Svalbard’s Big 5 Wildlife

Svalbard is home to a number of wonderful wildlife species. From big to small, from land to sea, the islands are teeming with life.

Although one of the more inhospitable places in the world, the Svalbard archipelago is home to many. Wildlife have remarkably adapted to a tough climate, long winter, dark nights, and scarce food options. Whether this means a new coat of fur for the Arctic fox, a shorter nose for the Svalbard reindeer, or a large home range for polar bears, each species has figured out how to not only survive in the Arctic, but how to thrive.

There are absolutely more than 5 main wildlife species we hope to see on our Signature Svalbard expeditions. Some honourable mentions include Atlantic puffins, bearded seals, little auks, blue whales, and the Arctic tern.

As far as honourable mentions go, that is a pretty strong list! Now, we turn our attention to our selected Svalbard’s Big 5.

#1 – Polar Bear

We start with the king of the Arctic, the polar bear.

Scientific Name: Ursus maritimus

Around 300 bears live in Svalbard, 10% of the Barents Sea population

An apex predator and impressive marine mammal

Lifespan: 20-30 years

19 subpopulations in the Arctic and 4 different ‘Polar Bear Ecoregions’, based on the bears’ ice habitat preference

Hunting

Much of the polar bear’s hunting happens out in the pack ice, primarily on various seal species. An adult bear needs to consume 50-75 seals in a year for energy. Over half of their day is spent resting and waiting for prey to opportunistically appear.

Cubs

At around 5 years old, females will have their first cubs and it is not uncommon to have more than one. She will have new cubs every 3-4 years and cubs are typically born in the middle of winter. They drink the fatttiest milk of any land mammal, coming in at 31% fat! Cubs will remain with their mother for around 2.5 years.

Life on the Ice and Land

The bears in Svalbard travel from Northern Svalbard to the pack ice durin gthe summer months and return to shore during the winter months. Through GPS studies it was found that females can travel 14.3- 15.8 km per day and they tend to travel further than males to find their specific dening sites. Polar bears have a wide variety of diet items including Svalbard reindeer (see below) and small birds. Most polar bears we see during our expeditions that on land are resting and conserving their energy.

#2 – Walrus

Next up on our list, the walrus!

Scientific Name: Odobenus rosmarus

Pinnipedia group with seals and sea lions

Lifespan: Around 30 years

Population in Svalbard is increasing around 8% annually

Global population: 165,000 – Atlantic: 30,000, Pacific: 135,000, Svalbard: 3,500

Comfort in Numbers

Often on our Signature Svalbard expeditions we will visit walrus haul-out sites. They are tactile animals meaning hauling-out conserves body temperature and maintains close contact. When on land, their skin turns pink to help blood flow and limit overheating. Hauling-out also helps protect themselves from predators.

Life on the Ice

This species feed in shallow waters and often are seen resting on ice floes during feeding attempts. They will use the ice to dive off of and help push them deeper. Additionally, mothers and calves feel more protected on a floating ice floe. Here is where a main usage of their tusks come in handy. Walrus will use their tusks to help stabilize them and pull them onto the ice. These tusks can reach up to 1 meter long (3.2 ft), can weigh 5 kg (11 lbs), and both male and female have them. It is possible to tell the age of the walrus if the tusks are not damaged.

#3 Beluga Whale

Now, we turn our attention to our favourite cetacean in the Arctic, the beluga whale!

Scientific Name: Delphinapterus leucas

Known as ‘Canary of the Sea’ for their high level of vocalizations

Live in Subarctic to High Arctic waters

Feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans on seabed

Generally slow swimmers, in groups of 5-20. Seen traveling together into estuaries, inlets, and bays. Movement is related to presence of ice.

#4: Svalbard Reindeer

And our fourth big Arctic wildlife is…. the Svalbard Reindeer!

Scientific Name: Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus

Smaller subspecies of Reindeer- only on Svalbard

Seven subspecies in all of the Arctic regions

Habitat is non-glaciated areas

Lifespan: around 10 years

Appearance

The Svalbard Reinndeer have a few differences in their apperance compared to their other Arctic reindeer relatives. They are smaller, with a stubby nose, a small rounded head, and shorter legs. These differences are to help adapt in cold winter temperatures. Their fur coat is very thick in the winter months and gets lighter in the summer. For antlers, females have them year-round and males shed them late in the summer. Sometimes on our shore hikes we come across these impressive antlers which were recently shed.

Movement & Diet

Lack of food is the biggest challenge for survival, so it is integral the reindeer find enough to year during the summer months. We often see them grazing lush vegetation found in lowlands and valleys, while in the winter when food is scarce, they use their fat reserves from the summer. Svalbard Reindeer don’t tend to have a large movement range as remaining sedentary helps to conserve energy and fat stores.

#5: Arctic Fox

And our final Arctic Big 5 Wildlife highlight, is the Arctic Fox!

Scientific Name: Vulpes lagopus

Life expectancy: 3-16 years

Big movement ranges using sea ice to move between islands

Occur essentially everywhere in Svalbard

Colour Variations

The Arctic fox has two different fur varitations based on season. In the winter, they have thick white fur and in the summer it is thin and brown. They go through a molting process twice per year, with shedding starting in May. There are two distinct colour morphs: white, which is 84-97% of the Svalbard population, and a blue colour morph.

Diet and Habitat

The Arctic fox is unique in that it lives a life of both a predator and a scavenger. There are two ‘ecotypes’: the Lemming Fox and the Coastal Fox, with the Svalbard foxes being the latter. Arctic foxes in Svalbard prey on both marine and terrestrial food items, including: bird eggs, seal pups, seabirds, and rock ptarmigan.

For each Svalbard season we cross our fingers that there will be the opportunity to see each of these wonderful species. That is the benefit of sailing on a small-expedition ship in Svalbard, the flexibility to capitalize on opportunistic wildlife opportunities. Join us in Svalbard for one of our Signature Expeditions in 2026 or 2027!