Go to Svalbard

Unique Wildlife Paradise

Welcome to the northernmost animal paradise. Spitsbergen is the fascinating home of polar bears, walruses, reindeer and arctic foxes. Hundreds of thousands of birds breed on mighty bird cliffs. And in the Arctic Ocean, fin whales and humpback whales can be found.

King of the Arctic

About 2500 polar bears are thought to live on the islands and in the surrounding pack ice. The polar bear is the largest living land predator - they can grow up to three metres long and weigh 700 kg. Their occurrence is limited to a few regions, including Spitsbergen.

Visiting the Walruses

Diese imposanten Säugetiere lassen sich am besten vom Schiff aus beobachten. Eine Begegnung mit einer Walross-Kolonie ist ein Erlebnis für alle Sinne. Dank Schutzmassnahmen hat sich die Population erholt und die bedrohten Tiere sind nun auf dem gesamten Archipel verstreut.

Arctic Waters and their Inhabitants

In the Arctic waters on the west coast, there is a good chance of seeing whales again these days. Greenland whales, fin whales and white-beaked dolphins are living here. And with a bit of luck, you may also encounter a family of the rare white belugas.

Zurich - Svalbard Search flights

Photo credits

  • Header - Photo by Karsten Bidstrup (Hurtigruten)
  • Paragraph 2 - Photo by David Schwery (Kontiki Reisen)
  • Paragraph 3 - Photo by Jonathan Zaccaria (Poseidon Expeditions)
  • Paragraph 4 - Photo by Angela Siegel (Hurtigruten)