March 2nd, 2009
Our Arctic trips stretch across the top of the world from Russia, Canada, Greenland and Iceland to Spitsbergen. Many species of whales can be found here in the summer months, although we consider sighting whales in the Arctic a bonus rather than a guarantee. Seventeen species of whales, including dolphins and porpoises, can be found in the Arctic. There are three whale species that spend their entire lives in the Arctic, moving between summer feeding and wintering areas within the region—the narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales. Others, such as the humpback and gray whale, migrate to warmer waters during the northern winter to give birth.
If you choose a Canadian Arctic trip with a routing past Isabella Bay, south of the Inuit village of Clyde River on Baffin Island, you might have an opportunity to see a bowhead whale. This area is a sanctuary for the bowheads. I have also been fortunate enough to see them in the Amundsen Gulf area on a Northwest Passage trip. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: arctic whales, beluga whales, bowhead whales, narwhals
Posted in Arctic |
November 3rd, 2008
This post is from TravelWild Expeditions Leader and Sales Director Dennis Mense:
A question that invariably comes up with regards to polar travel is “What do you recommend for clothing?” All of our clients receive a clothing list at least three months before their cruise, but many are anxious to begin planning for their adventure right away.
For starters, it is important to understand that, whether you are traveling to the Arctic or Antarctic, you will be traveling to these areas during their respective summer months. Temperatures will likely still be cold by most standards, but many clients are pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to keep comfortably warm outside during their trip. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: dressing for antarctica, dressing for the arctic
Posted in Antarctica, Arctic |
October 27th, 2008
On a 2006 Spitsbergen cruise, our ship came upon this polar bear with a fresh seal kill. The bear proceeded to drag the seal through the water and over the ice before it eventually fed on it. What a thrill it was to see this sort of polar bear behavior out on the ice!
Tags: hunting, polar bear, seal
Posted in Arctic, Spitsbergen |
October 23rd, 2008
This photo of a polar bear stalking walruses was taken on one of our Spitsbergen Cruises by Expedition Leader/photographer Gary Alt. According to Expedition Leader Dennis Mense:
“We spotted this bear ambling along in the pack ice on the northeast coast of Spitsbergen sniffing the air. He then took a certain direction and it turned out that he had detected the walrus. He spent about 45 minutes stalking them. When he got within a 100 yds or so he went into the water (you can see all the water leads in the picure) where the ice had separated and did a water stalk. He went from one lead to the other by diving under the ice; getting closer all the time. He came out of the water when he was about 25 yds away from the walrus, but turned and headed away from them. He then did a 180 and came to within 10 yds of them (this is where you see him in the picture) before the walruses went into the water. It was all very exciting….all to do with timing on our part and the bear’s. I think he was just checking to see if there was a young one that he could ‘dine with!’”
Copyright © Gary Alt
Tags: arctic wildlife, polar bears, stalking, walrus
Posted in Arctic, Spitsbergen |
October 17th, 2008
Dr. Ian Stirling
According to Roger Tory Peterson, “Few men other than the Inuit themselves have had as intimate an acquaintance with polar bears as Ian Stirling.” On both our 2006 and 2008 Spitsbergen Cruises, we were very fortunate to have Ian as a member of our expedition/lecture team. He is perhaps the best-known and most-respected polar bear researcher in the world, having spent nearly 40 years studying polar bears.
During his onboard lectures, Ian has an exceptional ability to draw from his vast knowledge about polar bears and present what he has learned in a way that our clients find informative, understandable and entertaining. His lectures stick to the basics about bear behavior, biology and habitat, but often we get clients who would like to learn more. Ian has written several scientific papers and books on the subject, including the aptly-named
Polar Bears. You can often find his articles publish on the Internet and we’ve included the link below to one he wrote concerning climate change and polar bears.
Tags: Arctic, climate change, polar bears
Posted in Arctic |