Polar Bears, Svalbard, Norway

These are photos of the polar bears of Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, made during a cruise around the islands. Most of these pictures where made from small Zodiac landing craft, giving us a sea-level view of the animals and ice. The archipelago is about 600 miles (950 km) from the North Pole, and is home to between 1000 and 2000 polar bears, as well as seals, whales, and countless birds. The fjords and inlets around the islands were also home to icebergs, smaller floating "growlers" (chunks of sea ice), and numerous glaciers.

We have a gallery of scenic images of Svalbard. We also have a gallery of ice images, several of which were made in Svalbard.

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A polar bear with her cub on the ice after a long swim across the face of a glacier in Svalbard, Norway.

A polar bear on the sea ice in a fjord in Svalbard, Norway.

A large male polar bear cleans up on the sea ice after a meal. These marine mammals spend thier lives on the floating ice.

A male polar bear on sea ice. The face of a glacier can be seen in the distance.

A polar bear and her cubs on a rocky coast in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

A curious mother and cub swimming in a fjord near our ship, probably attracted to the exotic scents of the galley.