Bowhead Whales. This was perhaps one of the most memorable sightings of our trip to Svalbard in 2016. Bowhead Whales, once common in these waters are now rarely seen. These are a true Arctic species and in pre-whaling times it is estimated that more than 100,000 Bowhead Whales were in the Arctic waters. Now it is thought that only ten of these whales are found to be in this area. The Norwegian Polar Institute lists only thirteen sightings in recent years around Svalbard. So we were very privileged to be able watch these whales for about 50 minutes. They seemed to feeding near the surface since they were not deep diving. We had fabulous views of their white chins and tail stocks.
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