Posts Tagged With: Eco-friendly

Final Thoughts on our Trip to the Arctic

Posted on June 16, 2024 by lisablackwell

I love warm weather and sunshine. I don’t like going into a pool or a lake or an ocean unless it’s around 85 degrees. You can imagine Brad’s surprise when I said one morning, “I think we should go on an expedition to the Arctic!!” Once I put it out there, the whole idea of the trip began to intrigue both of us. We signed up to go on a National Geographic ship that went around Svalbard, far north of the Arctic Circle. Brad loved the idea because the trip had a focus on photography and it gave him a chance/excuse to upgrade his camera so he could learn with the best. I threw in a few days of travel to Copenhagen and Oslo so we could see some new Scandinavian countries and experience new cultures.

After a long shopping trip to REI where we bought a pile of base layers and waterproof everything, we were ready to head to the Arctic. We really didn’t quite know what to expect but went with eager anticipation and a willingness to learn about Svalbard!

Here are a few of our reflections on the voyage:

Experiencing the Wonder of the National Geographic Resolution: We were on the Nat. Geo. Resolution with about 130 of our fellow expedition travelers for seven days. The vessel was a next-generation expedition ship designed for polar ice exploration and it was beautiful. We were NOT on a cruise ship with a set schedule of events. We went exploring looking for wildlife and ice and what we did each day depended on the weather, the wind, the ice, and the conditions on land. The Captain changed his navigation frequently due to weather conditions. We were the only ship in the areas we explored for virtually the entire trip.

A Typical Day on the ship — there were no Typical Days on the ship:

An example of a typical day started with a 7:00 am cheery wake-up call letting us know what “operation” we were trying to do that morning. An “operation” could be a zodiac trip, a hike, or kayaking. Our leader would then give us an approximate time that we might get to go ashore. The reason that it was approximate was because the staff had to go on shore first-equipped with guns and search for polar bears before they would take 130 people to shore (Despite their cute appearance, polar bears are quite dangerous). They also made sure the conditions weren’t too icy or muddy. We did have a few episodes with people getting stuck in the mud up to their thighs (the mud was like quick -sand) and they were hoping to avoid any future mud-sucking events. Of course, there was always a wonderful breakfast waiting for us as we waited to hear about our morning. Some days things went as planned and other days we made other arrangements. We all had to be flexible because as soon as we found out an operation was going to happen, we had to put on all of our layers (I wore a LOT of layers as I was channeling my inner Mary Frandsen on a chilly day playing golf), our binoculars, our life jackets, and head to Base Camp to go out on a Zodiac. We did a lot of clothes-changing in the week on the trip but we got good at it by the end.

A guide keeping a lookout for Polar Bears

Getting ready to go out onto a zodiac in Base Camp

After our morning “operation”, we would have a delicious lunch. One day we even had a barbecue and people could sit outside on the deck of the ship! Post-lunch, we would find about a new operation in a new location. Again, flexibility was the key. Sometimes the excursions happened as planned and sometimes they didn’t.

Inside the ship in one of the dining areas

In the evenings, we had cocktail hours, a recap of the day, some great photographs of the day by the Nat Geo Photographers, trivia night, or a Polar Bear Party. They even had a seven course meal with wine pairings that we attended with a small group. The ship food and service were beyond our expectations! We enjoyed our fellow travelers immensely who all had a sense of adventure and openness to learning.

Don’t think I’ll be making this back home!

Excitement on the Bridge: When we weren’t dressing or undressing to go outside, Brad and I loved to hang out at the bridge. The bridge was where the action happened and the Captain navigated the ship. The fun days, of course, were when we spotted polar bears or were going through ice. It was a fascinating place to experience ship life. We traveled 1200 miles on our voyage and even made it to 80 degrees north. Look it up. That’s very, very far north.

Our Captain showing us where we were when we hit 80 degrees North

Yes, A Bird Lecture can be Funny: We loved the lectures and went to them all. The naturalists on birds made every topic interesting and entertaining. Who knew you could laugh so much at a bird lecture by Javier or learn all of the secrets of the iPhone camera with Bryan or see amazing underwater sea life by Annie? Nat Geo. Ships use their platform to educate the public about all things wildlife but also on the serious issue of global warming. Those lectures were very enlightening and sobering.

Our very intelligent, impassioned naturalists, guides, and photographers

Polar Bears are getting more and more rare to find: Polar Bears are not as easy to spot as we thought when we signed up for the trip. Their numbers are decreasing annually due to melting icescapes and the ships are not allowed to get close to the fast ice. We were very lucky to see that mama and her cubs. It doesn’t happen on every expedition. Normally, they see a lot of “pixel” bears that you can only see through a strong binocular or very large camera lens.

Polar Bears have now become a vulnerable species due to melting sea ice

Polar Plunge: One afternoon the brave and hearty in the group were invited to do a Polar Plunge in the frigid waters of the Arctic. I think the water was about 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Brad joyfully went down to take his turn while I happily went to the fifth deck to photograph him and cheer him on with the other sane people. (Reference the part about 85 degree water in the first paragraph.) There was lots of cheering and whooping-it-up and shot-taking with the Polar Plunge Party. The patch Brad received was certainly warranted.

Brad celebrating with a fellow polar plunger!

Life Without a Sunrise or Sunset: Never seeing a sunset or sunrise really messes with your biorhythms. The sun has not been setting since April 19 and will not set again until August 21. Being out at 11:00 pm in a zodiac with bright light is something that is hard to get used to. On the flip side, the 2700 residents who live in Longyearbyen year-round have complete darkness (and frigid temps) from Oct.19-to mid-February. No sunlight at all ever during that time. Not sure how they do it but we met many young people who love living there and studying at the University Centre of Svalbard.

Go Now: An Arctic Expedition may not be for everyone but if you are considering it, plan your trip now in 2024. New regulations will take effect in 2025 that will make it even harder to get close to the polar bears. The regulations will also only allow about 40 people on shore per operation to do hikes. That regulation would have greatly impacted our ability to all get out on the islands as well as would have slowed down the trip dramatically. Nat Geo ships are stewards of the environment but sadly not all ships are so careful and have been disturbing the polar bears and getting too close to them hence the new regulations.

Nat Geo Ships: I can’t say enough good things about Nat Geo Ships and am already looking at where we can go in a couple of years. Their mission is to teach their passengers about the environment, wildlife, geology, photography, and, of course, global warming. We came home a lot more educated and aware of the Arctic landscape. The ship was luxurious in a very under-stated way. There are no kaoroke bars or all-night buffets or limbo dancing! There is simply fantastic service and really, really smart people on board. (Big thanks to smiling Adrian, who always greeted me at cocktail hour with my glass of chardonnay! It’s the little things). There was no need for the Dramamine we brought or any of the motion sickness pills or patches. The ride was smooth (except for the ice-breaking earthquakes) and we slept like babies every night as we were gently rocked to sleep.

Home: As the saying goes there is no place like home. We are looking forward to getting home to see the dogs and the grandkids and family but also I can’t wait to see a sunset and a sunrise again and feel the warmth of a summer day! Life in the Far North was fascinating and we will miss our fun, adventurous traveling companions but it’s time to celebrate summer back home!

Categories: Arctic, Norway, Travel | Tags: Arctic, Eco-friendly, Exclusive Resorts, Hiking, Norway, Photography, Polar Bears, Svalbard, Travel, Walrus | 1 Comment

Plowing Through the Ice in Search of the Elusive Polar Bear

Posted on June 11, 2024 by loansbrad

Lisa and I were awakened in the morning to a 4.0 magnitude earthquake. At least that’s how it felt. We looked outside and we were surrounded by sea ice.

The National Geographic Resolution is the world’s first Polar Class 5 icebreaker cruise ship. This means it can go places in arctic waters that virtually no other cruise ship would attempt. Today was a day we did just that. As we came around to the east side of the Spitsbergen the sea was iced over throughout much of the route. The ship vibrates like an earthquake as it plows through the frozen ocean.

Plowing through sea ice as seen from the bow of the ship.

The bridge of the ship is always open to passengers (one of the unique opportunities for passengers on the Resolution). So, Lisa and I thought we’d better head up there to see what was going on.

We arrived to find a flurry of activity. The navigation officer was driving. She had the biggest smile on her face as she guided the Resolution through the ice. Apparently it is one of the most fun aspects of piloting a ship. And an experience not available to most cruise ship officers.

Our Navigation Officer was having a blast piloting the ship through the ice.

Watching the ship carve though the ice is mesmerizing. Take a look at this short video. Make sure the sound is up on your device.

Breaking through the ice.

The crew told us we were plowing through ice in search of polar bears. They largely spend their time on sea ice in search of seals, their favorite food. The ship has extraordinary technology to search for wildlife. The bridge has both infrared cameras and telephoto cameras to spot bears. The infrared cameras pick up the heat signature of the animals and the regular cameras confirm what type of animal had been spotted.

The infrared camera above with the corresponding standard image below.

After a full morning of searching, alas, no polar bears.

We did, however, catch site of a walrus lounging on the ice.

He was soon visited by an ivory gull. But, he didn’t want to play.

The ice we were carving through is called drift, or pack ice. It is floating out in the ocean. We kept hearing about fast ice — the kind we aren’t allowed to navigate through. Was it moving too quickly? As it turns out, fast ice is a term for ice that is “fastened” to the land. Since it is essentially an extension of the land, it is considered habitat for polar bears, seals, and walruses. So, we stay out of these areas so as to not destroy their habitat.

Sea ice is rapidly disappearing. The warming of the planet is occurring quickly and even faster at the poles. There is clearly more we need to do to slow Earth’s warming. Diminishing sea ice eliminates the habitat for many of the species we are seeing on this visit. It also means ice on land such as Greenland is melting in the ocean which significantly raises sea levels and affects coastal areas all over the world. Scientists estimate the Arctic could be ice free by 2040.

Arctic sea ice levels in September and March from 1978 to 2023 vs. 30 year average.

After lunch, since we still have Arctic ice, we got out into our Zodiacs for an afternoon cruise. The weather was spectacular.

First we took a lap around the ship.

Our Zodiac group was led by a National Geographic photographer. He was a great educator, helping us get the most out of our cameras. He was also good at identifying the arctic birds that were flying overhead.

No luck finding a polar bear today, however. So, we’ll try again tomorrow. We’re heading north through more sea ice that is prime polar bear territory. We’ll keep our eyes open and let you know if we spot one!

Categories: Arctic, Norway, Scandinavia | Tags: Arctic, Eco-friendly, Exclusive Resorts, Photography, Polar Bears, Svalbard, Travel, Walrus | 1 Comment

Copenhagen: The Land of Almost Nearly Perfect People

Posted on June 5, 2024 by lisablackwell

We have never been to any of the Scandinavian countries. We decided, by seeing other people’s photos, watching the show the “Bear” that featured Copenhagen, and knowing that we enjoy good food and wine, that Copenhagen was top on our list. My friend, Joan Stucka, sent me a book by Michael Booth about Scandinavia entitled “The Almost Nearly Perfect People” and it certainly had us intrigued. Denmark has been named the Happiest Place in the World. Oprah even came to visit and agreed that the Danes were surely the world’s happiest. We were ready to go to Copenhagen and share in some of this happiness for 72 hours.

Although the weighty job of judging world-beating happiness in just three days is impossible, I will say the city is extremely vibrant, young, clean, and just plain contagious. We arrived on a beautiful, warm sunny Sunday afternoon and the place was bursting with people enjoying the sunshine. The famous canals and waterways were packed full of boats. People were swimming and sunning themselves. Every café was filled to the brim along Nyhavn, a popular street full of colorful buildings and a variety of restaurants. Jet lag was no longer a possibility with all of this energy around us. We walked the famous shopping area, The Stroget and began to enjoy the vibrancy of Copenhagen.

Nyhaven Street. A historic area full of open air restaurants, colorful buildings, and old sailing vessels.

A beautiful day on the canals — pleasure craft on the water, cyclists on the bridge, and sunbathers on the shore.

In the following three days, we learned a lot about Copenhagen’s history through a wonderful Old Town city and food tour and a boat trip out on the canals and waterways. We took to the streets on our bikes and worked our way to the famed Little Mermaid statue (Copenhagen was the home of Hans Christian Anderson), and saw the current palace of the monarchy. We figured out the subway and train system and went out to the Lousiana Art Museum in Humlebaek (Thanks to our friend Shelley Freeman who gave us the recommendation). We ate lots of open-faced sandwiches (smorrebrod) and dined on outstanding Danish-inspired French Cuisine.

The famous Little Mermaid statue. Hans Cristian Andersen, who wrote the fairy tale, was from Copenhagen.

A sculpture from the Louisiana Art Museum about 30 miles north of Copenhagen. We could see Sweden across the strait.

An upscale, modern take on smorrebrod, the traditional open-faced sandwiches of Denmark. These featured herring, beets, and cheese foam. All were delicious.

A more traditional display of smorrebrod.

After pondering the question of happiness, talking to as many people as we could and reading Michael Booth’s book, here is what we came up with:

— The Danish people seem to be a very content group. The live in a society that values income equality. There are very few people at the top or at the bottom of the income spectrum. They have free quality education and health care and take good care of their senior citizens and their pre-schoolers.

— The Danes trust each other and their politicians. We were there during a run-up to an election and there must have been about ten different political groups represented. Apparently, they get together as a coalition and represent the wills of the people so there is little divisiveness between parties. They certainly are not envious of America’s current situation.

There were posters all over the city for the upcoming election to represent Denmark in the European Parliament.

— The Danes love their Royal Family. They feel that they are one of them and they are often seen in public (The King even sponsors – and runs in – a half marathon). Their children even go to public schools. The Danish Queen, Queen Margrethe abdicated her throne in January of 2024 to let her son Frederik become King; an act that astonished the people because she was so beloved. King Frederik is known to be a man of the people and even met his wife Mary at a bar in Australia rather than some arranged affair.

The Amalienborg Palace, the royal residence.

— The Danes pay a lot of money in taxes — up to 72%. That means they work until Thursday before they earn their own money. Amazingly, they seem to do it without complaining because it helps give them all a high standard of living. 90% of Danes can be considered middle class. And, no one can cheat and pay less on their taxes like in other countries.

— The Danes love their bicycles. The streets are full of hundreds of bikes at all times! 60% of Copenhagen people ride their bikes to and from work. There are a couple of reasons for that statistic. There are bike lanes everywhere so it makes cyclists safer on the roads. But most likely the main reason is that cars are taxed at 100% so owning a car is a very expensive proposition.

There are more bikes than cars on the road.

There are many of these contraptions out and about. Moms and Dads taking their kids along.

Entire parking lots of bikes were everywhere.

— Danes are very social and love being involved in clubs and groups of all kinds. We saw many running clubs while we were walking around the city. Apparently there are clubs for everyone and every interest. The saying is that a Dane will go to a party and within eight minutes figure out three degrees of separation with everyone at the gathering. Forget Kevin Bacon’s six degrees of separation. They only need three! Our boat tour was called a social sailing trip with the main objective of getting to know each other and share in experiences rather than simply hearing a lecture about history.

I think the answer is B but our captain says it’s C.

Our captain showing us the ski slope built into the recycling plant seen in the background.

— Recycling, electric cars, and environmental measures are very important to the Danes. We saw nearly as many electric cars as gas-powered ones and the government is very proactive when it comes to the environment. Their trains and subways are clean and efficient and a very popular way to commute.

— Sadly, they smoke a lot and they smoke at restaurants outdoors. Our one big complaint. Apparently the Danish tobacco industry has a grip on its population.

— Their language is impossible to translate for Americans but everyone speaks English so it is easy to get information. They have added three extra letters to their alphabet to make it even more confusing.

OK, we know what you’re thinking. But, this translates to “Your Speed.”

— If you are into Legos, the company started in Denmark in 1932. The word lego means, play well. They have the original Legoland about three hours out of the city! Our hotel had a replica in their lobby made completely out of Legos.

Copenhagen ended up on the very top of our list of favorite places to visit. The city is walkable and bikeable, the people are vibrant, and there are no safety concerns, and it is a culinary paradise. We loved our 72 hours in this beautiful country.