A destination too far??

[annie, Glasgow]

Hi All

Sad story. Possibly there are parts of the world the cruise industry should avoid??

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...guide-climate/

Annie

[Blondie, Oxford]

Hi All

Sad story. Possibly there are parts of the world the cruise industry should avoid??

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...guide-climate/

Annie

It’s very sad that a polar bear had to be killed. A few years ago I went on an adventure cruise with Hurtigruten to Svalbard. We went ashore twice a day on Zodiac inflatable boats, accompanied by two armed guards and were told not to stray away from the guards. During the time we were on the ship we saw many polar bears swimming in the sea and others with cubs, floating on ice floes. We stayed ashore for two nights in Longyearbyen, throughout the town there are many visible signs warning tourists of the polar bear danger. Areas are roped off to prevent tourists straying beyond the boundaries. The week before we visited, two Japanese tourists, seeking the perfect photo opportunity had strayed beyond the ropes and were attacked by bears. If the animals are lacking food they will move much closer to human habitation. Jan

[zopadooper, skegness (2)]

Possibly there are parts of the world the cruise industry should avoid??

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...guide-climate/

Annie[/QUOTE]

Yes, a sad story but having been on a well organised expedition to Svalbard I would suggest that the cruise line were behaving irresponsibly. We had a number of sighting of polar bears but always from the safety of our ship.

[PeterM, Southwell]

I believe that polar bears are one of the few, if not the only animal that regards humans as prey. Why should the bear pay with its life for doing what comes naturally to it? We should leave these creatures in peace.

[alandrover, beccles]

The long and short of it.....it's straying into "our " territory because we've ruined theirs.

[Cooke, Ashby]

I'm amazed the ship was allowed in that part of Svalbard. I understood only certain areas are now available to cruise ships. Polar bears are dangerous and we are in their territory. The only reason people are on Svalbard is because of the coal industry and a few researchers. It is the human's job to stay away from the bears!

[George, Gateshead (3)]

What's new, where humans go the wild life always suffer. There are plenty of places to go without going near wildlife I can watch polar bears,bears and any other wildlife on tv filmed by professionals who know what they are doing. And if you really want to see wildlife come to Glasgow on 3rd Sept. Celtic play Rangers

[chrisan, doncaster]

Absolutely disgraceful. Why can't we leave these beautiful creatures in peace. At the end of the day we shouldn't be in their territory. Just look on the tv programmes if you want to see wildlife. Very sad picture, it broke my heart.

[BinleyBilly, Binley, Coventry]

Symptomatic.

What is perhaps even more disturbing is that 18 cruise ships are due in Longyearbyen just this week alone.

$ years ago we were the only cruise ship in Honningsvat; 2 weeks ago we were one of 4. one of these disgorging more passengers and crew than the town's population. There were at least 40 buses just that day to take people to the North Cape etc.

A few days later we were in Gerainger Fjord along with two other cruise ships; the smoke emitted was still in the air when we sailed back 3 hours later.

[zopadooper, skegness (2)]

I'm amazed the ship was allowed in that part of Svalbard. I understood only certain areas are now available to cruise ships. Polar bears are dangerous and we are in their territory. The only reason people are on Svalbard is because of the coal industry and a few researchers. It is the human's job to stay away from the bears!

Yes, you are right so I assume it was a specialist ship with special permission that makes it all the worse.

I believe that all the coal mining on Svalbard has now ceased and the entire set of islands has been turned into an area of outstanding beauty.

I don't agree with you that humans should stay away. If you follow that logic then you would bar tourists from Galapagos, Antarctica, Alaska, much of Africa and many other places of great interest.

[mags, cardiff]

This was a specialist expedition ship.

We went to Ny Alesund Spitzbergen on Queen Elizabeth. Before docking the ship had to sign that passengers would act responsibly and all pax had individual letters setting out in no uncertain terms what they could and could not do. It was a tender port with limited runs limiting the numbers on shore. A human cordon of ship personnel, shop assistants, anyone, was formed beyond which no passenger could stray. The settlement houses only international sceintific research workers who carry guns if they go beyond the residential boundaries in the course of work.

We didnt see any bears, just as well, that would have meant danger, but it was the nesting arctic terns that were a problem. Some would say it was the humans that were a problem for the terns. They could be vicious and attack human heads if you got too close to the nesting sites, as signs warned. We were told beforehand that white haired people should wear hats, and no hat should be white, the birds mistake them for enemy polar bears and attack to defend the young.

This visit was great, the scenic cruising amazing and the weather surprisingly warm.

[Mason, Altrincham]

SOme areas of this beautiful world of ours should be left well and truly alone by us.

Take care, Helen

[Border Reiver, Durham (3)]

We have friends who have been to Svalbard on an expedition trip with Hurtigruten. They attended daily lectures given by experienced naturalists who told them of the effects of global warming in the arctic, as well as doing daily guided walks to see the abundant bird life. Polar bears were seen, at a distance and not approached too closely. Hurtigruten also ask their passengers to spend part of their time helping with an organised beach clean-up. Being a Norwegian company in Norwegian territory, I believe they insist it is their duty to educate their clients by showing them the nice and not so nice faces of the arctic.
I notice also that Hurtigruten have two new expedition ships that are partly powered by electricity.

[zopadooper, skegness (2)]

SOme areas of this beautiful world of ours should be left well and truly alone by us.

Take care, Helen

But don't forget that every part of our world is beautiful to someone.

A few years ago I was interviewed in London for a job in Botswana. During the interview it started raining so we had to go outside and conduct the rest of the interview in the rain because the Botswanan who was conducting the interview had never experienced rain before

[Cooke, Ashby]

Yes, you are right so I assume it was a specialist ship with special permission that makes it all the worse.

I believe that all the coal mining on Svalbard has now ceased and the entire set of islands has been turned into an area of outstanding beauty.

I don't agree with you that humans should stay away. If you follow that logic then you would bar tourists from Galapagos, Antarctica, Alaska, much of Africa and many other places of great interest.

The Norwegian government decided to cease subsidising coal mining in Svalbard in 2017, but Mine 7 is still working to supply coal for the local power station.

I do not think that tourists should be in Antarctica.