Polar bear
Polar bear photography season is best from spring until November
Polar Bear photography can be done with Arctic Wildlife Tours on Svalbard and in the drift ice north of Svalbard. We do have the philosophy that staying with wildlife teach us something about nature which is important. It can never be understood by reading a book. Polar Bear photography is not disturbing the animals because they always come to us. When we are in the drift ice with the expedition ship the bears are free to come close or just leave us. The huge areas they roam up there make sure of that. Polar bears are curious and interesting creatures and they are not programmed to hunt humans. They hunt seals mainly for their prey and the fat they eat from a seal is the energy they need to survive in the Arctic.
Polar bear red listing
Polar bears have had Red List status as vulnerable since 2005. Over the next decades, there are expected to be significantly fewer polar bears due to a sharp decline in sea ice. Polar bear photography is possible in a respectful way on Svalbard by letting the polar bears approach our ship. Then it is totally up to each polar bear individual. Most of our activity for photographing polar bears will in the future be done far up in the drift ice, north and northeast of Svalbard, depending on the season.
Polar bear identification
Ursus maritimus, Thalarctos, sea bear, ice bear, Nanuq, isbjorn, white bear, beliy medved, lord of the Arctic, old man in the fur cloak, and white sea deer. These are just some of the ways people around the world identify a polar bear.
Polar bears are the largest species of bear in the world. Compared to other bears polar bears have: a long narrow head; a head that is relatively small compared to the body; small, heavily furred ears; claws that are short and strong; canine teeth that are long; and cheek teeth that are sharper.
These features have been selected for in polar bears as a consequence of their almost purely carnivorous way of life. Educate yourself more about polar bears on Polar Bears International.