The shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has once again reiterated a stance it formulated years ago: the Northern Sea Route will continue to remain off-limits for the world’s largest container carrier. This is a clear signal in favor of environmental protection and safety.
A naturally mummified polar bear has been discovered in Ymerbukta, Svalbard. The exceptionally well-preserved carcass was found by a kayaking group. Thanks to the Arctic climate and permafrost, much of the skin remain intact, making it a rare example of natural preservation. One day after the discovery, the Sysselmesteren of Svalbard collected samples from the carcass for further examination.
www.svalbardposten.noAccording to provisional observations from the Concordia Research Station on the East Antarctic Plateau, temperatures dropped below −83 °C, making it the coldest air temperature recorded anywhere on Earth since 2012. The measurements have not yet been formally assessed by the World Meteorological Organization.
weather.comThe Norwegian Polar institute has recently updated its satellite imagery of certain areas of Svalbard with photos taken in 2024. The updated areas include Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Vindodden and Sveagruva. The previous orbital photographs (2008–2012) were added as a new map layer. This allows the user to easily compare changes in the landscape between the time of the first aerial photographs (1936-1938) and today and is especially interesting for the region around Sveagruva, which was closed in 2016 and subsequently returned to its natural state until 2023.
npolar.noTen-year-old Mina Floriana Read and her father, Alexander Read, have completed the 600-kilometre expedition Svalbard South to North after 44 days in the Arctic. The expedition combines polar history, family bonds, climate awareness, and scientific research in some of the world’s most demanding natural environments.
kommunikasjon.ntb.noSeveral of the Russian Navy’s most powerful warships are reported to have departed from the naval base in Severomorsk towards a sealed-off exercise area north of the Kola Bay.
www.thebarentsobserver.comAleksei Penshin has been officially appointed as the new mayor of Pechenga, a municipality bordering Norway and Finland. The 40-year-old politician, previously head of the Northern Fleet town of Zaozersk, was inaugurated on March 11, 2026.
www.thebarentsobserver.com
Emperor Penguin colony at Dawson-Lambton Glacier
With wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h, a blizzard sweeps across the Emperor Penguin colony at Dawson-Lambton Glacier. Huddled tightly together, the birds withstand the biting cold of around –15 °C. This photograph was taken in the days of analogue photography. While changing the film, tiny ice crystals entered the camera and were unintentionally exposed onto the image. What once seemed an unwanted side effect now gives the photograph its almost tangible sense of drama, making it a unique historical document of polar photography.
Heiner Kubny
