In search of, and finding, polar bears

A wonderful trip on M/V Plancius with a group from Heatherlea/BBC Wildlife. Fantastic crew and Expedition Team, all of whom were both friendly and professional in all their dealings with passengers. Cabin had all the facilities necessary and the lounge is a great place to admire the stunning scenery, spot the wildlife and chat with fellow travellers, whilst enjoying the free coffee. Zodiac trips to landings were slick and only a little choppy. Finding evidence of the wildlife that had passed by and were still around was intriguing - Polar bear and Arctic fox footprints seen frequently. The crew worked 24/7 to get us sightings and delivered - 2 Polar bears, 2 Arctic foxes, innumerable walruses and Svalbard reindeer and birds aplenty, including close up views of Ptarmigan and finally an Ivory Gull on the last afternoon which announced its presence with an exceedingly loud squawk. The low numbers of seals and whales seen were concerning; a sign of climate crisis? Thanks to Oceanwide, Heatherlea and BBC Wildlife for a really memorable experience.