26 Aug 2018
Island of Polar Bears
Early this morning over 50 polar bears were counted on the tundra and flanks of Mount Thomas, Wrangel Island. There is no doubt in our minds why this is called the Island of Polar Bears! We were able to land; one group made a long hike up a river valley while the other took a gentler pace along the shoreline looking at plants, whale bones and birdlife. While relocating further along the coastline the bear count continued with the hillsides filled with bears, including sightings of several bears sliding down snow banks, much to everyone’s delight! A subsequent zodiac cruise resulted in several very good bear sightings right on the shoreline. One bear in particular was quite happy with our presence and after ambling slowly on the beach she proceeded to find a snow bank on the shores and roll around for several minutes cleaning her fur of salt water and dirt. It was just incredible to watch.
_a._chavanne._bear._wrangel_island._1831_medium.jpg "Rolling Polar Bear Wrangel Island")
Image © A. Chavanne
24 Aug 2018
Enroute to Wrangel we had a very enjoyable landing at Kolyuchin Island. The hike up on top of a headland gave views down into very active bird clif…READ MORE
23 Aug 2018
The morning dawned clear and bright as we anchored off the adminstrative town of Lavrentiya. Two delightful local ladies had prepared some delicaci…READ MORE
22 Aug 2018
As the day warmed on Ytyygran Island, the fog lifted revealing Senyavina Strait, Aramkachechan Island and of course one of the most significant archa…READ MORE
