Svalbard

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, roughly between 74° and 81° north, about halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Longyearbyen, the main settlement on the island of Spitsbergen, has scheduled flights from Oslo and Tromsø and is the departure point for almost all wildlife voyages. Glaciers cover a large part of the land, fjords cut deep into the west coast, and the north and east of the archipelago are locked in sea ice for much of the year.

Wildlife photography here is ship-based. Expedition vessels carrying a few dozen passengers leave Longyearbyen and route according to ice and weather, using inflatable Zodiacs for cruising along the ice edge, glacier fronts and bird cliffs, and for landings where these are allowed. Polar bears are found along the drift ice and on the eastern islands, walrus haul out on specific beaches, and reindeer and Arctic foxes occur on the tundra. Seabirds such as little auks, Brünnich's guillemots and kittiwakes nest on the cliffs in enormous numbers.

The season runs from late spring to early autumn. In May and June the ice is still extensive, which means bears are often closer to the west coast but routes are limited; by July and August more of the archipelago opens up and circumnavigations become possible. The midnight sun lasts from late April until late August in Longyearbyen, giving soft, low light at any hour. Regulations introduced in 2025 govern how close vessels may approach wildlife: at the time of writing, ships and boats must keep at least 500 metres from polar bears between 1 March and 30 June and at least 300 metres for the rest of the year, landings in protected areas are restricted to designated sites, and ships with more than 200 passengers may not enter the national parks and nature reserves.

The photographic consequence of those rules is that long lenses and patience matter more than ever. Bears are photographed at distance in a landscape of ice and water, so 600 mm with a teleconverter is the standard tool, and the ship's rail or a Zodiac is the platform. Cold, spray and condensation are the main technical hazards; batteries drain quickly and gear must be kept sealed when moving between deck and cabin.