Enduring Arctic Wildlife Proves Importance of Land Conservation

By Nicole Adimey | Atira Conservation Founder

In June 2025, we had the immense privilege of crossing off a bucket list dream — a voyage to the High Arctic. Calling it a trip of a lifetime would barely scratch the surface!

Our adventure began in Longyearbyen, Norway, a small town on the island of Spitsbergen — the largest of the Svalbard archipelago. Known as the wildlife capital of the Arctic, Svalbard drew us in with its promise of rugged beauty and ecological wonder. Over eight days, our ship navigated 876 nautical miles through dramatic fjords and towering glaciers. At our northernmost point, we were fewer than 600 nautical miles from the North Pole. Aboard ship, the glaciologist introduced us to the surprisingly diverse world of ice and its dazzling variations (who knew!). In person, the landscape was so much more stunning than we imagined.

While not immune to humanity’s footprint, the Arctic remains vast and untouched, magnificent and humbling. As we gazed from the ship’s deck, the sheer scale of the glaciers defied our comprehension. It wasn’t until we actually stepped onto the tundra — crunching across snow and ice — that their immense grandeur truly settled in.

We explored remnants of abandoned whaling stations and settlements from the 17th and 18th centuries, haunting in their desolation. We cruised by the ice cap Austfonna — boasting the largest glacial front in the Northern Hemisphere. It left us speechless!

Yet even in this harsh realm, wildlife endures. We witnessed a thriving seabird colony boasting some 60,000 breeding pairs of Brünnich’s guillemots, alongside black-legged kittiwakes, snow buntings, Arctic terns, Atlantic puffins, and other birds nestled in basalt cliffs towering 100 meters above the waves. One morning, a female polar bear and her cub ambled across the tundra — a thrilling, heartwarming sight. Nearby, a wary ice seal kept watch from its floating frozen sanctuary.

With their natural camouflage, Arctic reindeer and foxes blended effortlessly into the landscape. In contrast, walruses in the polar desert of Torellneset were much easier to spot — especially if you followed your nose! ! We were also treated to a rare encounter with a large pod of beluga whales as they glided gracefully through the fjords. Over eight days, we recorded 38 animal species, as well as numerous vibrant tundra flowers we saw bursting into bloom.

Our journey included the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, one of several protected zones in the region. We were heartened to see proactive conservation efforts by the Norwegian government, especially given the remoteness of the region. In light of melting ice and expanding shipping routes, such protections are more critical than ever.

Amid all this beauty, the sobering evidence of human impact was undeniable.