Sure areas of the globe are uniquely lovely, with the Svalbard Archipelago—an remoted island chain between mainland Norway and the North Pole—being a main instance. Visiting Svalbard affords a exceptional alternative for individuals who search journey, significantly people with a eager curiosity in images.
I lately returned from a visit to Svalbard, the place I travelled with the intention to {photograph} the exceptional wildlife and landscapes of this area of the world. I’ve divided my account into two elements. At present’s article presents particulars concerning the Arctic and Svalbard primarily based on my experiences there; my subsequent article can be a journal from my current July journey to this wonderful place.
My Experiences in Svalbard
I’ve traveled to Svalbard 3 times, in numerous seasons and areas, thus gaining data of the archipelago.
In June 2022, I took a normal tour, excellent for individuals who need a first method and to watch the native wildlife, though new rules have restricted the potential of photographing polar bears since this yr.
In March 2024, I skilled the Arctic winter with temperatures right down to -39°C, landscapes of ice and snow, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets, in excessive circumstances.
Lastly, in July 2025, I explored areas additional north, on the pack ice and within the space on the pack ice edge, specializing in polar bears.
The Arctic: A World of Ice
The Arctic will not be a single place, however an unlimited area encompassing the Arctic Ocean and elements of eight international locations. It’s a “land” of contrasts, the place the silence of solitary and distant nature alternates, throughout nesting season, with the roar of chook colonies, and the midnight solar of summer time offers method to the Polar evening and deep darkness of winter.
For a photographer, the Arctic is an setting not like another, the place each nook affords a distinct and distinctive perspective and high quality of sunshine. It’s not the simplest place to go to, however in the present day’s alternatives are extra quite a few than up to now. It’s a query of logistics and your selection of vacation spot.
The primary gateways to the Arctic embody Tromsø in Norway, Reykjavik in Iceland, and Anchorage in Alaska. Every one in all these cities is a place to begin for cruises and expeditions, relying on the kind of journey you search. There are different places you possibly can select as effectively, like Greenland or Nunavut in Canada. These journeys have distinctive qualities of their very own, like experiencing totally different cultures and exploring pristine landscapes, however they’re extra complicated logistically.
Svalbard, although deep within the Arctic, is surprisingly well-connected: Longyearbyen, the executive capital, is reachable with common flights from Oslo and Tromsø, making the beginning of the journey very simple. Its port is frequented by cruise ships that permit their passengers really feel the breath of the Arctic. At 78°N, Logyearbyen is at solely 700 nautical miles from the North Pole!
The Svalbard islands themselves, even with out going farther with a devoted longer journey, are an fascinating vacation spot; relying on the season, you possibly can go to with a snowmobile or a brief cruise or, within the neighborhood of Longyearbyen, even by automobile. To me, nonetheless, the fascinating sights develop exponentially upon utilizing a small expedition vessel to broaden the scope of your exploration. That is the kind of journey I might suggest and the sort I’ve accomplished.
Svalbard: Historical past, Nature, Politics, and Analysis
Svalbard is positioned within the Arctic Ocean and is the northernmost inhabited landmass on the planet. It’s a Norwegian territory, and its sovereignty is regulated by the Svalbard Treaty of 1920. This treaty ensures residents of the signatory international locations the flexibility to dwell and work there with out visas, creating a global and multicultural neighborhood. This has meant that the present resident inhabitants comes from over 50 totally different international locations all over the world.
Svalbard is an interesting place, with a really current historical past. Initially uninhabited, its historical past started within the seventeenth century with exploration and whaling and continues due to explorers, hunters, and miners.
Wealthy coal deposits had been found within the late nineteenth century, however large-scale exploitation solely started within the early 1900s. The start of mining is basically as a result of American entrepreneur John Munro Longyear, who based the Arctic Coal Firm in 1906. The settlement he created, Longyear Metropolis, is now Longyearbyen, the executive heart of the archipelago. Coal mining attracted a number of nations, together with Norway, Russia, and Sweden, and have become one of many islands’ foremost financial actions, serving to to make them some extent of worldwide curiosity even earlier than the signing of the Treaty.
However these islands weren’t solely a crossroads for hunters and miners; additionally they performed an important position as a base for Arctic exploration. Their strategic location made them an excellent launching level for expeditions aiming to succeed in the North Pole, beginning within the late nineteenth century. In 1926, from Ny-Ålesund, the airship “Norge,” carrying an expedition led by Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile, and Lincoln Ellsworth, grew to become the primary to fly over the North Pole. Two years later, in 1928, it was the flip of the airship “Italia,” piloted by Umberto Nobile. Though the mission efficiently reached the North Pole, the airship crashed on the return journey, sparking an unlimited worldwide rescue operation.
At present, along with being of nice curiosity to vacationers and photographers, these islands are residence to analysis facilities akin to Ny-Ålesund, a former mining settlement that’s now an important worldwide Arctic analysis heart. Svalbard can also be on the heart of renewed geopolitical curiosity, partly due to its strategic location—the melting Arctic ice is opening up new delivery routes and alternatives for useful resource exploitation—and partly as a result of satellites orbiting the Earth go a lot decrease over the polar areas. Certainly, the Svalbard Satellite tv for pc Station—SvalSat—is among the largest business floor stations for polar-orbiting satellites.
As such, these distant islands are linked to Europe by twin submarine cables, a system designed to make sure excessive bandwidth. Their strategic significance is such that any disruption, akin to alleged sabotage up to now, raises severe geopolitical and safety issues. A brand new cable system, the Arctic Manner, is at the moment below improvement to additional strengthen connectivity and communications safety within the Arctic area, scheduled to turn into operational by 2028.
Sea Ice and the Polar Bear
The pack ice that covers the deep Arctic Ocean (over 4,000 meters deep right here) is a dynamic and continually altering ecosystem. It types and melts in cycles with the seasons, however its general extent has shrunk drastically up to now century as a result of globally warming temperatures. Pack ice is important to Arctic life, serving as a looking platform for predators, a breeding floor for seals, and safety for marine life under. It strikes below the affect of ocean currents and winds, making a jagged, irregular floor fabricated from ice sheets that collide, overlap, and break aside.
Over time, the lack of sea ice—particularly “multiyear ice” which endures by way of the summer time—has been devastating to the Arctic wildlife. The ice that types every winter is thinner and extra fragile, making survival more durable for a lot of animals and disrupting the ecosystem. And its discount amplifies a vicious cycle: much less ice means much less white floor to replicate daylight, whereas the darkish ocean absorbs extra warmth, dashing up melting.
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), a logo of the Arctic’s energy and resilience, is among the species threatened most by the altering local weather. The worldwide inhabitants of polar bears is estimated to be between 26,000 and 30,000, divided into about 19 subpopulations throughout Greenland, Svalbard, Canada, Alaska, and the Russian Arctic. Their survival relies upon closely on sea ice, which they use as a platform to hunt their foremost prey: seals.
With much less ice, polar bears are compelled to spend extra time on land, the place meals is scarce. This hampers their skill to construct the important fats reserves essential to endure intervals with out meals, particularly for moms. This ends in extreme weight reduction and better mortality charges amongst cubs.
The scenario is dire. Scientists warn that if sea ice continues to soften at this tempo, the Arctic could be ice-free in summer time by the 2050s, significantly threatening the species’ survival. That is maybe why the polar bear has turn into such an icon of the local weather disaster and the influence on this fragile and noteworthy ecosystem. It’s simple to neglect with every little thing else happening on the planet in the present day, however certainly, that is a part of why I do images.
Conclusion
I hope you loved this text concerning the Arctic, the Svalbard Islands, and the pictures I used for example it. You possibly can learn extra about photographing this area of the world in my essay “Photographing Ice and Ever-Altering Horizons in Svalbard.” In the meantime, the diary of my final journey will comply with quickly in Half Two.
Please observe that I’m touring proper now and should not have entry to the web for a number of weeks. Although I’ll learn each remark as quickly as potential, I won’t be able to answer them as normal. Thanks to your understanding, and please be happy to depart feedback and questions anyway!