Expedition Svalbard: In Search of Polar Bears

Also known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” you’ll find a coastline full of seals, walrus, and seabirds. A visit to the Svalbard Museum provides a history of the area that includes whaling, expeditions, winter trapping techniques and mining. At the Svalbard Gallery, spend time in the workshops of local artists. Adventurers can trek to the Esmarkbreen Glacier, or tour a local coal mine.

Magnificent glaciers and majestic fjords. Steep cliffs with nesting seabirds and pristine waters where seals and walrus swim. Ice sheets and floes as far as the eye can see. Join us and prepare for extraordinary discovery in the land of the Ice Bear.

Magnificent glaciers and majestic fjords. Steep cliffs with nesting seabirds and pristine waters where seals and walrus swim. Ice sheets and floes as far as the eye can see. Join us and prepare for extraordinary discovery in the land of the Ice Bear.

Magnificent glaciers and majestic fjords. Steep cliffs with nesting seabirds and pristine waters where seals and walrus swim. Ice sheets and floes as far as the eye can see. Join us and prepare for extraordinary discovery in the land of the Ice Bear.

Magnificent glaciers and majestic fjords. Steep cliffs with nesting seabirds and pristine waters where seals and walrus swim. Ice sheets and floes as far as the eye can see. Join us and prepare for extraordinary discovery in the land of the Ice Bear.

On the eastern shores of Svalbard, the Hinlopen Strait cuts between the archipelago’s two largest islands, Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet. The pack ice here is known to be thick, and the keen eye might spot walruses, beluga whales, bearded and ring seals, and maybe even a polar bear. The vertical basalt cliffs at Alkefjellet are home to tens of thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots, glaucous gulls and kittiwakes.

Covered by glaciers and lined with fjords, the reserve covers all of Nordaustlandet (the archipelago’s second largest island) and several other islands including Kong Karls Land that serves as an important breeding ground for polar bears. Here is where walruses come to rest and Brünnich’s guillemots are known to nest. Identified as an Important Bird Area, keep an eye out for Brent geese, Sabine’s and ivory gulls nesting on steep cliffs. Animals here include the Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer.

With a whaling history dating to the 17th century, this area encompasses the islands of Barentsoya and Edgeoya. Noted for its wide plateau-shaped mountains and open valleys, its rich tundra is home to Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The area is considered an important resting place for walruses, and kittiwakes colonize the steep cliffs. It is also an Important Bird Area for red-throated divers, barnacle and brent geese, Arctic terns, purple sandpipers and glaucous gulls.

Svalbard’s largest national park includes majestic mountains, glaciers and four separate bird sanctuaries located off the southern and western coasts: Sørkapp, Dunøyene, Isøyene, and Olsholmen. Eider ducks and barnacle geese breed and nest here, both on bird cliffs and on islands and islets. Look for Svalbard reindeer and Arctic fox, too.

Magnificent glaciers and majestic fjords. Steep cliffs with nesting seabirds and pristine waters where seals and walrus swim. Ice sheets and floes as far as the eye can see. Join us and prepare for extraordinary discovery in the land of the Ice Bear.

Exploring Svalbard’s second longest fjord is a dream come true for both nature and birding enthusiasts. Witness the dramatic wonder of glaciers calving into fjords where ringed seals are known to swim and play. And look to the steep cliffs to see all kinds of birds, from Brünnich’s guillemots, little aukss and Atlantic puffins to black-legged kittiwakes and pink-footed geese.

Magnificent glaciers and majestic fjords. Steep cliffs with nesting seabirds and pristine waters where seals and walrus swim. Ice sheets and floes as far as the eye can see. Join us and prepare for extraordinary discovery in the land of the Ice Bear.

Also known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” you’ll find a coastline full of seals, walrus, and seabirds. A visit to the Svalbard Museum provides a history of the area that includes whaling, expeditions, winter trapping techniques and mining. At the Svalbard Gallery, spend time in the workshops of local artists. Adventurers can trek to the Esmarkbreen Glacier, or tour a local coal mine.

Also known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” you’ll find a coastline full of seals, walrus, and seabirds. A visit to the Svalbard Museum provides a history of the area that includes whaling, expeditions, winter trapping techniques and mining. At the Svalbard Gallery, spend time in the workshops of local artists. Adventurers can trek to the Esmarkbreen Glacier, or tour a local coal mine.