{"id":21534,"date":"2026-10-10T10:56:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T08:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/?p=21534"},"modified":"2026-10-10T16:04:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T14:04:46","slug":"polar-bears-in-spitsbergen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/","title":{"rendered":"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-h1-6d67e4db6b41df06e9aadad5225c33a5\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-h1-6d67e4db6b41df06e9aadad5225c33a5{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-h1-6d67e4db6b41df06e9aadad5225c33a5 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-h1-6d67e4db6b41df06e9aadad5225c33a5 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-h1-6d67e4db6b41df06e9aadad5225c33a5 av-special-heading-h1 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >POLAR BEARS IN SPITSBERGEN: WHERE AND WHEN TO SEE THEM<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-chapo-b0f7e0e1190104b8064a1ec9c2557a43 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Seeing a polar bear in the wild is the dream of many travelers heading to Spitsbergen. The archipelago is one of the best places in the world to see one, but an encounter cannot be ordered: here is what you need to know to give yourself the best chance, while respecting the animal.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t1-673be9162cec0bd989b1b4aa780e815f\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t1-673be9162cec0bd989b1b4aa780e815f{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t1-673be9162cec0bd989b1b4aa780e815f .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t1-673be9162cec0bd989b1b4aa780e815f .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t1-673be9162cec0bd989b1b4aa780e815f av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >The king of the Arctic in a few numbers<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-b1-5da9c6225baeb3928759f874425651e2 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>The polar bear is the largest land carnivore. An adult male usually weighs 350 to 600 kg and can be more than 2.5 meters long; females are about half as heavy. Thick fur and a layer of fat several centimeters deep protect it from the cold; under its fur, its skin is black.<\/p>\n<p>During the last major survey, in August 2015, researchers estimated that about 260 bears lived in Svalbard itself, and nearly 1,000 including the sea ice north of the archipelago. The Barents Sea population, shared by Norway and Russia, numbers about 3,000 bears. In Svalbard, the species has been fully protected since 1973.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t2-6de538843fbb9868b5460a7582f37d0b\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t2-6de538843fbb9868b5460a7582f37d0b{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t2-6de538843fbb9868b5460a7582f37d0b .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t2-6de538843fbb9868b5460a7582f37d0b .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t2-6de538843fbb9868b5460a7582f37d0b av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >A hunter that lives on the sea ice<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-b2-a832d6b544aa9923ce71860b6ce6f775 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>The polar bear feeds mainly on seals, especially ringed seals and bearded seals, which it waits for at breathing holes or surprises on the ice. The sea ice is its hunting ground: that is why it is most often found where the sea ice meets the coast, or along the edge of the drifting pack ice.<\/p>\n<p>It is also an excellent swimmer, able to spend long hours in the water between ice floes. Contrary to a common belief, it does not hibernate: only pregnant females spend the winter in a den, where the cubs are born. We tell you all about it in our article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-do-not-hibernate\/\">\u201cThe polar bear does not hibernate\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t3-e13323c77b6cbe22d150c0106d2f21f0\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t3-e13323c77b6cbe22d150c0106d2f21f0{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t3-e13323c77b6cbe22d150c0106d2f21f0 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t3-e13323c77b6cbe22d150c0106d2f21f0 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t3-e13323c77b6cbe22d150c0106d2f21f0 av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >When to go to see polar bears?<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-b3-d95619aad0e9c009526a0633c8640e8a '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>In spring, in April and May, the sea ice still lines the coasts and some fjords: bears hunt actively near the shore, and mothers come out with the cubs born during the winter. This is the season of our voyage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/voyage\/polar-spring-in-spitsbergen\/\">Polar spring in Spitsbergen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In summer, the ice retreats north and east, and bears follow it or stay ashore until the ice returns. In August, our voyage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/voyage\/midnight-sun-in-svalbard\/\">Midnight sun in Svalbard<\/a> pushes on to Nordaustlandet and the edge of the pack ice, where there is a good chance of spotting one. In the fall, sightings are rarer. No encounter can be guaranteed: nature decides. To compare the seasons, see our guide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/when-to-go-to-spitsbergen\/\">When to go to Spitsbergen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t4-bdcbc662d2c44e45747fdad33afc837a\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t4-bdcbc662d2c44e45747fdad33afc837a{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t4-bdcbc662d2c44e45747fdad33afc837a .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t4-bdcbc662d2c44e45747fdad33afc837a .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t4-bdcbc662d2c44e45747fdad33afc837a av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Watching from a safe distance<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-b4-59542fcd54b45ef5130437e0495374d0 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Since 2025, Svalbard regulations require you to stay at least 300 meters from a polar bear, and 500 meters from March 1 to June 30. These distances protect the animals, especially mothers and their cubs, and also keep everyone safe. All the details are in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/svalbard-regulations-2025\/\">Svalbard\u2019s regulations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When a bear is spotted from <em>Polarfront<\/em>, we watch it from the deck, in silence, for as long as it takes. With only 12 guests, everyone finds a spot at the rail. Ashore, our guides check each site before landing and carry the deterrents required by law in Svalbard.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t5-294c8d3081686c4126122d7f86b3bfab\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t5-294c8d3081686c4126122d7f86b3bfab{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t5-294c8d3081686c4126122d7f86b3bfab .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t5-294c8d3081686c4126122d7f86b3bfab .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-t5-294c8d3081686c4126122d7f86b3bfab av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Getting ready<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-b5-7b70ea5a92ecc761d950d1629136e18c '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>A good pair of binoculars (8&#215;42 or 10&#215;42) is essential: at 300 meters, they are what will bring the encounter to life. For photography, a 300 to 600 mm telephoto lens allows beautiful portraits; a teleconverter can help in spring, when the minimum distance rises to 500 meters.<\/p>\n<p>Above all, be patient. Spitsbergen has many other encounters in store: walruses, Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes, seals and seabirds by the thousands. Every voyage is different, and that is what makes it magical.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-final-07800415eaa7671a884862b37cc15e52\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-final-07800415eaa7671a884862b37cc15e52{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-final-07800415eaa7671a884862b37cc15e52 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-final-07800415eaa7671a884862b37cc15e52 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-final-07800415eaa7671a884862b37cc15e52 av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_button '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >DREAMING OF SEEING A POLAR BEAR?<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v1-237ae23e44f50cff5dd41f6e8afb546b-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_button '><a href='https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/voyage\/polar-spring-in-spitsbergen\/'  class='avia-button av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v1-237ae23e44f50cff5dd41f6e8afb546b av-link-btn avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-large avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Polar spring in Spitsbergen\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-svg-icon avia-font-svg_entypo-fontello' data-av_svg_icon='' data-av_iconset='svg_entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Polar spring in Spitsbergen<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v2-effd3335b095a140fae6732a4313e852-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_button  el_before_av_button '><a href='https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/voyage\/midnight-sun-in-svalbard\/'  class='avia-button av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v2-effd3335b095a140fae6732a4313e852 av-link-btn avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-large avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Midnight sun in Svalbard\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-svg-icon avia-font-svg_entypo-fontello' data-av_svg_icon='' data-av_iconset='svg_entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Midnight sun in Svalbard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v3-712dfb77e780d545b8686b9bfd141333-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-15  el_after_av_button  el_before_av_button '><a href='https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/voyage\/autumn-escape-to-svalbard\/'  class='avia-button av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v3-712dfb77e780d545b8686b9bfd141333 av-link-btn avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-large avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Autumn escape to Svalbard\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-svg-icon avia-font-svg_entypo-fontello' data-av_svg_icon='' data-av_iconset='svg_entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Autumn escape to Svalbard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v4-c9d234daebc7e5a6aeb55842ff50520e-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-16  el_after_av_button  avia-builder-el-last '><a href='https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/voyage\/autumn-lights-in-svalbard\/'  class='avia-button av-g-polar-bears-in-spitsbergen-v4-c9d234daebc7e5a6aeb55842ff50520e av-link-btn avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-large avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Autumn lights in Svalbard\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-svg-icon avia-font-svg_entypo-fontello' data-av_svg_icon='' data-av_iconset='svg_entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Autumn lights in Svalbard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arctic-wildlife"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How many polar bears live in Svalbard, when to see them and how close you can get: our guide to watching the king of the Arctic on a Spitsbergen cruise.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How many polar bears live in Svalbard, when to see them and how close you can get: our guide to watching the king of the Arctic on a Spitsbergen cruise.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Latitude Blanche\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CieLatitudeBlanche\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-10T08:56:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-10T14:04:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSF8386_270924-1030x687.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1030\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"687\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin2962\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin2962\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin2962\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/97e1a232a4f31bf36cd4032708db0e36\"},\"headline\":\"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-10T08:56:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-10T14:04:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":945,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"ARCTIC WILDLIFE\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/\",\"name\":\"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-10T08:56:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-10T14:04:46+00:00\",\"description\":\"How many polar bears live in Svalbard, when to see them and how close you can get: our guide to watching the king of the Arctic on a Spitsbergen cruise.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Polar bear in Spitsbergen\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/home\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Latitude Blanche\",\"description\":\"The Polar French Line\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Organization\",\"TravelAgency\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Latitude Blanche\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Latitude Blanche\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/CieLatitudeBlanche\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/polarfront_ship\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/fr.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/latitude-blanche\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCTiBdqgj5eSdcQvfwakcLJw\\\/\"],\"description\":\"A French shipping company founded in 2017 and owner of the expedition ship Polarfront: small-group voyages to Svalbard, Norway and Greenland.\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"2 rue Henri Barbusse\",\"postalCode\":\"13001\",\"addressLocality\":\"Marseille\",\"addressCountry\":\"FR\"},\"telephone\":\"+33 4 13 94 04 37\",\"email\":\"voyages@latitudeblanche.com\",\"foundingDate\":\"2017\",\"founder\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Yann Le Bellec\"},\"identifier\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValue\",\"propertyID\":\"Atout France\",\"value\":\"IM013190016\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/97e1a232a4f31bf36cd4032708db0e36\",\"name\":\"admin2962\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them","description":"How many polar bears live in Svalbard, when to see them and how close you can get: our guide to watching the king of the Arctic on a Spitsbergen cruise.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them","og_description":"How many polar bears live in Svalbard, when to see them and how close you can get: our guide to watching the king of the Arctic on a Spitsbergen cruise.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/","og_site_name":"Latitude Blanche","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CieLatitudeBlanche\/","article_published_time":"2026-10-10T08:56:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-10T14:04:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1030,"height":687,"url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSF8386_270924-1030x687.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin2962","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin2962","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/"},"author":{"name":"admin2962","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/97e1a232a4f31bf36cd4032708db0e36"},"headline":"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them","datePublished":"2026-10-10T08:56:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-10T14:04:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/"},"wordCount":945,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["ARCTIC WILDLIFE"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/","name":"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-10T08:56:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-10T14:04:46+00:00","description":"How many polar bears live in Svalbard, when to see them and how close you can get: our guide to watching the king of the Arctic on a Spitsbergen cruise.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSF8386_270924-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Polar bear in Spitsbergen"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/polar-bears-in-spitsbergen\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Polar bears in Spitsbergen: where and when to see them"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/","name":"Latitude Blanche","description":"The Polar French Line","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Organization","TravelAgency"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#organization","name":"Latitude Blanche","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png","width":600,"height":600,"caption":"Latitude Blanche"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CieLatitudeBlanche\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/polarfront_ship\/","https:\/\/fr.linkedin.com\/company\/latitude-blanche","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCTiBdqgj5eSdcQvfwakcLJw\/"],"description":"A French shipping company founded in 2017 and owner of the expedition ship Polarfront: small-group voyages to Svalbard, Norway and Greenland.","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2 rue Henri Barbusse","postalCode":"13001","addressLocality":"Marseille","addressCountry":"FR"},"telephone":"+33 4 13 94 04 37","email":"voyages@latitudeblanche.com","foundingDate":"2017","founder":{"@type":"Person","name":"Yann Le Bellec"},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"Atout France","value":"IM013190016"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/97e1a232a4f31bf36cd4032708db0e36","name":"admin2962"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21534"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21610,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21534\/revisions\/21610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}