Bjørnøya (Bear Island) | The mysterious island between Svalbard and mainland Norway
Imagine an isolated island shrouded in mist, midway between mainland Norway and Svalbard. Jagged cliffs rise dramatically from the Barents Sea—this is Bjørnøya, or Bear Island, the mysterious southern gateway to the Svalbard archipelago.
The origins of Bear Island
Bjørnøya or Bear Island is a lonely hunk of rock in the Barents Sea, about 235 kilometres south of Svalbard. It’s the archipelago’s southernmost outpost — the first (or last) stop, depending on which way you’re sailing.
The name comes courtesy of Willem Barentsz, the Dutch navigator who also 'discovered' Svalbard in 1596. On spotting the island, his crew had a run-in with a polar bear — quite possibly the first encounter Europeans ever had with one. Accounts say the bear swam out to investigate, was hauled aboard, and promptly proved that inviting a 500-kilo apex predator onto your ship is… not the brightest idea. The encounter ended in a flurry of musket shots and a great deal of shouting — you can read the full, wonderfully odd story here.
Even though polar bears are now a rare sight on the island, the name has stuck for over four centuries.
Can you actually visit Bear Island?
Like the rest of the Svalbard archipelago, Bear Island is covered by the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act. All visits are tightly regulated by the rules of the Act. The entire island is also a part of the Bjørnøya nature reserve. The island can only be visited by a cruise ship, and there is hardly any human activity in the surrounding area.
Not many expedition tours visit Bear Island, as it lies in a remote position between mainland Norway and Svalbard, well off the typical Svalbard itinerary. It is most often included on longer voyages that cross the Barents Sea between Norway and Svalbard. Landings are rare and strictly regulated, and the island’s steep cliffs and reefs make approaches challenging. There is no infrastructure, and the coastline remains largely untouched.
When to visit Bjørnøya
You can expect clear weather around the island in the period between late June and early September. Even so, there is no guarantee of a successful zodiac landing unless the conditions remain calm. In the Barents Sea, the weather conditions can turn foggy or windy at short notice, resulting in sudden changes in the itinerary.
Wildlife on and around Bear Island
The prime attraction of Bear Island is the massive seabird colonies that reside in the mountains and tall sea cliffs in the south and east parts of the island. Around 126 species are seen in this area, with 32 confirmed breeders on the site.
Some estimates suggest that around one million seabirds gather on the highland during the breeding season, making it one of the largest breeding sites in the Northern Hemisphere. In summer, you can hear the cacophony of the birds from a distance.
Some of the species found here include the razorbill, black-legged kittiwake, snow bunting, ruddy turnstone, Atlantic puffin, and the red phalarope. Migratory birds like the barnacle goose, the brent goose, and the pink-footed goose are also seen.
Seals and Arctic foxes can be seen around the shoreline. Due to the retreating Arctic sea ice during summer, polar bears are hardly seen on the island. Occasional sightings have been reported by researchers on the island.
Svalbard Spring Photo Tour
78°13’N, 15°38’E
Landscape photographers adore Svalbard in the early season, when puzzle-piece sea ice and snow-enrobed shorelines glow under pastel sunrises and sunsets.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 10 days
Svalbard Spring Photo Tour with Randy Hanna
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Head north with world-renowned photographer and tutor Randy Hanna, capturing the frozen Arctic landscape of Svalbard in the spring.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Spring Micro Cruise
78°22’N, 15°65’E
A frozen fairytale of iceberg-strewn fjords, snowy peaks, and puzzle-piece sea ice – as animals take their first steps following winter.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 10 days
Svalbard Summer Micro Cruise
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Set sail in summer, when Svalbard blooms with life, the best time to spot wildlife in Europe’s last great wilderness.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Summer Solstice Micro Cruise
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Our longest photo tour sails when the midnight sun is at its zenith, providing 24-hour photo opportunities in the company of your pro photographer guide.
- 12 guests
- 10 — 12 days
Svalbard Summer Photo Tour
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Venture north to photograph Svalbard as summer sweeps across the archipelago and the Arctic bursts into life.
- guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Summer Photo Tour with Paul Goldstein
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Paul Goldstein is a nature-photography heavyweight, a go-hard, all-hours maestro – and the perfect guide to take your wildlife photography up a gear (or 10) in Svalbard.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Summer Photo Tour with Randy Hanna
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Explore summertime Svalbard with nature photographer Randy Hanna, capturing intimate shots of wildlife in their stunning Arctic habitat.
- 12 guests
- 10 days
Svalbard Circumnavigation Micro Cruise
78°22’N, 15°65’E
The big one. As the sea opens up under the midnight sun, take the unique opportunity to circumnavigate Svalbard, Europe’s last great wilderness.
- 12 guests
- 12 days
Svalbard and Greenland Summer Micro Cruise
78°22’N, 15°65’E & 76°50'N, 23°10'W
The ultimate Arctic experience – a unique two-week adventure into Svalbard and the Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park.
- 12 guests
- 14 days
Svalbard Autumn Photo Tour
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Wildlife and landscape photographers rush to catch Svalbard at this unique part of the year, when languorous sunrises and sunsets paint the scenery in autumnal colours and far-flung destinations like Austfonna are still within reach.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 12 days
Svalbard Autumn Photo Tour with Virgil Reglioni
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Set off on a late-season adventure, when sunsets and sunrises cast spellbinding colours the archipelago, and capture the meltwater waterfalls of the Austfonna ice cap with top polar photographer Virgil Reglioni.
- 12 guests
- 12 days
Bear Island’s harsh environment
The North Atlantic current passes around Bear Island carrying warm water, making the climate relatively milder than other areas of the Arctic at similar latitudes. However, the mixing of warm and cold currents generates dense fog in the area. The isolated location also makes it extremely windy and prone to storms.
The landscape is rocky, and the coastline is guarded by high cliffs of volcanic and sedimentary rock. The signs of years of constant erosion are visible on the craggy cliffs in the form of caverns and rock pillars. The northern and western parts of the island have some flat areas with lakes and small ponds.
Scientific significance
Bear Island has a meteorological station that was established in 1918 and is still operated by MET Norway. The Norwegian Polar Institute conducts ornithological research on the island. The Norwegian Institute for Water Research has also researched freshwater fish found in Lake Ellasjøen on the island to study evolution patterns.
Oddities and little-known facts about Bear Island
Apart from the workforce at the weather station, there are no permanent residents on the island. Until 1932, a coal mining company, Bjørnøen AS, owned the island. But Norway regained possession after that. A coal mine operated on the island between 1916 through 1925, but the operations turned out to be unprofitable.
Due to its closeness to the shipping routes leading to the Arctic, Bear Island was of strategic importance during World War II. The Germans built a radio station and multiple weather stations on the island. Between 1942-43, the waters around the island were witness to several naval battles.
In 1989, a Cold War-era Soviet nuclear submarine sank at a distance of 185 kilometres southeast of Bear Island. The effect of radiation leakage from its nuclear reactor on the sealife around the island has been a cause of concern for scientists.
Why places like Bjørnøya matter
Even if you are unable to set foot on Bjørnøya, cruising around the island on a zodiac or viewing it from the decks of an expedition ship is a special experience. Watching the seabird colonies and birds like Atlantic puffins from a close distance makes the island an essential part of the Svalbard wilderness experience.
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