78°13′N 15°33′E
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
Tim, the other kayak guide in our company, has just emailed that in the first trip they've spotted 9 polar bears on the ice or in the sea but not on land with them.
Beluga whales (2 sightings) and hundreds of walrus. Two young males were found hauled out on a beach where it wasn't expected so the passengers and paddlers got to see them fairly close up, within safe distance, of course. What a thrill!
Their paddling was stymied by the presence of 7/10 ice. They've been plying the waters off SW, W and NW Svalbard but are denied access to the North (because of ice) and especially the eastern most islands. That's due to the Norwegian government putting their foot down in an effort to reduce carbon emissions in the region. It's always been a trendy, elite trip for Norwegians and now they estimate over 30,000 tourists will be at sea around Svalbard this summer.
The ice is so bad that our ship, the Akademik Shokalskiy, had to help out 2 other ships getting through the ice. I take that to mean one was out in front breaking a lead while the others followed. This doesn't happen in the Antarctic. We almost never see another ship during our 10-day trips.
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