To the Arctic, part 4. Walruses and icebergs

This post occupies one day of our trip, again traveling around the big island of Spitsbergen, where’s there is a lot to see.  And it was one of those lovely days when we had activities both in the morning and the afternoon. Morning: a heap o’ walruses; and afternoon: a flotilla of icebergs.

First, a map of the Big Island of the archipelago showing our travels. Spots 1 and 2 mark where we were on this day: St. Jonsfjorden (where we Zodiac’ed around a glacier the previous day), and Poolepynten, Walrus Heaven, both about 78º N latitude:

When I woke up that morning, this was the view outside my cabin window. The iceberg was a harbinger of a good day. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

The Arctic and Antarctic trips have a preplanned schedule, but it always changes depending on weather, wind, waves, and whether there are animals about.  This day’s schedule began with animals, as they excitedly announced on the intercom before breakfast that we’d zodiac to a headland, for they’d spotted a bunch of walruses (I estimate 30-50) hauled out on the beach.  I’d never seen a walrus in the wild, of course, so I was “in a state”.   We took Zodiacs to the shore, and came first upon some seaweed:

Almost every time we went ashore in Spitsbergen, we had to stay close to a guide with a gun. Why? Polar bears, of course, the world’s largest land carnivore, usually hungry, and mean as hell.  Here’s our guide for the walrus viewing.  It was a large-gauge rifle with hollow-point bullets, and all the guides knew how to use it. I think they are not allowed to first at polar bears until they’re 15 meters away and charging (they don’t carry cash). Nobody wants to shoot these magnificent animals and I didn’t meet a guide who had, especially because they are classified as “vulnerable.”

We walked silently and in single file, having been told not to make any noise as walruses have sensitive hearing and are easily disturbed. Voilà: a haul-out with the ship in the background:

Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) at Poolepynten.  There is only one species but two subspecies. From Wikipedia:

The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large pinniped marine mammal with discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only extant species in the family Odobenidae and genus Odobenus. This species is subdivided into two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), which lives in the Pacific Ocean.

Adult walrus are characterised by prominent tusks and whiskers, and considerable bulk: adult males in the Pacific can weigh more than 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) and, among pinnipeds, are exceeded in size only by the two species of elephant seals.  Walrus live mostly in shallow waters above the continental shelves, spending significant amounts of their lives on the sea ice looking for benthic bivalve molluscs. Walruses are relatively long-lived, social animals, and are considered to be a “keystone species” in the Arctic marine regions.

They weigh as much as a car.  My camera beeped when it took a shot, but a guide showed me how to turn off the sound, as even a faint “beep” might disturb these beasts. Some walrus snaps:

We weren’t allowed to get too close. Above all, the guides and naturalists are concerned about the animals and the environment, which is great.

Apparently they were cooling off; they do not huddle to stay warm, as they’re encased in blubber. We were told that they simply like to huddle in groups and are comforted by touching each other:

Nice pair of tusks!

After hiking back to the Zodiacs, hovering some distance away, it was already time for lunch. Here are the menus (two for each meal):

Mains: Chicken and spanakopita (there was often foreign food:

Dessert: cassis sorbet and some kind of custard:

After about two hours of rest, it was time for part II of the day: a Zodiac cruise in the bay among the icebergs. You might think that would be boring, but it’s fascinating. All the bergs are different, have different shapes and colors, and often have different patterns from tumbling around in the water. I could easily stay out for several hours, but i think we had an hour and a half. It wasn’t that cold, either. Some bergs (remember, most of them are underwater):

A Zodiac exploring the ice:

The striated patterns in some bergs, we were told, are the results of air bubbles moving upwards when the berg is turned on its side. And yes, they are that blue:

It is an eerie sight, enhanced when the weather is overcast:

Moar:

Every one is different. This one has birds flying by:

Closeup of the previous berg. The patterns and colors are mesmerizing:

There was one very weird berg with rectangular holes in it. Don’t ask me how they got there:

A closeup:

Birds. I can’t identify them; can you?:

More birdies flying around a berg:

The Zodiac driver asked us if we wanted our photos taken in front of an iceberg. I demurred as I don’t like doing such things, but everybody else did, and I was wheedled into doing it:

And then back for another rest followed by dinner. I already was eating too much, so I had a salad (notice the lox):

But I never passed up desserts, and usually had three, these including my favorite: bread pudding with vanilla sauce.

Next episode (in a week): ashore with plants and flowers.