacious vegetation, some still covered in snow, invited us to explore.
Zodiacs, in many ways, are the key to an expedition, as they afford us the rare opportunity to see remote corners of the world and set foot where few have traversed. Kayakers embraced the unique opportunity to paddle from the ship to experience the vastness and silence of Svalbard from inches off the frigid water. Hikers stretched their legs and tested their waterproof boots in the soggy tundra as they climbed up for a panoramic view of the valley. Others chose to Zodiac cruise looking for Arctic wildlife.
Tundra is the name given to the ecosystem beyond the limit of the trees. In the high Arctic, the vegetation thins out noticeably. The extreme climate and short growing season eliminate all but the hardiest of plants and lichens that huddle between the wind-polished stones and splatter the rocks with color. Purple saxifrage painted Rosenbergdalen with soft shades of lavender and filled our photographs with color.
Many bones from the great whales marked former shorelines, as isostatic rebound is lifting the land from the sea as the weight of the ice is removed. Perhaps more than a dozen Svalbard reindeer grazed in this valley, showing no concern, sharing the wide-open expanse with us. Without question, the Arctic is a frigid place to thrive. Springtime brings abundance and today purple sandpipers were feeding, snow buntings in pairs worked the grass between the melting snow patches, while glaucous gulls patrolled the beach, catching small fish in the surf.
Freemansundet, between Edgeøya and Barentsøya, provides beautiful scenery. The Arctic landscape comes alive as we approach the pack ice in Olgastretet, one of the more remote areas on the east side of Svalbard.
For many of us, we traveled to this amazing part of the world to see ice bears. This evening’s encounter will mark this journey north.
It is a privilege to find a polar bear that is as curious about us as we are about it. Absolutely not intimidated by the size of our ship, a young female chose to approach closely time and again, much to the delight of all on board. The only sound to break the silence was the crunching of snow beneath her feet and the sound of shutters recording this intimate instance. For one mystical moment our bear embraced a piece of ice as if it were a pillow, making the hard seascape seem warm and comfortable. Coincidently, today is expedition leader Bud Lehnhausen’s birthday; who could imagine a more perfect end to the day?
