Land Ho!

Bear Island: Distant

 It may not look like much, but those small white peaks low on the horizon to the left was the first land I have seen in over a week.  It was just a small island halfway from Norway to Spitsbergen.  A hardcore place where some hardcore Norwegians went and they found a polar bear there, so they killed it.  And they named it, Bear Island.  Well, they named it Bjørnøya, which means Bear Island.  They were Norwegian after all.  Alternatively, it was discovered by the Dutchman William Barentsz (after whom the Barents Sea is also named, though misspelt) who saw a polar bear casually swimming at the time, and named the island in its honour.  Technically the latter is correct, but if you've been to the Polar Museum in Tromsø, you'd be inclined to believe the former.

In truth, it was probably first discovered by some crazy Vikings long before Barentsz and his pals arrived.  And when I say discovered, I mean truly discovered.  Not some bullshit discovery where somebody turns up and states that they have discovered the land, much to the surprise of the people already living there, and then proceed to mess it up.  This harsh island most certainly had nobody living on it, and even today it is only inhabited by the few lone souls manning the radio and meteorological station there.

I imagine that being posted there is similar to being posted on Marion Island (on the way down to Antarctica from SA).  It probably requires passing rigorous psychological testing before you get sent of to live on some barren island in the middle of nowhere, cooped up in close quarters with 5 or so other strangers, one of whom plays Michael Jackson's 'Diana' repeatedly for a full six months. This is a true story I was once told but a seal researcher who spent a year down there.  The same guy was also tasted by an elephant seal that, without menace, took a chunk out of his back before casually walking away.  Obviously didn't like chicken (although, I read a rather bizarre article in the Iberia inflight magazine recently that claimed that humans are actually more similar in taste to pork on the 'tree of flavours').

Seabirds: Hungry

There were also a few fishing boats in the vicinity and even more scavenging seabirds than I have seen so far this trip.  When you sea fishing boats you can safely assume they are not there for fun, so we did a trawl and did get some fish as well.  We had originally planned to do some sightseeing while in the area, perhaps take a spin around the island, but unfortunately the forecast for our trip back to Denmark is for some pretty rough weather.  So to ensure we get back on schedule we have had to proceed on with our mission. Anyway, for legal reasons we are not allowed to go within 4 miles of the island, presumably because this could lead to the people stationed there swimming out in an attempt to get a lift home.  So I wouldn't have been able to go ashore and take on a bear myself anyway. Lucky bear.