Wildlife of Svalbard

I would be remiss to not detail out what was truly the absolute highlight of this early season trip for me, the incredibly abundant and active wildlife. Svalbard has an very diverse ecosystem, and spring, while the pack ice and the fast ice is still strong, is the best time to see the wildlife in action. Bearded seals lounging on ice are prime hunting targets for hungry polar bears. We were incredibly lucky to see the number of polar bears that we did, all out on the the ice. As the summer progresses and the ice diminishes, polar bears head to land to hunt and become less visible from the shoreline. So if this is your prime objective, early season is for you!

I was stunned at how curious the reindeer were whenever we landed on shore. This particular species of reindeer is stunted in growth, so the herds of reindeer you come across on the islands are small, almost appearing miniature compared to the sizes you would see in Arctic Canada or Alaska. Arctic fox, still white from the snowy winter, were just starting to stand out against the pockets of brown from the pebbles and tundra peaking through the snow. 

Possibly the most bizarre and memorable creature we came across on our voyage was the walrus. These creatures with their lengthy tusks and wartlike nodes on their heads are blubbery and strange to look upon, but also are full of personality. Their grunts and snorts were often the background music to our mid day lunches and our afternoon wildlife spotting from the decks of the ship.