Best time for wildlife encounters - Arctic

Wildlife activity peaks during the Arctic summer. In Gjesvær, puffins, gannets, and kittiwakes gather at one of Europe’s largest seabird colonies, while Smeerenburg’s gravel beaches host lounging walruses. As the ice melts, polar bears approach the shore, offering rare, safe glimpses of these apex predators. Occasionally, elusive beluga whales surface in sheltered bays. Across the Norwegian Fjords and Scottish Isles, seabird colonies flourish and migrating whales pass through, revealing a rich and diverse Arctic ecosystem fueled by the summer plankton bloom.