Arctic Expedition, Day 2 : Our First Polar Bear Sighting - A Mother with Two Cubs in the Remote Northwest of Spitsbergen, Landing at Alicehamna & Exploring The Hunter's Cabin

Day 2 of the expedition

At 7 AM sharp, the expedition lead's wake-up call roused us from our cabins. Breakfast was followed by the daily debrief, a tradition that sets the plan and targets for the day while the group, still shaking off sleep, sipped coffee and listened with all ears. It was only our second day aboard, so none of us had any big expectations. We all thought it would be a calm, uneventful day in the Arctic. We were so wrong.

About fifteen minutes into the debrief meeting, something shifted. An assistant interrupted the talk and whispered something urgently into the lead's ear. I caught the quick change in his face, a subtle shift in his expression. Even though he tried to remain calm, I could tell that something was going on.

Then, he shared the news that we least expected. A mother polar bear with two cubs had been spotted along the shoreline to our east. Those words lit up the room. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.

Luckily, I was near the door. Adrenaline kicked in and I raced for the bridge, my heart thumping with disbelief. As soon as I arrived, I asked the captain where the bears had last been seen. Immediately, he pointed out the window towards a particular spot and said, "They are right there!"

I grabbed the crew’s high-tech binoculars, searching the landscape frantically. No luck.

Then, I headed out onto the deck. Minutes dragged by as I scanned with desperation. Then, suddenly, a tiny white figure dashed between the rocks, a cub, just before it vanished from sight.

There are moments that mark a clear before and after in life. Seeing a wild polar bear, especially for the first time, is one of them. These are creatures most people only glimpse in documentaries, yet here they were, moving across the ice in real life.

Recognizing the rarity of this sighting, the captain decided to turn the ship and follow the polar bears at a safe distance. For the next three hours, everyone was transfixed. Binoculars and massive camera lenses were focused on the trio as they wandered through deep snow. Despite the biting cold and the wind, nobody headed inside. The sheer awe swept away any trace of fatigue. That’s the magic of the Arctic: every sense is heightened; every moment feels surreal.

Motherhood of Polar Bears

The story of motherhood in polar bears is every bit as remarkable as these moments imply. Pregnant females dig maternity dens in autumn, then enter a state similar to hibernation to conserve energy. The gestation period lasts about eight months. Most cubs are born between November and January. They arrive tiny, blind, and helpless, usually in litters of one to three.

Inside the warmth of the den, the mother’s care is essential. Cubs feed on her nutrient-rich milk, gaining the strength they need for survival. In March or April, the family finally emerges from the den. She stays constantly on alert, guarding her young ones.

The Bond Between the Mother & the Cubs

The bond between a polar bear mother and her cubs is among the strongest in nature. The cubs remain at her side for two and a half years, during which she teaches them how to find food, survive the cold, and stay out of danger. Their lives depend entirely on her. In turn, the mother does everything she can to keep her cubs safe, even sacrificing her own comfort. The Arctic has no mercy and about half the cubs born will not make it to adulthood. Each lesson learned at their mother’s side can make the difference between life and death.

When it is finally time to set out alone, the young bears leave with the instincts and skills their mother has given them, ready to face the wild on their own. In a place as raw and unforgiving as the Arctic, these lessons are a lifeline.

The remote area where the Mother & two cubs were spotted

Alicehamna & The Hunter's Cabin

In the afternoon, we sailed to Alicehamna, a small bay on the northwest coast of Spitsbergen. It’s a quiet place with rugged mountains surrounding bright turquoise water that looks almost unreal against the Arctic landscape.

After landing ashore with the zodiacs, most of the group decided to climb a nearby hill for a short hike, but I stayed behind near the water. I just wanted some quiet time alone. The colors of the water ,the clear blue, was so intense it felt like it didn’t belong to this planet. I didn’t notice that nearly an hour and a half had passed as I stood by this place.

Alicehamna

Me standing in deep snow

When the time came to head back, I asked the team leader if I could spend some extra time inside the hunter’s cabin called ‘’Raudfjordhutta’’ . A Swedish trapper named Sven Olssen built it in 1927. It was quite hard to imagine how he’d lived here, by himself winter after winter. Impressive! The cabin is small and simple with just some basic amenities. It was his shelter during harsh winters, a place to rest and keep warm after long days waiting or searching for animals like seals and walruses.

Hunting in the Arctic was tough work. The hunters worked alone for months, mostly in silence. They depended on traps or rifles and had to survive on whatever food and supplies they could carry over the ice. Every successful hunt was crucial for warmth and survival.