Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen is the wildlife capital of the Arctic. In Spitsbergen the wildlife is protected, so you have a chance to see the animals in their natural state, in great abundance. It’s an incredible experience to watch the Polar bears in this stark environment, with the mountains towering above, and there is always ice, no giant bergs, just pack ice that the ships can move through, searching the floes for mammals, the walrus, the arctic fox and of course the Polar bear.” (Chuck Cross)

Spitsbergen, Dutch for ‘pointed peaks’, has a human population and a Polar bear population that is roughly the same. It is one of the most unspoiled wilderness areas in the world. Although 60% of the land is covered with flowing glaciers, it has incredibly diverse scenery, including tundra, fjords and mountains from which it gets its name.