Why Choose Svalbard Birding for High-Arctic Wildlife Viewing?
Svalbard is considered one of the most breathtaking places on the earth where the high-Arctic archipelago lets the ice, the sea, and the sky dictate the landscape. The birding in Svalbard is an extraordinary option for the very few who want to see and be part of the wildlife that lives right on the edge of its survival, and thus, it is one of the most remote experiences. The brief Arctic summer with its continuous daylight changes Svalbard’s cliffs and coastlines into the very centres of activity. The sea birds in such enormous numbers come together only to breed during the Arctic summer, and among them the Great Black-backed Gull, the Black-legged Kittiwake, the Little Auk, and the Atlantic Puffin are the ones dominating the vertical rocks. The midnight sun not only allows but also invites the ever-present viewing, thereby the world witnessing a unique condition. In addition to the birds, Svalbard takes pride in supporting a great number of Arctic mammals, which are impressive if not astonishing.
The great expanse and remote nature of the place are the two main factors that your Svalbard birding experience gets to be different from all other places. The huge glaciers that have melted flow into vast fjords, icebergs are carried by the sea to the coastline while still the human influence is almost negligible. As a result, the feeling of being in the middle of wilderness enhances every observation so that even the most common animals will seem to be of a rare kind. What matters is not the number of birds seen nor the long checklists; it is all about immersion with nature. It is about being there where the seabirds are coming down the cliffs, where the ice is breaking in the sea, and where wildlife is proving its survival in one of the most difficult areas of the earth. For those who cannot resist the pull of pure wilderness, Svalbard promises a birding trip of a lifetime.
