Bucket List Biggie – Poolepynten

A real beauty in a beautiful setting

Our last day of expeditions on the G Adventures G Expedition. Where has the time gone?

Map: G Adventures

Today’s first event was a last opportunity to see some Walruses at close range – this time from land. We were headed for Poolepynten on Prins Karl Forland Island. 

Off the west coast of Spitsbergen, the 54-mile-long and 3-7-mile wide island and the surrounding sea area comprise Forlandet National Park.

As you might notice, we had traveled north again. Lots of zig-zagging on this trip!

Basically a rocky, sandy spit with a shallow bay, Poolepynten is a reliable Walrus haul-out. 

The plan was to use the Zodiacs to ferry groups of 30 people each to the haul-out to observe and photograph these gigantic beasts. 

When we arrived offshore, we were greeted by a pod of Belugas. Once again, they were close enough to see but too far away to get any decent photos. We did see lots of Belugas on this trip. I just wish some had come closer. But, after seeing all those whaling spots and Beluga bones, I can understand why they wouldn't trust people.

A Beluga swimming beneath the massive mountains

The advance Polar Bear guards had had to take on an extra duty for this visit. Arctic Terns were nesting on the beach and, as such, were inclined to dive-bomb anyone they deemed as too close. 

So the G Expedition team laid out a serpentine course marked with flags that offered the least opportunity for a bird attack. 

Danger!

It worked. 

We were barely threatened as we approached the Walruses.

Someone walking back toward us was ignoring the flags and I thought he was going to lose his head – or at least end up pretty bloodied. And, yet, all he did was wave his arms at the birds. He could have stepped three feet over and escaped harassment.

After we made it safely through the Arctic Tern gauntlet, we arrived at the Walrus viewing area. Walruses are so reliable here that there is a barrier and small barricade in place to delineate where to stand. The Walruses are decamped in front of a small communications building belonging to the Svalbard government. I am not sure what workers do if they need to get into the building. Walk over the Walruses?

I don’t know how many walruses were in the group. I estimate 30-40, but, with them piled on top of each other, it is hard to tell.

The haul-out at Poolepynten

The majority were sleeping ...

Zzzzzzz

... but there were several in the water – both by the shore ...

Walruses at the shoreline

... and further out swimming ...

It was hard to tell how many were out there

While we were there, we saw some enter the surf and some return to shore.

A Walrus hauls out of the water 

Watching a Walrus returning to shore is hilarious. Generally there are a few labored lunges, after which the Walrus just drops to the ground and rests for a while. Then, up again and a few more lunges followed by rest. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

It's even funnier when you see it in live action...

And, just like at Magdalenefjord, we saw one roll his way into the water. So much easier than walking.

How a Walrus gets around

I guess with up to 10 inches of skin and blubber encasing your entire body, it’s tough to get around. 

These were male Walruses again. I have no idea where any of the ladies were on this trip. Apparently, bulls tend to stay in Spitsbergen, while the cows together with their calves prefer the northeasternmost parts of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land. In recent years, sightings of females and calves have increased in Spitsbergen, possibly as sign that they are returning to their original range pre-dating the arrival of Europeans.

Some of the males we saw looked pretty old …

As Walruses age, their skin can turn pinker (plus they often have broken tusks)

Some were pretty beat up, with scars …

All the pink is scars

Some were huge ...

Older males have humps of blubber

Some had absolutely enormous tusks ...

I don't even know how this one gets around

And, one even had a radio transmitter on its tusk ...

Perhaps he can pick up radio stations

During our 30-40 minutes on shore, we saw several scuffles – some in the deep water …

Walrus fight!

Some on shore …

Face-off

And some in the bay …

Stay out of my space!

But, nothing looked particularly serious, just play-fighting. 

More posturing that actual fighting

If there were females around, it might have been much more intense. Take a look at the ones out in the deep water ...

The Walruses seemed non-plussed by the phalanx of photographers ...

We arrived and departed in groups and stayed far enough back to not disturb the Walruses

Walruses

No worries

Atlantic Walruses live in the Canadian arctic, Greenland, Svalbard and western arctic Russia. 

Limited diving ability forces Walruses to depend on shallow waters and nearby ice floes for their food supply. Their deepest recorded dives are 260 feet. They can remain submerged for up to 30 minutes. 

Due to their size and prodigious tusks, Walruses have only two natural predators: Orcas and Polar Bears, which tend to take only calves or adults weakened by age or injury. Thus, Walruses do not comprise much of either predator's diet. 

These tusks could do some harm

Polar Bears often hunt Walruses by rushing at beached aggregations and causing a panic. 

As the Walruses trundle over each other to get to the ocean, they sometimes trample or impale their beach companions with their tusks. 

The Polar Bears then moves in to finish off and eat crushed or wounded Walruses. But, the Bears are still wary because an injured Walrus can be a formidable opponent. 

Walruses have been known to fatally injure Polar Bears in battles if the Bear follows the Walrus into the water where the Polar Bear is at a disadvantage. These battles are often extremely protracted and exhausting, and Polar Bears have been known to abandon the pursuit even after injuring a Walrus.

Blowing bubbles

Commercial Walrus harvesting is now outlawed, although native peoples in countries with native populations are permitted to kill small numbers towards the end of each summer. This, of course, has no impact on Svalbard, which has no indigenous peoples.

Traditional hunters used all parts of the Walrus. The meat was an important winter nutrition source; the flippers were fermented and stored as a delicacy until spring; tusks and bone were historically used for tools, as well as material for handicrafts; the oil was rendered for warmth and light; the hide made rope and house and boat coverings; and the intestines and gut linings made waterproof parkas. 

Big tusks made a Walrus a big target for hunters

During the wild early days of Svalbard, commercial hunting by Europeans almost led to regional extinction of Walrus in Spitsbergen in the 1950s. Even today, most Walrus in Svalbard are found in the northeastern parts of the archipelago, which was not visited by early hunters.

Walrus spend the whole year in the same region, but move away from the coast and towards open water during the winter. In the winter, they need ice floes for resting, mating and giving birth and they need ice-free areas for hunting. 

As soon as the coast becomes ice-free, Walruses return to their traditional haul-out sites. They tend to use the same sites year after year: beaches near shallow, productive waters with muddy bottoms, where they find good feeding grounds. 

A perfect place to hang out (and haul out)

Global climate change is a major concern relative to Walruses. In recent years, many have been hauling out earlier in the season, staying later and aggregating is unsustainably large groups.

As I mentioned, Walruses rest a lot. After a successful feeding trip, they may sleep for several days ashore; they have been observed taking naps for up to 11 straight days!

Napping Walruses

Blurry Sabine's

Just before we left, crew member Heidi let me know that, among the Arctic Terns and Glaucous Gulls near the haul-out, there was a lone Sabine’s Gull. I looked and looked and couldn’t make it out at such a distance in bright sunlight. 

But, closer inspection of my photos revealed that there was, indeed, a Sabine’s Gull on the beach. 

Two trips where I have been near a Sabine’s Gull and still no decent photos!

After observing the Walruses, we threaded our way back to the Zodiacs, avoiding death by Tern, and prepared for our last G Adventures adventure.

Trip date: June 15-July 4, 2019