Svalbard seal – Esmark Glacier
The picture of this Svalbard seal was taken on a relatively warm June day. We were on our way to Barentsburg, the last Russian outpost in the islands, and sailed past the Esmark Glacier. This seal was staring at our boat for a while; then (probably thinking we weren’t that exciting) decided to slip into the sea for some really cold underwater fun instead.
Oslo is crisp and sunny today; – 10° C, so not very cold. About the same a bit north of here on Svalbard. Should you want to visit this stunning otherworldly Arctic archipelago, it’s only a few hours flying from Oslo. The long polar night is a fascinating period but it’s now nearing the end. Beginning 7 March, an entire week is dedicated to the return of the sun with all kinds of fun and games in the snow! Also, Svalbard Museum is currently exhibiting the world’s first large mammals.
It’s an amazing part of the world. I feel so privileged that I was able to go there myself.
Hey – I’m in Longyearbyen right now. Dogsledding, snowmobiling, partying… skål for Svalbard.
Got to love seals!
10° C? Crisp indeed! We loved Norway, but not the cold weather! (That’s why we winter in sunny, warm Andalusia on our open ended, non-stop family world tour).
We were surprised that Scandinavia was already quite cold in late August & September. We’re Californians spoiled by mostly sunny T-shirt winters. 😉