In Search of Isbjørn.

[PRWIN]

great shots again Dewi. First Isbjorn thats moving

[nan]

magnificent... the Bear
how you knowed she was a female
she was waiting for the inexperienced birds
superb photo of the rended (rip, brocken, the dramatic seascape) horizon

[Lisbeth]

The last scenery pic is stupendous

[Flutterby]

Amazing pics and beautiful birds.

[Mel]

I think, I would have bothered with desert either. -O

The scenery is gorgeous and the fulmar in sunlight... Spectacular!

[Dewi]

Thanks for the comments and support here Jillinflorida, PRWIN, Nan, Lisbeth, Flutterby & Mel.

Jill, that makes you a local. The Penguin-like birds on the cliffs are Guillemots. Apart from the fact that they can fly, they have similar habits in that they dive for fish and spend most of their time out at sea. Stay with me here and you will find out about the dessert.

PRWIN, the Bears get stuck on the islands when the sea-ice retreats. Those that move onto the ice early enough spend the Summer fattening up on seals. The ones that get marooned have to make do with meager pickings and will wait the Summer out in a form of torpor. They spend a lot of time sleeping to conserve energy. Due to climate change, the ice breaks up earlier every year, so more Bears are getting marooned. They can go up to a year without feeding if they have enough body fat built up, but the younger ones don't make it, either starving to death or being killed and eaten by other Bears. One of the main causes is that the Gulf Stream has shifted slightly to the North. The temperature of the sea has risen a degree or more here, so the ice breaks up much earlier than it used to. The pack used to contain tewo or three year old ice, but most of that has gone now, and there is a lot of one year old ice present that melts and breaks up quickly. Only two years age we would have been in amongst the sea-ice in the area I've been posting about since we saw the first Bear.

Nan, Females are smaller and slimmer than the males and have a long necked appearance. Their snouts are also longer looking. Glad you liked the seascape, it's one of my favourites as well.

Thanks Lis, there are a few more of those clouds coming up.

Thanks Flutts. Some even more beautiful birds to come.

Thanks Mel. The Fulmars put on another show a bit later.

[Dewi]

I remained on deck taking photos of the clouds for some time. They were building up slowly and the light was filtering through the gaps making patterns of eerie light. It was a spectacular sight to watch and I wished I'd had my wide angle lens with polarising filter to do it justice, but as is usual these days, weight restrictions on airlines meant that I had to leave it at home.

One moment the clouds were light grey.



The other, an ominous slate grey with the threat of precipitation.







The sunlight broke through where ribbons of cloud were building up culminating in a beautiful patterned sky.









After a while, the clouds blanked out the sunlight and the spectacle was over. I returned to the lounge where the others had left me one of the rich chocolate "flowers" that had been meant for consumption before the Bear had disturbed dinner. It was scrumptuous.



I sat in the lounge with beer in hand and thought to myself that it doesn't get any better than this.

I was wrong.

[Flutterby]

The Arctic Tern doesn't look overly impressed with the food presented to her. -O

Stunning pics of the clouds!!

[Bush Brat]

Hey Dewi, Just caught up -

AMAZING PICS, AND SOME BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE!!!
Love the pics of the sea lions..........they are quite odd looking creatures though!!

This sounds like an amazing trip...wish I could have come!!!

[Dewi]

Thank you Flutterby & Bush Brat.

I agree with you BB, the Walrus were strange things. Great to see though.