And what you don’t know about polar bears yet!
Polar bears live in the Arctic travelling across the snow and pack ice looking for food. Viewing a polar bear in the wild is one of the great thrills of travelling in the Arctic. They are the world’s largest bear, the adults weigh 295 kg to 600 kg (650 to 1300 pounds); males are larger than females. Large front paws with partially webbed toes, thick oily fur coats and a layer of fat (blubber) under their skin allow them to swim in the icy Arctic Ocean without freezing. The bear’s large feet also work as “snowshoes” helping them walk on the slippery ice and snow. With a very good sense of smell, they can sniff dead animals from far away and find seals in dens beneath the snow. We hope for good polar bear encounters while travelling in Spitsbergen and the unique navigational capabilities of our ship allow us to explore the fringes of the pack ice to the north of the archipelago. It is here we usually enjoy excellent polar bear sightings as they hunt for seals, narwhal, and other whale species.
One Ocean Expeditions is known to have a high success rate in spotting polar bears and other wildlife: “We are extremely fortunate that our ship benefits from the highest possible ice classification. This allows it to push further to the north of the archipelago than other tour operators and into the ice pack to find the polar bears on ice, enabling our passengers to enjoy the best sightings of these iconic Arctic animals. Plus, passengers get to experience life above the Arctic Circle, just 500 miles from the North Pole!”, so Andrew Prossin, Managing Director of One Ocean Expeditions
Travel with Derek Kyostia, a naturalist and wildlife expert
Derek has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, fostering his knowledge about Arctic and Antarctic wildlife. During his career in the fishing industry, Derek served in remote postings up and down the coast of British Columbia. Currently, Derek is a fulltime Interpretative Guide, dedicating his time between the grizzly bears of coastal British Columbia, the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba and the marine life of Antarctica. In addition to his, Derek also possesses a Masters Limited Captains License.
Find your dream voyage to see polar bears HERE
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