
Svalbard – Into the Kingdom of the Polar Bear
Svalbard is the largest Norwegian Archipelago located in the Arctic Ocean partway between Norway and the North Pole.
With towering snowcapped mountains, forbidding glaciers, flower-studded tundra & towering fjords, it is here where the formidable Polar Bear reigns as the apex predator and we hope to capture these white bears on the drifting ice sprinkled across the ocean.
Svalbard is considered the best place on earth for photographing Polar Bears but a treasure trove of photographic highlights await that includes the Arctic Fox, Walrus, Bearded & Ringed Seals, Belugas, Orcas, Narwhal, Bowhead Humpback, Fin & Blue Whales, Puffins, Guillemots and Reindeer.

Aperture: f5.6 | Shutter speed: 1/640s | ISO: 800 | Focal Length: 560mm

Aperture: f6.3 | Shutter speed: 1/5000s | ISO: 100 | Focal Length: 75mm
In August 2020, our guest Nima Sarikhani joined our Photo Tour Partners, WildPhoto Travel on a Svalbard photo expedition with the focus on polar bear photography as well as capturing the other special wildlife and breathtaking landscapes that abound.
And what Nima came back with took our breaths away!
Every image image in this post makes up a surreal portfolio of the otherworldliness of Svalbard and its wildlife, landscapes and experiences from Nima’s perspective.
We hope you enjoy Nima’s vision as much as we do!

Aperture: f5.6 | Shutter speed: 1/400s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 560mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/3200s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 400mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/1250s | ISO: 1600 | Focal Length: 200mm
“It was incredible to totally unwind out of contact with the wider world and escape the crazy covid place we live in! Having the whole arctic to ourselves was unreal, and being the absolute northernmost group of people above the sea in 2020 will be a memory that will long live with me. 3 days of wavy foggy and cold conditions turned into 8 hours of magical light with 2 interactive polar bears – absolutely incredible!”

Aperture: f5 | Shutter speed: 1/400s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 200mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/4000s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 400mm

Aperture: f6.3 | Shutter speed: 1/320s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 115mm

Aperture: f6.3 | Shutter speed: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 400mm
“The luck continued and, as well as sending my thanks to the ORYX Photo Tours team, I would also like to commend the whole WildPhoto Travel team who were great so a big thanks to Ole, Eiric and Sophie.”
Nima Sarikhani

Aperture: f7.1 | Shutter speed: 1/5000s | ISO: 500 | Focal Length: 8mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/200s | ISO: 2000 | Focal Length: 400mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 400mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/4000s | ISO: 1600 | Focal Length: 400mm

Aperture: f5.6 | Shutter speed: 1/800s | ISO: 1600 | Focal Length: 560mm

Aperture: f7.1 | Shutter speed: 1/8000s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 334mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/5000s | ISO: 400 | Focal Length: 320mm

Aperture: f5.6 | Shutter speed: 1/800s | ISO: 5000 | Focal Length: 540mm

Aperture: f5.6 | Shutter speed: 1/800s | ISO: 4000 | Focal Length: 540mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/800s | ISO: 2000 | Focal Length: 386mm

Aperture: f4 | Shutter speed: 1/1600s | ISO: 1600 | Focal Length: 400mm