Svalbard museum was one of my stops on my exploration of Longyearbyen on the day I arrived. It was a nice break from the cold wind and a great introduction to the history and wildlife of Svalbard. The NOK160 admission price was a good investment and if I had had space in my luggage I would have been tempted by some options on the book shelves.

For me the most exciting exhibits were the birds and animals I was hoping to see.

A favoured food for Polar bears are the Ringed and Whiskered seals which they hunt amongst the ice floes.

Hunting of animals for furs and whales and walrus for blubber is what attracted humans north into this inhospitable environment before coal mining added another resource for exploitation.

A combined static and video display gave an excellent illustration of the sheer numbers of seabirds breeding on the cliffs. The video showing clouds of wheeling alcids.

Palaeontology has yielded some fascinating discoveries of Ichthyosaurs and Pleiseosaurs

There are a range of informative displays that a single visit cannot do full justice to.

I have been a bit of a museum tragic since childhood and I can recommend Svalbard museum as a must visit to maximise your appreciation of the region.

Photos with iPhone14 Pro.