Arctic safari

 August 2nd, 2017, I successfully escaped from GLPS. After two days, I finally arrived in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. The place where people commonly called 'the Arctic'. It was cold and foggy, but no snow. Mountains with small pebble stones are everywhere, but there were no coniferous. The entire views were quite different from the white and pure sanctuary that I dreamed inside air plane. I soon became worried. "Is this Arctic? No snows, no ice... What if they tricked me and left me somewhere like island Seymour in Antarctic peninsula?" After I noticed a huge glacier far away, I corrected my ludicrous thought. I was, in Arctic.

Here I am. Facing glacier.

 Team leader explained us(including me and other researchers) about our tasks. Even though my ear was opened, and my head kept nodding, my attention was already focused to Arctic terns gliding above my head. Sharp and stylish V-shaped wings, fiery scarlet beak, and deep black head are breathtaking. Terns soar up into the sky and hover for a few seconds. After a blink, they dive down the blue sea and pick up small silvery fishes. One shot, one fish. No failure to Arctic terns. They were truly amazing creatures.

Arctic Terns.

 Before the research team leaves Korea, we gathered around and choose who will conduct what in Svalbard. And my given task was to observe and documents every animal I met there. That was what I exactly want to do! I was so pleased that I can achieve my interests and curiosities by conducting 'official' research. On the other hand, I was relieved that I wasn't allotted to some ridiculous research topics. What if I was caught in 'collecting micro organism data from sea ice' or 'preserving Arctic lichen near institution'? Maybe I can't bear putting green and red lichens to plastic bags. Anyway, my research topic perfectly fits into my interests, so I was satisfied.

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 Unlike its barren view, Svalbard was full of different animals. Some of them were similar to species in Korea, but the majority of them were pretty different. To adapt the harsh conditions in Arctic, many of them look so fuzzy and fluffy. In other words, most of them were very cute. Among 10 different birds and 3 different mammals that I met in Arctic, the most impressive one was Arctic fox.
 

Arctic fox. But brown. Such a tragedy!

The first one appeared during lunch time. I was eating the salmon sandwich the cafeteria. All in sudden, a fox with a transmitter on its neck approached to the cafeteria. The wall of the building is made up of transparent glass so we can see fox through the wall. The fox seems to have interests to human. It came closer, and sniff like a dog and run away. It was a short moment, but enough to take enough photo for my topic. What if I didn't bring my camera at that moment! That's a nightmare.

While I'm looking my photos, I realized what I believed was totally wrong. I always dreamed the 'White' Arctic fox. White like canvas. But Instead, the truth was much browner and darker. It looks more similar to one hungry coyote.

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 At first, I was bit worried. 'What if I failed to see the variety of animals in Arctic? I don't have the second chance!'. But after 3 days, I figured out that was just an apprehension. I saw fox, reindeer, seal, puffins, guillemots, Fulmar and so many species that I can't even remember. But one thing, the most primitive and ultimate goal was not completed. I never saw a polar bear. What's the difference between Arctic with no polar bear and Paris with no Eiffel's tower? It's nonsense. Until today, I often dream about 'What if I met polar bear there?' My imaginary flaps its wings and soar around the sky. How spectacular? How amazing to see white, furious beast through my eyes?

 And as always, my ration makes clear answers. "What if you met polar bear? If it was, you are not here then. It's a beast. B-E-A-S-T."

This is a polar bear. And he never drinks Coca-cola.