Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.
These guys were the real eye-opener of our trip, having never seen one in the flesh before and not really knowing much about them. We saw several large groups of them, sometimes numbering 40-50 in a "haul-up" (piles of walruses loafing on a beach). Our guide Arjen Drost had an amazing trick - he would stand in the water and just shuffle his feet in the pebbles and the walruses would come right up to us! Not having too many predators, they are just naturally inquisitive and not at all afraid (mind you, at 2 tonnes not much would frighten them anyway!). This one was no more than 5 metres away from me - quite a sight, especially when they opened their mouth and exposed their huge tusks!
Tags: Walrus Odobenus rosmarus Spitsbergen Svalbard Archipelago Norway David Cook Wildlife Photography kookr Sony A77 Mk II Sony ILCA-77M2 Sony SAL-70400G2 © 2016 David Cook Wildlife Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.
What animal do people immediately think off when you say you've been to the Arctic? The Polar Bear, of course! This was the very first Polar Bear we saw on our trip, and it actually found us. We first saw it at considerable distance on an island, so we were madly taking long-distance "pixel bear" photos from the ship when he/she decided to take a closer look at us and swam right up to the ship! It is a young bear, and we assume just inquisitive. It swam around looking at us for a while, then swam back to the island. We are none the wiser why! The first of 11 Polar Bears we saw.
Tags: Polar Bear Ursus maritimus Spitsbergen Svalbard Archipelago Norway David Cook Wildlife Photography kookr Sony A77 Mk II Sony ILCA-77M2 Sony SAL-70400G2 © 2016 David Cook Wildlife Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.
Tags: Svalbard Reindeer Rangifer tarandus Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus Spitsbergen Svalbard Archipelago Norway David Cook Wildlife Photography kookr Sony A77 Mk II Sony ILCA-77M2 Sony SAL-70400G2 © 2016 David Cook Wildlife Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.
Tags: Arctic Fox Alopex lagopus Spitsbergen Svalbard Archipelago Norway David Cook Wildlife Photography kookr Sony A77 Mk II Sony ILCA-77M2 Sony SAL-70400G2 © 2016 David Cook Wildlife Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.
Tags: Svalbard Reindeer Rangifer tarandus Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus Spitsbergen Svalbard Archipelago Norway David Cook Wildlife Photography kookr Sony A77 Mk II Sony ILCA-77M2 Sony SAL-70400G2 © 2016 David Cook Wildlife Photography. All Rights Reserved.