Skip to main content

Herwighamna, Bear Island, Norway

Isolated in the Barents Sea about halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape, little Bear Island is the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago. It has seen various occupations over the years, for coal mining, fishing and whaling, but no endeavor lasted long, and the only inhabitants now are technicians manning the meteorological station at Herwighamna. They offer a few services, such as mailing postcards home with a whimsical postmark, or an unofficial souvenir stamp for your passport, but otherwise, having got there is pretty much the only point of being there. They do apparently appreciate occasional visitors.