Svalbard
🇳🇴 Norway
Arctic, Norway 275 spp. recorded
Svalbard is a high-Arctic archipelago of rugged mountains, immense glaciers, and barren coastal tundra situated far north of the Norwegian mainland. Without trees or paved paths, the landscape consists of frozen plains, gravel ridges, and shorelines sculpted by ice.
78.431° N 17.561° E
🦜 Nature
97 Species sighted
34,318 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 202 more species with insufficient data
Recent sightings in Svalbard
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
3Jan
13Feb
12Mar
12Apr
18May
20Jun
19Jul
19Aug
19Sep
13Oct
3.2Nov
—
No data
DecSighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
—
Tourism
High
Typical stay
4+
daysTrails
Easy
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 239
🐒 Mammals 36
🦎 Reptiles 0
🐸 Amphibians 0
275 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
24 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.8
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
85% 📊
Coverage (43 species at ≥5% of 275 in the inventory)
16% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 4 mammal)
59% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
33 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
17 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
22 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.3
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Not verified Low
Tourism Medium Medium
Trails Easy High
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
A harp seal and a hooded seal had been spotted ahead of National Geographic Resolution , and we rose from our beds with excitement!
We observed bearded seals and walruses resting on ice.
Last winter, near Ny-Ålesund, I got to see polar bears from a safe distance—it was truly incredible.
Wonderful to see these birds on Svalbard - a species I grew up with as a winter visitor in NE England and regularly watch passing SW Norway on their way north:)
Before you go
What animals can you see in Svalbard?
275 species
Svalbard has 275 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Glaucous Gull (about 90%), Black-legged Kittiwake (about 90%), Black Guillemot (about 90%), Common Eider (about 90%) and Caribou (about 90%).
When is the best time to visit Svalbard for wildlife?
July
In that month the park's 12 most-seen species average about 90% on a given day, against about 60% in February, April and October.
Can you see a Polar Bear in Svalbard?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Polar Bear sighting in Svalbard on a given day, based on 387 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July to September (about 80%).
Can you see a Walrus in Svalbard?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Walrus sighting in Svalbard on a given day, based on 626 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March and May–September (about 80%).
Can you see an Arctic Fox in Svalbard?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report an Arctic Fox sighting in Svalbard on a given day, based on 380 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is September (about 90%).
Can you see a Caribou in Svalbard?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Svalbard on a given day, based on 991 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026.
Where in Svalbard is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Texas Bar og Hornbækpollen
The richest sighting zone is around Texas Bar og Hornbækpollen, followed by Ny-Ålesund and Alkefjellet, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Svalbard good for wildlife watching?
3.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Svalbard rates 3.2/5: 258th of 316 parks worldwide and 11th in Europe. 23 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
