Arctic Wildlife Tours is happy to announce that we will be able to offer another Polar Bear photography workshop in Churchill, Canada in 2023. We did a great trip in…
Svalbard polar bears
During our expeditions on Svalbard we have seen Svalbard Polar Bears eating plastic, playing with plastic and being affected by garbage several times. Even on Svalbard, which is an outpost in the High Arctic, Polar Bears can not escape human stupidity.
Polar bears chewing on black plastic on Svalbard in 2018 during one of our wildlife photo expeditions there.
Polar bears and garbage
Many think it is global warming that is the major threat to polar bears, but that’s not the only danger to them. Recent reports and sightings from other places in the High Arctic like Alaska and Russia, show that Polar Bears chew on and eat plastic if they find it. In an analysis of the stomach contents of 51 polar bears that had been killed by subsistence hunters in the southern Beaufort Sea between 1996 and 2018, researchers led by Raphaela Stimmelmayr, a wildlife veterinarian with Alaska’s North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, found that 25 percent of the bears had plastic in their stomachs.
Polar bear checking out a plastic box on one of many beaches on the Svalbard archipelagoes.
Curious behavior
In the Arctic, dumps and nearby settlements are chock-full of plastic and a new survey from Alaska shows that polar bears are ingesting a lot of it. Our sightings in Svalbard, particularly on one occasion, we clearly saw that polar bear cubs eat plastic because it is something interesting to them. What would be better to do than examine a piece of black plastic when you are relaxing together with your mom far north in the high Arctic where nothing else interesting happens? In our opinion polar bears, especially cubs and young inexperienced bears, eat plastic because they are curious. It's not by accident.
Ingesting plastic can cause serious problems for polar bears because of their physiology. Polar bears have a very narrow outlet from the stomach to the small intestine and large items can cause painful blockages. Two of the bears whose stomachs were stuffed with more plastics than the other bears had behaved differently and more irritable and aggressive. These two bears did not respond to deterrents meant to chase them away.
Polar bear caught in fishing net.
Svalbard polar bears and their future
On Svalbard plastic garbage, fishing nets, fishing equipment, ropes and different plastic items is common to see. On every beach or island, we find especially small plastic pieces and other garbage items. Too often we also find bigger items. We always try to collect the plastic we find and pick it up. For bigger items, like fishing nets which are too heavy to remove by hand, we report it to the local authorities, and they will remove it.
Upcoming Svalbard tours
OPEN FOR BOOKING
Golden Eagle photo hides 2023-2024
The Golden eagle hides are open for booking during the season 2022-2023. Please send us your inquiry and we will help you.
NEW! 12 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Svalbard Early Winter expedition 2024 MV Kinfish
Svalbard winter photography on Svalbard. Join us for this very early winter photo expedition and experience the breathtaking light and scenery. The cold environment will make wildlife encounters to something…
4 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Svalbard Winter expedition 2024
Svalbard travel photography on Svalbard, every day is different, and every year is different. Arctic Wildlife Tours guides leads this winter expedition on Svalbard, a remote area we know well…
6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Svalbard Masterclass on board 2024
Join our photography masterclass onboard hosted by Nat Geo photographer Stefano Unterthiner and Arctic Wildlife Tours
5 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Early season May 1 – 9 expedition 2024 MS Virgo
Arctic Wildlife Tours do this early May expedition on Svalbard in 2022. We will be using the expedition ship MS Virgo for this wildlife expedition, which is a recently refurbished…
SOLD OUT!
Peak Wildlife season Svalbard June 10 – 19 2024
Svalbard photo tour onboard a small ship in early summer to enjoy the wildlife in typically lot of drift ice and lengthy daylight hours, providing more opportunities to see Svalbard's…
6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Peak Wildlife season Svalbard June 19 – 28 2024
Svalbard photo tour onboard a small ship in early summer to enjoy the wildlife in typically lot of drift ice and lengthy daylight hours, providing more opportunities to see Svalbard's…
SOLD OUT!
Peak Wildlife season Svalbard June 28 – July 07 2024
Svalbard photo tour onboard a small ship in early summer to enjoy the wildlife in typically lot of drift ice and lengthy daylight hours, providing more opportunities to see Svalbard's…
3 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Main Wildlife season Svalbard July 07 – 17 2024
Svalbard photo tour onboard a small ship in early summer to enjoy the wildlife in typically lot of drift ice and lengthy daylight hours, providing more opportunities to see Svalbard's…
NEW! 12 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Main Wildlife season Svalbard July 08 – 19 2024
We use the vessel Vestland Explorer during this 12 day long expedition. High standard cabins and large, open plan living spaces. The vessel also has the highest ice-class and we…
FULLY BOOKED
Main Wildlife Season Svalbard July 17 – 27 2024
Svalbard photo tours and small vessel cruises in mid summer to photograph and experience the wildlife in typically warmer weather with lengthy daylight hours, providing great opportunities to see Svalbard's…
1 SPOT AVAILABLE
Main Wildlife season Svalbard August 16 – 26 2024
Svalbard wildlife photography tour in the late summer and early autumn to spend more time in the drift ice searching for Polar Bears and other wildlife.
7 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Late Autumn season Svalbard September 05 – 15 2024
In September we expect to spend days into the drift ice far north and east of Svalbard. Our goal is to photograph polar bears and other wildlife in golden light.
FULLY BOOKED
South Georgia photography expedition 2023
Join Arctic Wildlife Tours guides Svein and Jens onboard the M/V Sea Spirit and visit South Georgia. As it is the first trip for Arctic Wildlife Tours visiting these parts…
