It’s a Bird’s World on Bear Island

When naturalist Michael S. Nolan approached Norway’s Bjørnøya (Bear Island) in a Zodiac for the first time, it wasn’t a polar bear that caught his attention, but thousands of birds perched on the towering cliffs—and even more flying overhead. “It’s as if there are more birds than air for them to fly in,” he says. Nolan has since returned five times with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. Here, he shares some impressions from his visits.

A Nature Lover’s Dream

“Bear Island is a very remote place, hundreds of miles from anywhere. As you approach from the south, you see 500-million-year-old cliffs rising dramatically out of the ocean, sea stacks resembling giant sculptures, and stepped terraces where seabirds congregate. Fog often hovers, creating a mythical, moody atmosphere. Birds fill the sky and the sea in a cacophony of sound and motion.

The common mure and thick-billed murre make up about a third of the roughly one million birds on the island. There are around 200,000 black-legged kittiwakes. The rest are little auks, purple sandpipers, or northern fulmars.

The island’s magical sea caves offer a reprieve from the constant whirling outside. It’s a 300-meter run through silence, and the moment you emerge, you’re surrounded by birds again.”

The Best Season to Visit

“Breeding season runs from May into July. During these months, Bear Island is a critical breeding area for six or seven different bird species. They arrive in droves and their sole objective is to get a single egg fledged.

The spectacle can be joyously overwhelming, even for a non-birder. Witnessing the profusion of wildlife as you weave through sea arches is amazing. It really is one of the best places in the world for a Zodiac tour.”