To main content
02036037112
Find your voyage Destinations Our ships Special offers FAQ
  • Find a cruise
  • Destinations
  • Our ships
  • Special offers
  • Excursions
  • Land adventures
  • Get inspired
02036037112
Search
  • Port-to-port in Norway
  • Brochures
  • Newsletter sign up
  • Map
  • Northern Lights
  • Why Hurtigruten
  • Hurtigruten News
  • Practical information
  • About Hurtigruten
  • Contact us
Updating your booking
Info: We at Hurtigruten use cookies to optimise our websites for your needs. By using this website you consent to our cookie policy.
Walrus_Dominic Barrington.jpg
Photo: Dominic Barrington Photo
  • View related voyages

Wildlife in Svalbard

Demanding, resistant and in an abundance. The opportunity to experience the Arctic wilderness on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard will be one to remember.

Welcome to wildlife heaven! The remote yet accessible islands of Svalbard are like no where else on Earth - halfway between Norway and the North Pole, and teeming with wildlife that have adpated to endure the exteme conditions, particularly the snow-laden, dark winters. Polar bears and walrus are just some of the species you may lay your eyes upon during an expedition with Hurtigruten.

Will we see polar bears?

Touted the King of the Arctic and rightly so. Within the Svalbard Archipelago there are about 3,000 polar bears – more than there are humans living there and probably one of the largest concentrations on Earth. Polar bears are solitude animals with no set colony or living area. They roam wherever they can expect to find food and only the pregnant females use denning areas during winter and only when they are expecting offspring.

During an expedition, we wait patiently with baited breath and all eyes scouting through binoculars. A sense of anticipation lingers in the air as we cruise the high Arctic. Our chances of spotting the polar bear increase when the marine mammal is close to or even in water. When there’s drift ice, there’s a chance the polar bear uses this as a platform into the sea. In very rare occasions dead whales or walrus drift ashore to Svalbard’s beaches. These tend to attract all kinds of wildlife – including polar bears.

While there are no guarantees of spotting polar bears, we act as polar opportunists - our expeditions are dictated by the elements, we scurry to make landings in prime locations, and we strive to offer up-close encounters with wildlife. With our ‘polar bear radars’ turned on, it’s likely our heightened senses are more alert to observe other wildlife such as birds and other marine mammals. 

What about the walrus?

Since the protection of walrus in 1952 the Svalbard population has grown from being decimated down to only a few animals, to a strong population with several haul outs scattered around the whole archipelago.

Spotting these dumpy mammals is best from the vessel when they are hauled out on ice flows or from shore, close to well-established haul outs. With an understanding of the walrus feeding method, it is possible to identify where possible haul outs may be. Walrus are shallow divers that feed on benthic fauna which hides in sediments on the bottom. To find these shellfish and molluscs they use their hyper-sensitive whiskers to locate then suck the food into their mouth using pressure.

Ideal habitats for walrus range from gently sloping beaches to larger shallow areas. Landing close to colonies here is an experience for all senses (in particular smell) though small boat operations are ruled by ice and weather conditions. Like all expeditions to remote destinations, there is no guarantee of observing walrus but we often see walrus on a cruise in Spitsbergen.

  • Travel to Svalbard with Hurtigruten
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Voyages
  • Further reading

Related voyages

  • Spitsbergen and Polar Bears - An Arctic Adventure (Thursday - Tuesday)

    This adventure voyage on MS Nordstjernen is the essential Spitsbergen experience. You spend two nights on land and the rest at sea sailing along the west coast of Spitsbergen. Explore the extraordinary Arctic landscape, glaciers, fjords and the magnificent arctic wildlife. If we are really lucky we might just see the King of the Arctic; the polar bear.

    MS Nordstjernen
    Departure
    May-Sep 2018
    Duration
    6 days
    See voyage

You may also like

  • 2500x1250_Polar-Bear_Smith-Sund.jpg
    Photo: Smith Sund Photo

    Polar bear spotting in the Arctic

    In the northernmost part of the world, where the ice is thick and the air is cold, there lives a...

  • Polar bear cubs (1).jpg
    Photo: Rinie van Meurs Photo

    14 facts you didn't know about polar bears

    The African jungle has the lion, the Arctic has the polar bear. This fierce yet cuddly-looking...

Hurtiguten UK

Hurtigruten LTD

Phone:

02036037112

  • Monday - Friday: 9.00 - 19.00
  • Saturday: 9.00 - 17.00
  • Sunday: 10.00 - 16.00
Email: [email protected]
  • Customer Loyalty Programme
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Payment
  • Newsletter
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Cookie compliance
  • Press
  • Careers
  • ATOL
  • Hurtigruten Svalbard
  • Agent web
  • Foreign Travel Advice
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • feefo_sq_trusted_service_2019_grey_yellow.png
  • iaato-logo_240.png
  • 2018-UK-Editors-Picks-Logo---Hurtigruten-WHITE.png

Search for destinations, attractions or information

Got a promotion code?