Why Svalbard in Spring?

The Svalbard season for tourism is very short, running from May through September, but its months offer an incredible variety of experiences for travelers exploring this stunning Arctic archipelago. Each month with provide a slightly different experience, temperature and range of sights, so its is important to speak with an expert to help you discern when you should head to the Arctic, depending on what you most want to see and do.  Spring, in particular, is my absolute favorite time to visit Svalbard, as it really captures the true spirit of the far North, with snow-covered mountains, towering fjord icebergs, and magnificent glaciers crashing down mountainsides into the ocean. More than anything else, Spring provides the most favorable conditions to spot an incredible abundance of wildlife, including the king of the north, the polar bear, right from your vessel. Here are a few reason you definitely want to consider a trip to Svalbard in the Spring instead of later in the season.

Midnight Sun & Incredible photography Light
The arrival of Spring in the Arctic brings light to a region that sees long dark winters. May in particular is known for its beautiful clear skies and the emergence of full 24 hour daylight in the Arctic. The light this far north reflects off of the ocean and glitters against the sea ices and snow covered land giving photographers endless opportunities for uniquely lit landscapes. Enjoying these stunning views and partaking in wildlife spotting deep into the early hours of the morning without even realizing the time is easy to do when visiting Svalbard in the Spring.

Abundant Wildlife & Birding
Svalbard is packed with vibrant bird life that will captivate even the most beginner birders. The Brünnich's guillemot and Little auk arrive early in May, flocking Svalbard's bird mountains in hundreds of thousands and covering the cliffsides with their nests and activity. While exploring the fjords by zodiac, keep your eyes peeled for the stunning King eider or if you are lucky, you may even spot a puffin or two. Spring in Svalbard also provides an opportunity to spot an abundance of wildlife due to the early season conditions and high amount of sea ice that exists in early season. We were incredibly fortunate to spot walruses resting on ice in the middle of protected fjords along with plump bearded seals lounging on the floes. On shore, reindeer were plentiful and quite curious about our landings, and we even spotted a few arctic fox, still covered in their winter white fur to keep camouflaged with their surroundings. However, what stood out more than anything, was due to the amount of seals lounging on the sea ice, the shoreline was a heavily visited hunting ground for the elusive polar bear. We were incredibly lucky to witness 10 polar bears throughout our trip, all out on the sea ice or along the shore's edge. One sighting was a mother and cub wandering the shore and another was a large male polar bear hunting a seal on the ice. It's an incredible sight to witness these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat and even more mind blowing when you actually lock eyes on a polar bear through binoculars or a spotting scope. Even from afar, seeing my first polar bear in person was a truly unforgettable (and even slightly nerve-wracking) feeling.

Winter Wonderland
Svalbard in spring is not the typical sight you see when doing initial Arctic research. Often what is shown is landscapes of tundra, wildflowers and green sweeping dramatic landscapes. However, May in Svalbard is just the beginning of spring and is more akin to a winter wonderland, with the ground still frozen and covered in snow and the mountain peaks dressed in their finest shades of white. The snow crystals shimmer in the midnight sun, and the landscape feels endless, with dark blue polar seas and skies that seem to go on forever complementing the shades of white around you. With this amount of snow and ice, comes the active wildlife habitats and hunting grounds for polar bears that I mentioned above, but also provides for expansive areas to land and explore on foot. We had a number of landings in which we were able to hike for a couple of miles (flanked by our expedition team) over top of the snow crusted ground, wild grasses just starting to poke through and hint at the summer to come.