In May 2026, I finally realized a dream I'd had since 2002 - to go to the Arctic. Expeditions there are more rare than those to the Antarctic, and most of them go to Svalbard because the wildlife is a little more concentrated in the smaller island. It was a very different trip from the Antarctic - you really need to search for wildlife encounters, the wildlife are much more shy, and there are strict rules about how close you can get to the polar bears. But I went, and I loved it!
I flew to Longyearbyen and stayed a couple of days to acclimatize to the time and the weather and explore the island a little.
I flew to Longyearbyen and stayed a couple of days to acclimatize to the time and the weather and explore the island a little.
The town of Longyearbyen
A pair of common eiders
Barnacle Goose at Rest
Barnacle Geese in Fllight
Pink-footed Geese
A tiny Svalbard Reindeer
A pair of snow buntings
tufted duck
female king eider in flight
Red-throated loon pair
The same loon pair, showing the environment
King Eider pair
