Happy Independence Day from the land of the midnight sun.  Those of us from the United States may be far from home on this day of celebratory gatherings and cookouts, but we are not feeling deprived.  Indeed we have had it all – from water sports to cookouts, and the magic of the Arctic as well.

We started our day with a hike at Augustabukta on the Island of Nordaustland.  Here we found rock gardens to explore and expansive Arctic beauty in all directions.  Although stark by almost any standard, we were impressed by the colorful and determined plants flowering throughout our hike.  A few inches tall at most, these Arctic plants seem to defy the odds and live where nearly nothing else can.  Hiding in cracks, creating their own microclimate by growing in cushion form, and covering their leaves with so many hairs that they look furry are some of the strategies that allow them to grow here. The plants are important for another Arctic resident, the Svalbard reindeer.  A shorter, smaller subspecies of reindeer, it is amazing that they eek out an existence with seemingly so little to eat.  The male with large velvet covered antlers that we watched today had little concern for us.  Head down, he worked his way across the polar desert, intent on eating as much as possible.

At the same time as the hikes, many of us enjoyed the view from water level from the comfort of a kayak.  Here we could go at our own pace. Whether gazing at the distant scenery or exploring the drifting ice, it was a lovely chance to listen to the cracking of the ice, and soak in peacefulness of this place.

 Once everyone was back aboard, we (a small self-selected group of adventurous and perhaps a little crazy) gathered at the “beach” for a 4th of July swim.  The beach in this case was a platform beside the ship, and the swim was more of a quick polar plunge.  It is amazing how motivated one can be to get back out of the water when it is only 31°F!  Yet, some of the hardiest even went in a second time. 

After lunch we made a slow approach to the bird cliffs near Kapp Fanshawe.  Even from a distance we could hear the crowds cheering (or was it the choir practicing?). As we got closer we could see/hear that what sounded like a crowd was the celebration of summer of tens of thousands of Brunnich’s guillemots.   Crowded onto steep cliff faces with not even an inch between birds, these hardy puffin relatives were incubating eggs, going on foraging dives and constantly calling and talking among themselves.  

No fireworks for our celebration here tonight (it would be too bright out to see them anyway).  Instead we were treated to the grand finale of polar bear viewing.  As we arrived at the edge of the pack ice near 80° 35’N, our northern most point of the trip, another polar bear was spotted.  As we drifted in the pack ice together, this curious bear came purposely over to the ship and spent more than 20 minutes walking around the sides and front of the ship, at one point even contemplating a ride on the bulbous bow.  While some photographers were scrambling for wide angle lenses, the point and shoot cameras were at the ready and the perfect tool for the job.  The best views however were not through the lens but with our eyes, absorbing the details that we could observe so closely – the way it moved, its foot prints on the snow, its curiosity, the features of its face and paws…and then the bigger picture of all the ice and  the deep blue water in between. What an amazing privilege to watch an animal like this so close and for so long.