More than Polar Bears: Small Wonders at the Top of the World

Editor’s Note: Many adventurous travelers visit Antarctica as their seventh continent—the ultimate “last frontier,” with no permanent population and very few species of flora or fauna. As Tor Kristofferson tells us, those who expect a similar experience in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, come away pleasantly surprised by how different it feels. We asked him to tell us why—and what he finds most captivating about the top of the world.

By Tor Kristofferson, Trip Experience Leader, Svalbard Circumnavigation: An Arctic Expedition

Some of the most breathtaking moments in the Arctic happen when everything goes quiet.

We’ll turn off the engines of the Zodiacs and simply sit in silence in front of enormous glaciers and floating icebergs. You can hear the ice crackling as thousands of years’ worth of trapped air bubbles are released. It’s an unforgettable sound.

There’s also something extraordinary about seeing the Arctic from the air. As you fly in, the landscape can look almost like another planet—vast, remote, and completely unlike anywhere else on Earth.

A polar bear and cub on an ice flow in the Arctic.

Of course, the wildlife can provide some of the most memorable—and sometimes heart-stopping—moments. In 2023, we were in Ny Alesund, a research settlement with listening stations that require complete radio silence. No Bluetooth, walkie-talkies, or phones. That was where a mother polar bear and her cub came a little too close for comfort, and we had to evacuate in a hurry. It was one of the scariest moments I’ve ever experienced.

Fortunately, the bears moved onto an island, allowing us to return and observe them from a safe distance of about 1,600 feet. On another occasion, I was lucky enough to see a polar bear from the ship at the ice edge, around 82° north, as it rested on an iceberg and ate a seal. Those are the kinds of moments that stay with you.

But I always tell travelers that the Arctic is about much more than polar bears. People often arrive thinking they’ll be focused on the big animals, but I encourage them to embrace the little things, too. There is an incredible diversity of life above the Arctic Circle—around 2,000 plant species, along with extraordinary birdlife, Arctic foxes, whales, seals, walruses, and so much more.

A kittiwake photobombs a guillemot colony on the Alkefjellet bird cliffs.

Because there are only about 300 polar bears in the Svalbard archipelago, the chances of seeing one are relatively small, and seeing one up close is even less likely for safety reasons. What I love most is watching travelers discover that the smaller moments can be just as powerful. When they notice a tiny Arctic flower pushing through the landscape and realize how much energy and strength it takes for that little plant to survive and bloom in such a short season, something changes. They begin to see the Arctic in a completely different way. Those moments can be stunning.

At the end of an expedition, travelers often tell me they expected the Arctic to be similar to Antarctica because that’s really the closest comparison they have. But they’re surprised by how different the experience is—and by how much they come to appreciate the things I’ve been encouraging them to notice along the way. They talk about seeing wildlife so close, discovering an incredible range of flowers and colors, hearing the ice crackle during Zodiac rides, and simply experiencing what it feels like to be at 82° north, at the top of the world.

A village in Ny Alesund, the world’s northernmost town.

And, of course, the animals are unforgettable. Seeing them in their natural environment, sometimes remarkably close, is an experience that stays with people long after they return home.

So if you’re still on the fence about booking this once-in-a-lifetime expedition, my advice is simple: go for it. There is nothing quite like traveling this far north and experiencing both the small things—the flowers, the birds, the sounds of the ice—and the big things, from polar bears and walruses to the immense Arctic landscape, all from the comfort of a first-class expedition yacht.

And then there’s the moment you reach the ice edge, knowing that you’re only about 600 miles from the North Pole. There is ice as far as you can see, and you know you can’t sail any farther north. You’re watching seals, polar bears, and other wildlife through your binoculars or camera, surrounded by this vast, seemingly endless landscape.

It’s hard to describe what that feels like until you experience it yourself. It will blow your mind.

I hope I’ll have the opportunity to show you someday.

Experience wonders great and small at the top of the world on our New! Svalbard Circumnavigation: An Arctic Expedition adventure.