Monthly Archives: August 2013

The king of the haulout

From the field, Polar bears, ,

Polar bear at a walrus haulout. © Alexey Ebel / WWF-Canon

Polar bear at a walrus haulout. © Alexey Ebel / WWF-Canon


A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew are traveling to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery. The Laptev Linkages expedition is sponsored by Canon.
We are heading out in the mist after an overnight stop at the larger Beigihevs island. More and more seabirds are passing the boat – a sign that we’re entering richer seas.
After a few hours we see a sandspit at distance. Yes! a few walrus, no more than maybe 30 individuals. YES!  there are more than 400 of them, and in the middle, on a small piece of ice, is the king — a fat male polar bear. It is like sitting in a smorgasbord.
We are now 50 km south of Maria Pronchistcheva Bay. We will head up to the bay before deciding where we should camp. We have found the Laptev walrus, and the work can soon begin.
– Tom

What’s a haulout?

Walruses sometimes congregate in large numbers on land – this is called a “haulout”. In some areas where sea ice levels have decreased, we are seeing extremely large haulouts as the walruses abandon the ice and head to shore. On a previous trip through the Russian Arctic in 2009, WWF researchers encountered an enormous haulout of about 20,000 individuals. This is what it looked like:

Our first polar bear

From the field, Polar bears,

Polar bear mother with cubs, Laptev Sea, Russia. © Alexey Ebel

Polar bear mother with cubs, Laptev Sea, Russia. © Alexey Ebel / WWF-Canon


A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew are traveling to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery. The Laptev Linkages expedition is sponsored by Canon.
Mikhail wakes up just after midnight. The crew has spotted our first polar bear, and it’s a family group! The quiet, sleepy cabin bursts into a frenzy of activity as layers are added and binoculars readied.
We are just passing along Little Begichev Island at the edge of the Laptev Sea. While it’s just past midnight, it’s still quite light outside.  We watch as the sow and her two yearlings amble along the shoreline. At first, they appear to be moving quickly, though we don’t see any other bears. We are a good 100 meters off the beach and in a slow moving and quiet boat, so it seems unlikely that we have bothered her, but if she is unused to human activity, it’s possible.
For the crew of the boat and several of our team, It’s their first bear. Mikhail, Anatoly, Tom, and I immediately look for signs of other mammals in the area (bears, walrus, possible carcass) and try to assess their body conditions.  The distance and lighting challenge our binoculars, so we are glad to have high-resolution imagery from the DSLR to refer back to later and confirm our assessment.
The sow appears to be in relatively poor condition and we agree she’s between a 2-2.5 on a 5-point body condition index. The cubs look to be in great shape for their age- a real testament to their mum. Unfortunately, she’ll need some luck on her side to successfully rear these two beyond the summer. Little Begichev is small and appears to offer little in the way of useful food. It’s also a fair swim to Big Begichev Island, where there are a few more options, including reindeer and muskoxen.  Big Begichev is also known to be used by walruses in the summer and has more beach area to catch the odd carcass. We wish the bear the best as we motor northward.
Around half past three we run into heavy fog and drop anchor for a few hours adjacent to the large island. Sleep is short and fitful as may of us want to make sure and see everything we might pass- from the smallest of birds to the possibility of whales!

The last stop before the Laptev

From the field

Members of the last Dolgan village along the Khatanga River greet the Laptev crew. © Tom Arnbom / WWF-Canon

Members of the northernmost Dolgan village along the Khatanga River greet the Laptev crew. © Tom Arnbom / WWF-Canon


A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew are traveling to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery. The Laptev Linkages expedition is sponsored by Canon.
Finally, the boat Taimyr has launched and we’re off for the Laptev Sea. There are 35 people on board, and 18 berths.  A bit chaotic and it feels lousy to take up places from the Dolgani (local people) who normally take this boat. Geoff, polar bear researcher, and I decide to sleep on deck to relieve the pressure. The temperature is nearly five degrees C outside, but we have good sleeping bags, so it works. The atmosphere on board is great, and an old Dolgan woman invites me to eat smoked salmon and sugared blueberries. Great to see that women are definitely in charge on this boat – the men are low profile here.
After sixteen hours we arrive at the last Dolgan community on the Khatanga River, and everyone except the research team and the crew heads off. The whole village meets us on the beach – along with a dozen dogs.  Misha Stishov, expedition leader and captain, has made a plan to try to visit a few places where walruses were seen in the 1980s – when they were last here.
My old boyhood dream is now reality – I’m on my way to the Laptev Sea. There is a hot shower and all the food tastes great – I can live with that. For lunch we had carrot soup and roast reindeer with mashed potatoes. Maybe we’ll see the first walrus tonight. More later.

Waking up in Khatanga

From the field

Pectoral Sandpiper, Khatanga, Russia. © Tom Arnbom / WWF-Canon

Pectoral Sandpiper, Khatanga, Russia. © Tom Arnbom / WWF-Canon


A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew are traveling to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery. The Laptev Linkages expedition is sponsored by Canon.
Following over 10 hours of flying from Moscow up through central Siberia, 4 hours of time change, several hours of discussion and paperwork with the local authorities upon arrival, and several hours of waiting in airports- I curled up in my sleeping bag and drifted off to a solid sleep. I awoke to the light rocking and low diesel hum familiar to all who have spent time on boats.

The Taimyr. © Geoff York / WWF


Perched on a small bunk in a communal area that sleeps 16, our group of 10 is sound asleep save one other. Intrepid birder Tom Arnbom was up at 4 to take advantage of early light ( not that it gets dark here much at all). I make some instant coffee and head out to the deck. It’s about 4 degrees C this morning, and wisps of fog are rising from the river. The town is absolutely quiet save the occasional sea gull calling out from a small bluff above us. The classic gold domes of the lone Russian Orthodox church gleams in the morning sun.  The Khatanga river is quite large here and flows due North into the Laptev Sea- our destination. Tonight we’ll start leg one, a 15 hour trip with two supply stops at villages along the river. After that, we will be at sea.

Getting Wooly Underground

From the field

Mammoth museum in Khatanga, Russia. © Tom Arnbom

Mammoth museum in Khatanga, Russia. © Tom Arnbom


A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew are traveling to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery.
Some delays have silver linings. A delay in our departure from Khatanga actually had a decidedly cooler lining- a trip to the local woolly mammoth museum housed in a permafrost cave underneath the town. A short stroll up the river led us to what looks like a door into the bluff face. One door leads to another and you quickly find yourself standing on solid ice with frost crystals covering the floor and ceiling. Electric lights reveal a frozen museum of ancient bones: massive mammoth tusks and skulls, pleistocene aged walrus, musk oxen and moose and side rooms filled with various bit and pieces. A collection any Natural History museum would be thrilled to hold. Seeing it in this more natural setting is a real treat and rare opportunity. Later, we were treated to a tour of the local museum of culture by a Dolgan elder and then local reindeer for lunch.
The Taimyr region has 5 indigenous cultures. The peninsula splits the Atlantic and Pacific, and it’s also where migrating people from the south (the Dolgani- wild reindeer hunters), meet those from the West (Nenets but known here as Ngasani- nomadic reindeer herders). A perfect background for our adventure and a great way to spend our day in town.

Arrival in Khatanga

From the field

Khatanga, Russia. © Wikimedia Commons

Khatanga, Russia. © Wikimedia Commons


A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew are traveling to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery.
August 13, 16:30
We’ve just landed in the Arctic in Khatanga, there’s a lovely sharpness in the arctic air. Outside the plane we were welcomed by huge but friendly dogs and border police. It’s taking a little time here with our passports but it should be resolved soon. I will return when I know more, maybe we can head off on the boat tonight.
August 13, 23:30
It is close to midnight, and it is bright as a day. The sun barely manages to stay above the horizon. Midnight sun at its best.
Misha, our expedition leader, smoked several pipes and discussed with the police our permission to be in the area. We do have permission, but the physical paper with the right stamp is stuck somewhere. It all was sorted out, with a smile and a few spasibas.
A handful of different species of waders are hanging out close to the boat. Before we head off tomorrow, we will try to get the world’s largest mammoth museum to open. I will let you know more how it goes in my next post.

To the airport, to the Laptev

From the field, ,

Geoff York, polar bear specialist with WWF, heads to the airport to begin the journey to Siberia.

Geoff York, polar bear specialist with WWF, heads to the airport to begin the journey to Siberia. Photo: Tom Arnbom / WWF


We have now all gathered in Moscow and are on our the way to Krasnoyarsk, where we will change flights to the Arctic. We can not wait until we arrive — it is a dream for several of us to visit this area.
The Laptev Sea walrus question has been in the air for more than fifty years among scientists. Do they belong to a special subspecies or not? All anecdotal information is at least 25 years old. However, we managed to identify a polar bear through a satellite image from the area. A white spot close to where the walruses should be. As a birder, any observation has to be noted – after all, almost nothing is known of this region. The only thing we have been warned about are the mosquitoes!
[youtube clip_id=”quuH3jsI59s”]

Good fences make good polar bear neighbours

From the field, Polar bears, ,

Polar bears approach an electric fence near the Hamlet of Arviat, Nunavut, Canada. © Hamlet of Arviat

Polar bears approach an electric fence near the Hamlet of Arviat, Nunavut, Canada. © Hamlet of Arviat


There’s an electric fence in WWF’s Ottawa office, and a motion detector’s siren blares at the first unlucky staffer to walk through the kitchen. We’re not under siege or playing jokes on each other (well, maybe a little). This setup is being tested for a more serious purpose — keeping researchers safe in polar bear country.
Next week, A WWF-led research team, a Canon photographer, and crew will travel to Siberia’s Arctic coast on the Laptev Sea, to help solve a scientific mystery. Are the Laptev’s polar bears and walruses related to populations to the east and west? The answer to this mystery may have implications for the management of the entire region.
Arctic beaches are the most practical place for our research camp, but they’re also a polar bear pathway. Coexisting with these large predators is risky, and we’ll be sleeping in tents, not buildings.
So what’s in our safety bag?

  • Experience: Several of the team are used to working in bear country and will make sure the campsite is well situated and plans are in place if bears come near.
  • Eyes and ears: The best bet in bear country is to stay alert for potential trouble and take early action. That’s why we’ll take turns on watch, day and night.
  • 4 small motion/heat detectors: To alert sleeping campers, or scare curious animals away from our gear. Because its range is limited, it’s most suitable for small spaces.
  • Trip wire: A small physical barrier around the perimeter of our camp, which sets off an audible alarm if broken.
  • Electric fence: The final physical barrier. It’s not connected to an alarm, but it will give a quick, strong, but harmless shock if a bear makes it past the other devices and gets too close to our sleeping tents.
  • Ideally, we would also have individual canisters of bear spray (pepper spray), but it’s just not available in remote Russia and challenging to ship.

If all goes well, we will spot and scare the bears away before they get close enough to trigger the alarm.

Download the polar bear alarm (and set it as a ringtone…?)
Although we’ll be sharing space with polar bears for just two weeks, many people in the Arctic have adapted to living with the bears year-round. Learn how communities coexist with their polar bear neighbours here.

Looking for meaning in a dead bear

General, Polar bears

When we were approached by a photographer, wondering if we wanted to comment on a dead polar bear that he thought had starved, we were torn. We realize the power that an image like that can command, how it can move people. On the other hand, WWF is an organization that prides itself on being guided by science. Could we make a scientifically defensible, but still compelling comment on this image of a dead bear?
We do believe that bears are likely to be in trouble in the coming years. As the sea ice retreats (as pretty well all climate and ice modelers agree it will) the bears’ preferred hunting grounds will shrink in time and space. It does not mean all the bears will starve. Some individuals may starve, others may move, others still may even find ways to adapt and survive through longer periods when the sea ice is absent. Current studies from Hudson Bay indicate that the longer the bears are off the ice, the worse their condition is likely to be, and they will likely have lower rates of reproduction and cub survival.
Having said all that, we could not take the death of this one individual as evidence that he had died from climate-induced starvation. The circumstantial evidence was there – lack of ice in the area the body was found in the months preceding the find. But the bear was old – reportedly 16 years old. Many bears do not survive that long in the wild. Any number of factors may have led to this bear’s death. Without that information, without a “smoking climate gun”, we could not make claims that may not be scientifically defensible.