Page 56 - 2003 SVALBARD, NORWAY

The apparent surrealism of that life together with its loneliness,

since he is most often alone, makes one feel unsettled, as though
one can sense a deep mammalian commonality with him but also

a gap so wide as to be unbridgeable even in imagination. The fact
that science can demonstrate to you his perfect adaptations to

this life, the ability to retain heat to the point that he actually
must “cool off” periodically by swimming in the frigid waters, his
extraordinary senses of smell and hearing which alert him to the

presence of prey animals both above and below the water across
enormous wasteland distances, that wide-based gait which allows

him to walk atop ice so thin that a man would break right through-
-none of that does anything to rid you of the discomfort of

observing him actually living that life. It appears too alien to be
abided and the bear too isolated and lonely to contemplate.

Finally, you must accept that he just doesn’t “look right” in his
environment. Unlike the sleek seals, the ponderous and limbless

walrus, the great whales, he just looks too “bearish,” too
terrestrial, to have to live the pelagic life of other sea creatures.

He seems too different from the other sea mammals to have a
connectedness to them. No wonder his disposition is so fearsome!

HELEYSUNDET – NARROW SOUND

Between Kükenthaløya & Spitsbergen

We awoke late today, July 11 (after a night of polar bears) to find
ourselves in fog and rain near the eastern end of Heleysundet

Strait. Following our rapid breakfast, we returned to the room for
some rest and relaxation. Kay was the smarter; she took a nap

immediately. Lois typed up yesterday’s diary notes and instead fell
asleep in the Arctic Research Lecture by Tom Smith at 11:00 AM in