How to Encounter Polar Bears and Reindeer This Year

Dream of seeing polar bears and reindeer up close and personal? Then board a Poseidon Expeditions Arctic cruise. Poseidon Expeditions offers two different itineraries that both allow you to see polar bears and reindeers aplenty, including the Arctic Wildlife Safari itinerary and the Best of Svalbard itinerary.

Travelers cruise nature preserves in the far north, exploring the high Arctic wilderness between Norway and the North Pole. From their own kayaks, cruisers paddle alongside bearded seals, harbor seals, ringed seals, walruses and even beluga whales. Sea kayak guides follow all wildlife viewing and protection protocols from the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators and International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, as they introduce travelers to wildlife both familiar and strange.

As reindeer and polar bears are some of the cruise highlights, travelers can expect to learn a plethora of new information about both animals, such as how reindeer communicate during blizzards, and how polar bears survive in some of the world’s harshest conditions. Polar bears are quickly becoming one of the rarest animals in this region of the world, and two-thirds of polar bears could disappear by 2050 due to lack of food and sea ice.

The 2020 Arctic Wildlife Safari, which traverses the polar ice edge and West Spitsbergen, starts at $5,895, with departure dates in May and June. Travelers on the cruise departing June 7 will be accompanied by a polar bear expert from the Cincinnati Zoo.

The Best of Svalbard cruise departs in June and July, on three separate dates, with rates starting at $10,095.