Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Over 30 miles south of Moffen Island, we had pressed further into Woodfjorden and had anchored in Bockfjorden.Μύ We were now in truly spectacular Arctic scenery in glorious weather. With virtually no breeze and blue skies the temperature reached a balmy 10 degrees celsius.

Our first excursion of the day saw us landing below the Adolf Glacier, where hot springs serve as a clue to Svalbard's volcanic past.Μύ Here we saw three more reindeer and a single ptarmigan, a species of grouse, which outside arctic latitudes occurs only at Alpine altitudes, including the Scottish Highlands.

Bear necessities

Back on board the Aleksey Maryshev we sailed back up Woodfjorden towards the area where the select few had seen the polar bear the night before and, much to my relief, located another on Andoyane.Μύ This one was much closer and so the Zodiac inflatable boats were launched once again.

The bear was busy feeding (possibly raiding birds' nests or eating carrion), being mobbed by Arctic terns and seemed completely oblivious as we approached to within about 20 yards of the shore.

The Zodiac approaches the bear

Being this close to such an immense and impressive animal was absolutely wonderful and everyone was thrilled to have such a great view of what is, without doubt, the major must-see species on any Arctic expedition.

After a little while, the bear finished feeding on whatever it was eating and walked out of sight so the Zodiacs were manoeuvred around the island and the bear treated us to a wonderful display as it came right to the edge of the island, sat down, yawned and watched us with something halfway between mild curiosity and complete indifference before getting up and walking off into the middle of the island.

Wading, not drowning

Continuing around the island we came upon some classic Arctic-breeding wading birds including six dunlin and one turnstone. Both are common migrants and wintering birds in Suffolk.

And then, what were for me the birds of the trip, two grey phalaropes including a female in full summer plumage. Phalaropes are relatively unusual in the bird world in that females are more brightly coloured than the males, leading to something called role reversal, in which the males incubate the eggs and look after the young.

Grey phalarope

Also, unusually for a wading bird, grey phalaropes winter out in the open ocean as far south as South Africa and southern South America, swimming easily with lobed toes and picking tiny food items from the surface of the water.

Fjord feeding frenzy

Back on board once again we headed down Liefdefjorden towards the Monaco Glacier.Μύ The Captain manoeuvred the ship carefully so as to keep us at a safe distance from the immense glacier front, which looked like chalk cliffs spanning the three-mile wide valley.

Melt water flowing from beneath the glacier was clearly causing an up-welling and bringing food to the surface as there were thousands of kittiwakes feeding along the glacier front accompanied by smaller numbers of glaucous and ivory gulls.Μύ The sea in front of the glacier was absolutely seething with birds and was utterly spectacular.

Dinner was interrupted by a tannoy message from the Captain that another bear was swimming across in front of the ship and there was a mass exodus as we all rushed out on deck to see the bear, a huge male, swim past the ship and head across the fjord towards the glacier front.

Turnstone

Having seen the one on land earlier in the day it was, of course, easy to forget that the polar bear is classed as a marine mammal and here was one showing us just how at home they are in the water.

With such wonderful weather it was back up on the monkey deck again after dinner, from where we had prolonged, if more distant, views of a female polar bear with two well-grown cubs and about a hundred harp seals porpoising across the fjord.