Mon
11 Aug
2014
(Sunday and Monday, 10th and 11th August 2014) – Time is flying. It feels as if I have not written anything in a week, but has been 2 days only. But these were quite busy.
Going ashore on »unknown« islands is one of the greatest pleasures of a polar traveller. Amazing how much you will almost always find, especially on those small islands around southern Edgeøya. Hunters have been there for centuries, they have left their traces and sometimes their own remains in the now autumn-coloured tundra.
Southern Edgeøya was the main area of the polar bear hunters decades ago. The backyard of the polar bear king’s palace is now occupied by walrusses. Their curiousity equals ours. Man and beast – who is more excited about the other one?
A walrus was playing a minor, but important rule then on Halvmåneøya. Some happy polar bears were the focus of the attention of some happy humans. No zoo could arrange a more impressive feeding event. And this is not a zoo, this is the real thing. Without luck, you won’t see anything. With luck, everything is possible.
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
A visit to the legendary trapper station Bjørneborg completes an exciting visit to the realm of polar bears, walrusses and their human stalkers in the old adventurous days. Good stories. Good they came to an absolute end in 1973.