The king of the Arctic is threatened, dangerous, and incredibly fascinating. We've long dreamed of observing polar bears in the wild. Where can you find polar bears in the wild? And where do you have the best chances? Greenland? Canada? Franz Josef Land? In the end, we chose Svalbard, Norway, and it was the right decision! The archipelago around Spitsbergen is known for its good chances of seeing polar bears in the wild—we were lucky, too.
Spitsbergen Polar Bear Safari, travel blog
Polar bears in the wild – our dream has come true!
I can hardly believe my eyes, and the cameras are rolling. What was that? Obviously in a playful mood, the shaggy white giant repeats the spectacle: He stretches and then slides leisurely, headfirst, down the slope on his belly. A sleigh ride in the style of a polar bear—and we're there, live. Incredible. Then he stands up, sniffs the air, and runs straight toward us, toward the shore.
We hold our breath and watch his approach: his powerful strides, his lithe movements, his majestic countenance, his massive figure. In the magic of the moment, I feel the heartbeat of the Arctic. Our dream has come true. Finally, for safety reasons, we have to start the engine of our dinghy. The bear stops, turns, and leisurely trots away. We stay behind – full of wonder, awe, and gratitude for having experienced this moment.
How many polar bears have we seen in the wild?
Not one, not two, not three, but no less nine polar bears in the wild! For twelve-day expedition cruise There were far more polar bears than we had hoped for. One polar bear was about a kilometer away from us and could only be seen clearly with a telephoto lens, but there were also polar bears that we were able to observe directly on the shore from a rubber dinghy.
All information about observing polar bears in Svalbard can be found in our article Watching polar bears in Svalbard (Spitsbergen) – information & experience.
With whom and when were we on Spitsbergen Polar bear safari?
We were with the Expedition ship Sea Spirit from Poseidon Expeditions The Sea Spirit, with around 100 guests on board, is one of the smaller cruise ships that offer an Arctic trip in Svalbard, which offers clear advantages. The most important plus point: all passengers can go on a polar bear safari in rubber dinghies at the same time. We had planned the trip for Month july chosen because the sea ice has usually retreated a lot in midsummer, allowing the ship to reach more islands.
You can find all information about the Sea Spirit and the program on the Svalbard expedition in our article Experience Svalbard & polar bears with Poseidon Expeditions.
What was our itinerary in Svalbard?
The tour started and ended in the port of Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on Svalbard. It led us up to the 80th parallel in the Moffen Island and finally through the Hinlopenstrasse, where we spotted the most polar bears. We saw the completely circumnavigated the island of SpitsbergenLandings were possible on the islands of Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Barentsøya and Edgeøya.
You can find all information about islands, shore excursions and wildlife in our Svalbard travel guide.
Spitsbergen Polar Bear Safari - InWhat were our highlights?
- Natural alle Polar bears in Svalbardthat we were able to observe in the wild. We were particularly impressed by a polar bear that was feeding on an old whale carcass, as well as a polar bear that posed for us in the snow and eventually slid down the slope on its belly!
- The legendary beauty of the Monacobreen glacier paired with the unique experience of to see glaciers calvingHearing the ice breaking, and finally feeling the wave of the submerged ice masses in the dinghy. Breathtaking moments.
- The Walruses at Torellneset, which we were able to see up close during a shore excursion
- The very special atmosphere at Alkefjellet bird rock: vertical basalt cliffs, thousands of breeding thick-billed murres, the tumult of bird calls and a mystical evening light made this trip unforgettable.
- The arctic wildlife of Kapp Waldburg on the island of Barentsøya: The landing not only gave us another impressive bird cliff, but also reindeer up close and hunting arctic foxes
- Also the Sea day at the pack ice limit will always remain in our memories. Although we didn't see any polar bears there, the natural spectacle of the colors and shapes in the ice completely amazed us.
Expedition trip to Svalbard – what was different than expected?
- Due to climatic conditions, the itinerary changed so that we were unfortunately unable to reach the ice-covered island of Kvitøya
- With a total of nine polar bear sightings in twelve days, we have significantly more polar bears in Svalbard than we could have dreamed of before the trip
- Seven days of lead time until we finally saw our first polar bear was a longer test of patience than expected.
- Unfortunately, in addition to nine living polar bears, we also have a dead polar bear in Svalbard. That made us very sad.
- We thought that we would see polar bears in the wild mainly on the pack ice. In fact, we all polar bears discovered on land: In the snow, between rocks, on the shore and even a polar bear in green grass.
- We were lucky and were able to see most of the polar bears see closer than expectedNot only with binoculars from the expedition ship, but directly on the shore, so that we could go on a polar bear safari in an inflatable boat. (Note: Since 2025, the rules for minimum distance in Svalbard have been tightened.)
Conclusion Spitsbergen Polar Bear Safari: 9 polar bears in the wild
Would you also like to see polar bears in the wild?
Information and experiences on polar bear wildlife observation.
Here you can find more articles on the topic of polar bears in the wild. We share our personal experiences and reveal how many polar bears there really are in Svalbard. You'll learn how you can see polar bears in the wild yourself and which new regulations for polar bear conservation will come into effect in 2025.
- Watching polar bears in Svalbard (Spitsbergen), information and experience
- How many polar bears are there in Svalbard?
- Experience Svalbard & polar bears with Poseidon Expeditions
- Svalbard/Spitzbergen new regulations 2025: What travelers need to know (External Link)
Information and experiences for your Svalbard trip:
