Arctic Wildlife Tours – exploring Svalbard’s wilderness with knowledge and respect

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Svein Wik/Arctic Wildlife Tours

Remote, still, and starkly beautiful, Svalbard sits at the edge of the inhabitable world. Here, glaciers meet sea ice, polar bears patrol the floes, and silence stretches for miles. Founded by a professional wildlife photographer, Arctic Wildlife Tours allows visitors to explore and capture this haven in the safe, expert hands of its guides.

As a recognised wildlife photographer, Svein Wik, founder of Arctic Wildlife Tours, has spent two decades exploring and becoming familiar with the landscape of Svalbard. He and his team run small, respectful tours that help guests experience – and preserve – the Arctic’s wildlife and wild places.

“We do everything on the wildlife’s terms,” says Wik. “We often stop the engine and drift so it’s completely quiet. If we’re patient and respectful, the moments come to us.” Through this approach, Wik has given guests from all over the world once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Arctic Wildlife Tours – exploring Svalbard’s wilderness with knowledge and respect

Zodiac inflatable excursion by a glacier.

From photographer to expedition leader

Wik first travelled to Svalbard in 2005, drawn by its remoteness, stunning wildlife, and unique photo opportunities. A Norwegian raised with hunting and hiking, he brought practical field skills with him – the ability to read terrain and weather, to handle a rifle for polar-bear safety, and to move in wildlife habitats without causing stress. Later, the tour organisation began, almost by accident: a few photo trips in 2012, with articles and images sold on the side, and then, by 2016, a full commitment to building a company with a clear philosophy.

Today, based in mainland Norway with a subsidiary in Svalbard, Arctic Wildlife Tours focuses on the high Arctic, mainly Svalbard, with additional expeditions to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. The groups are deliberately small – typically a maximum of 12 guests – which is essential for both photography and low-impact wildlife viewing. “When working with wildlife, there are a lot of things you can’t do with big groups,” Wik explains. “Small numbers mean that we can keep it exclusive, safe and considerate.”

The focus on safety is also reflected in the tour programme. Guests receive detailed briefings on behaviour on deck and ashore, how to move around wildlife, and what to do in the unlikely event that a polar bear approaches. The team supplies outer layers and flotation suits, uses life vests in the zodiacs, and plans operations with conservative margins. “Security is a high priority,” Wik notes. “If you take precautions, the chance of a dangerous situation is very small. I only ever had to scare off a polar bear once, on land.”

Even families join the expeditions.

Life on board – exploring Svalbard respectfully

Arctic Wildlife Tours runs around 15 Svalbard voyages each year, with a similar programme planned for next year. The tours vary with the seasons. April offers the full wonder of Arctic winter, everything frozen and still. May–June still feels like winter: sea ice lingers, light swings through sunrise and sunset, and wildlife activity builds day by day. July–August opens routes into the pack ice, a different world altogether, while late September–October brings fewer animals but dramatic light, fresh snow and new ice forming.

No matter the season, the tours are characterised by an unhurried respectful pace. Most exploration happens from the ship and by zodiac, with occasional landings at safe, permitted sites. Routes are chosen with input from local guides and long-time Arctic specialists, avoiding sensitive nesting and denning areas. Encounters are never staged or chased. “We’re in their habitat,” says Wik. “We want good pictures, but we don’t push animals. If you spend time, you’ll get the picture.”

Guests range from committed photographers – including professionals – to travellers with only a phone camera, who simply want to be close to the elements. Either way, the experience is the same: long, quiet hours among ice and coastline, learning how wildlife responds to respectful distance, and how sound – even a door slam – can change behaviour. The aim is not just to show Svalbard, but to teach how to be in it.

Arctic fox kits playing a day in June.

Moments you never forget

Wik is clear that the most powerful memories are often the quietest. One night, the crew shut down the engine and drifted in the ice. By morning, a polar bear was sleeping on the floe beside the ship – undisturbed and unthreatening. As guests woke and came onto the deck, they watched in awe and silence until the animal woke and walked calmly back into the pack ice. “It’s their world,” he says. “If we behave well, we can be there without changing it.”
He is equally candid about the effects of climate change. Over many seasons, he has watched glaciers retreat and ice patterns shift, while wildlife adapts. The message on board balances wonder with context: how the ice moves, why bears and birds follow it, and what visitors can do to reduce disturbance. The principle is consistent across all destinations – Svalbard, Greenland, or the Canadian Arctic: small groups, patient observation, and expertise that keep both guests and animals comfortable.

For those drawn to space, silence and authentic wildlife encounters, Arctic Wildlife Tours offers a considered way to experience the far north. To learn more – or to join a small-group voyage – visit the channels below.