Close encounter with the Polar Bear

June 2026 – Right after returning to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, from my successful ascent of Beerenberg volcano on Jan Mayen, my girlfriend and I boarded the M/S Expedition for our next adventure — an 11-day expedition cruise around Svalbard that included a journey into the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean.

The undisputed highlight of the trip was our unforgettable close encounter with a polar bear in its true natural habitat: the drifting pack ice. We spent two days north of 81°N, roughly 100 km north of Svalbard, surrounded by vast fields of meter-thick pack ice. This is exactly the kind of environment the ice-class 1A vessel M/S Expedition was built to handle. It’s also the domain of the polar bear — a marine mammal that can spend its entire life on the sea ice, with only females needing to come ashore to give birth to their cubs.

On the first day in the ice, after hours of patient scouting, we spotted a female polar bear far in the distance. She slowly made her way toward the ship. Less than an hour later, she passed within 50 meters of us. Unhurried and seemingly unfazed by our presence, she jumped, rolled playfully on the ice, and even lay down for a rest. After observing her for about 15 minutes — during which my camera shutter was working overtime — she continued on her original path, moving away across the ice. At her closest point, she completely filled the frame.

It was a magical, once-in-a-lifetime moment. I hope you enjoy my pictures…

The rest of the 11-day cruise was equally spectacular. We spotted two more polar bears in the distance, marveled at awe-inspiring glaciers and dramatic arctic landscapes, visited huge walrus colonies, and admired towering bird cliffs alive with millions of seabirds. We also caught glimpses of elusive Arctic foxes, Svalbard reindeer, and delicate Arctic wildflowers. All of this was brought to life by the ship’s outstanding, highly knowledgeable guides.

We experienced it all in comfort, enjoying cozy cabins, delicious meals served three times a day, agile Zodiacs for shore excursions, hot tubs on the aft deck, and a welcoming lounge and bar.

These are my photos from our encounters with walruses. We managed to get close to three different colonies, and in each case the animals seemed perfectly relaxed and undisturbed by us.

Birds are everywhere in Svalbard. We spotted them throughout the trip, even soaring far above the distant pack ice. These are my photos of some of the seabirds we saw, including a few shots from Longyearbyen taken just hours before we boarded the M/S Expedition to start our expedition cruise around the archipelago.

The stunning landscapes were one of the major highlights of the trip. From vast pack ice to majestic glaciers, towering mountains to dramatic bird cliffs, and pristine beaches to rugged glacial moraines — these were just some of the breathtaking scenes we encountered.

And Arctic flowers…

We also took an Arctic Plunge among the icebergs just south of Bråsvellbreen on Nordaustlandet, the second-largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. It’s difficult to picture a better setting for a quick dip in the icy waters.