Isfjorden | Svalbard's Second Longest Fjord

Whaling history of Isfjorden

Willem Barentsz observed Isfjorden's entrance as early as 1596, describing it as 'Grooter Inwijck.' Henry Hudson later called it 'The Great Indraught' in 1607. But it wasn't until 1610 that Jonas Poole gave the fjord its lasting name: Ice-Fjord.

A Basque whaling ship from San Sebastian arrived first in 1612, establishing a temporary station under Juan de Erauso's command with English pilot Nicholas Woodcock. The following year brought an international rush when French, Basque, and Dutch ships flocked to Safehaven (Trygghamna) on the north shore and Green Harbour to the south, drawn by abundant bowhead whales that appeared each summer. The English weren't having it. Armed vessels drove off competitors or forced them to pay steep fines for the privilege of hunting in these waters.

By 1614 the Dutch conceded Isfjorden to English control, who maintained it as their primary whaling base through the late 1650s. The whalers built stations near the fjord's mouth where whales congregated, leaving behind tryworks—those facilities for rendering blubber into oil that you can still spot on Trygghamna's beaches today.

After the English whalers departed, Pomors from Russia's White Sea region took over the fjord during the 1700s and early 1800s. They hunted walrus, Arctic foxes, polar bears, reindeer, and seals while gathering eiderdown and collecting eggs. Many of their stations operated year-round since fox and polar bear pelts were most valuable in winter. 

At Russekeila; a bay between Festningen and Kapp Linné you'll find extensive remains of Russian settlements, including foundations for Orthodox crosses and graves, marking one of Svalbard's largest historical sites.

What can you experience here?

The landscape around Isfjorden shifts dramatically as you travel from its mouth to its innermost branches. Towering mountains frame the fjord, their flat tops revealing layers of gypsum that give places like Gipsvika their distinctive appearance. 

Glaciers calve into the water at several points, creating spectacular displays and feeding the fjord system with ancient ice. The coastal plains contrast sharply with the surrounding peaks, offering surprisingly lush tundra vegetation during the brief Arctic summer.

Longyearbyen serves as Svalbard's administrative center and your likely arrival point. This former mining town has evolved into a hub for Arctic research, tourism, and education while maintaining its frontier character.

Russian-owned Barentsburg continues mining operations and offers a fascinating glimpse into Soviet-era Arctic life, complete with murals, a brewery, and the world's northernmost Lenin bust. 

Pyramiden stands frozen since 1998 when its last residents departed—you can wander past abandoned apartments where dishes still sit on tables and posters hang on walls, creating one of the Arctic's most surreal experiences.

Wildlife in Isfjorden

Wildlife thrives in and around Isfjorden precisely because it stays ice-free year-round:

• Seabirds – massive colonies of kittiwakes, guillemots, and puffins nest on the cliffs

• Marine mammals – ringed seals haul out on ice floes, while walrus occasionally appear near the fjord's mouth and polar bears – their presence is why you'll need an armed guide outside Longyearbyen's boundaries

• Land animals – Arctic foxes hunt the shorelines and Svalbard reindeer graze the tundra

• Whales – belugas are regularly seen near Pyramiden, while minke whales are common in summer; humpback and fin whales appear more sporadically near the fjord’s mouth.

At places like Fredheim in Sassenfjorden, you can visit hunting stations that tell stories of isolation and endurance, including Hilmar Nøis's 'Villa Fredheim' where the legendary hunter spent 38 winters in Svalbard. The preserved Svenskehuset at Kapp Thordsen marks the site of one of Svalbard's most tragic tales—seventeen Norwegian seal hunters died here in the winter of 1872-73, seeking shelter from brutal conditions.