Tour report: Winter around Longyearbyen

As the first light of the year returns to Svalbard, the landscape is still covered in snow. At first glance, it may seem desolate, but Arctic Foxes, Svalbard Reindeer and Rock Ptarmigan thrive in this harsh environment. This March, we travelled to Svalbard with a group of photographers to photograph the wildlife around Longyearbyen. Join us as we look back on an unforgettable week in the Arctic!

Svalbard is a true wilderness. Located well above the Arctic Circle, the archipelago is home to a small number of specialised species that have adapted to thrive in this harsh environment. The town of Longyearbyen is the gateway to this extraordinary place, yet you don’t have to travel far to experience some of Svalbard’s characteristic wildlife. Just outside, and even within, the town, you can find three of the archipelago’s most iconic species: the Arctic Fox, Svalbard Reindeer and Rock Ptarmigan.

With a group of six photographers, we travelled to Svalbard at the beginning of March. This time of year marks the end of the Polar Night, and we arrived on the very day the sun returned to Longyearbyen. Dressed in our warmest winter clothing, and with plenty of enthusiasm and anticipation, we were ready to embark on our Arctic adventure.

To make the most of our time on Svalbard, we work with local guides whenever we leave Longyearbyen. Their years of experience and up-to-date knowledge of the local wildlife and its behaviour patterns give us a great advantage in the field. Over the next six days, we had the opportunity to experience the incredible landscapes and wildlife of Svalbard, with the Arctic Foxes, Svalbard Reindeer and Rock Ptarmigan as our main targets.

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Left photo by Jacki Gordon (Instagram: @jacki_gordon)

In March, the Arctic foxes still wear their beautiful white winter coats. This is also the time of their mating period, making them more active as they move around and defend their territories. With snow still covering large parts of the landscape, the conditions are ideal for photographing Arctic Foxes against the winter landscape. And exceptional opportunities and experiences are exactly what we got!

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During several of the sessions, we could experience the Arctic foxes on a close distance.

Arctic Foxes are naturally curious animals, and we got to experience this first-hand on multiple occasions as they came within just a few metres of us to investigate. As they patrolled their territories, searched for food and defended them from rival foxes, they would sometimes approach us, take a closer look, lie down and rest, or play in the snow. We never bait the foxes, so these close encounters were entirely natural, giving us a unique opportunity to observe and photograph their natural behaviour and curiosity.

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Svalbard also gave us some proper Arctic weather during our week. Howling winds and drifting snow made photography more challenging, but also created some fantastic photographic opportunities. Good winter clothing is a must in these conditions. The group was well prepared, and we could stay out for long periods, searching for and photographing Arctic Foxes as they moved through the strong winds.

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The week brought many highlights with the foxes, from watching a territorial fight between three individuals to seeing a pair playing right in front of us. Perhaps less spectacular, but a more subtle highlight, was seeing how seemingly unaffected the Arctic Foxes were by the harsh conditions. They appeared completely unbothered by the wind, drifting snow and frost that had us relying on our warmest clothing just to endure it. These conditions also created some incredible photographic opportunities, from atmospheric images of foxes moving through drifting snow to simpler portraits showcasing their frost-covered fur in a winter whiteout.

We also spent several sessions searching for and photographing the other inhabitants of the Svalbard landscape during winter: Svalbard Reindeer and Rock Ptarmigan. Both are subspecies of their mainland counterparts and have a distinct, bulky appearance. The harsh Arctic climate has shaped their features over thousands of years, making them especially well adapted to these conditions. Another difference from their mainland counterparts is their lack of fear of humans, with some individuals allowing us to come very close. With patience and slow movements, we could spend longer periods of time in close proximity to both the reindeer and ptarmigans, giving us some great photo opportunities and special memories.

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Watching the Reindeer and Ptarmigan find food in the snow-covered and seemingly uninhabitable landscape was incredible. Where the wind had swept the ground clear of snow, small patches of last summer’s grass and mosses were exposed, providing the Ptarmigan with seeds and vegetation to forage. The Reindeer, meanwhile, used their wide hooves to dig through the snow in search of lichen and vegetation. Watching them find food and survive in these harsh conditions gave us an even greater appreciation for these animals and the challenges they face throughout the Arctic winter.

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Our time on Svalbard flew by. Even though not every session gave us an encounter with an Arctic Fox or Svalbard Reindeer, there was always something to experience: the returning light after the polar night illuminating the mountains across the fjord, the sound of Arctic Foxes barking in the valley, or simply the breathtaking landscape of Svalbard. We also had the pleasure of observing and photographing Walruses resting on ice floes in the fjord, Black Guillemots fishing along the coast and Glaucous Gulls soaring over the snow-covered peaks. The patience, enthusiasm and dedication of the group truly paid off, and we were rewarded with some fantastic moments and photographic opportunities with Arctic Foxes, Svalbard Reindeer and Rock Ptarmigan throughout the six days.

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All of the images in this blog post were made during this spring’s tour. If you want to experience and photograph the winter wildlife around Longyearbyen yourself, check out our tour: Svalbard – Winter around Longyearbyen following the link below.

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