Paradise is not always visible. As we steamed along the southeastern region of Svalbard, we encountered pack ice and that other hindrance to navigation, fog. The mists descended and cloaked our movement in a silent and tranquil world that left the horizon to our imagination. Were we passing polar bears unseen in the gloom? Such a world is an insight into the conditions faced by the earliest travelers in these waters, before radar and depth sounders, when proper visibility was crucial for safety. With all our modern equipment it only meant slowing, but not stopping, our progress toward the wild northeastern corner of this icy archipelago where we hope to see some of the least-visited islands in the group. Here's hoping.