Page 34 - 2003 SVALBARD, NORWAY

watching this big fellow on the ice. What a wonderful day--two

polar bears in perfect weather and sea conditions.

Our intention to read for a while was rudely but happily
interrupted when Ralph announced that there was a Bearded Seal

on an ice floe dead ahead. We jumped up and ran to the top of
the ship and there he was. What a strange looking guy he was too.
We think he should be called the “whiskered” seal instead

because he has a Teddy Roosevelt mustache which makes him
look rather like a walrus.

He is a very round and fat fellow too with front flippers that look

too short for his body. He is a grayish color except for a reddish
brown face and head. No wonder he can appear so comfortable

on an ice bed; he is rolling in blubber which tends to make fat
wrinkles on his body below his shoulders along the back. He was
very aware that we were trying to sneak up on him and was wary

but he really didn’t care. He lazily looked at the huge boatload of
humans staring out at him, aiming binoculars, cameras and

spotting scopes at him--and he curled up and went sound asleep.

Another little bonus was seeing a semicircular arc of Barnacle
Geese swimming in close formation in front of the ship. They

stayed ahead for a bit but we began to worry if they were going to
try bow-riding like the dolphins. They didn’t though--they pulled
over and let the Endeavour pass them on the left.