Editing Bear Island (Svalbard)

{{Short description|Southernmost island of Svalbard, Norway}}
{{Redirect|Bear Island (Norway)|other Norwegian Bear Islands|Bjørnøya (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox islands
| name               = Bear Island
| image_name         = Bjornoya_Location_Map-en.svg
| image_caption      = Bear Island is located north of mainland Norway, in the south of the [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Svalbard|Svalbard archipelago]]
| image_size         = 
| map_image          = Bjørnøya map-en.svg
| native_name        = Bjørnøya
| native_name_link   = Norwegian language
| nickname           = 
| location           = [[Norwegian Sea]] and [[Barents Sea]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|74|26|24|N|19|02|51|E|type:isle|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago       
| total_islands      = 
| major_islands      = 
| area_km2           = 178
| highest_mount      = Urd, [[Miseryfjellet]]
| elevation_m        = 536
| country            = Norway
| country_admin_divisions_title = 
| country_admin_divisions = 
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = 
| country_admin_divisions_1 = 
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = 
| country_admin_divisions_2 = 
| country_capital_city = 
| country_largest_city = 
| country_largest_city_population = 
| country_leader_title = 
| country_leader_name = 
| population         = 9, semi-permanent inhabitants
| population_as_of   = 
| density_km2        = 
| ethnic_groups      = 
| module             = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Bear Island 
| designation1_date = 12 November 2010
| designation1_number = 1966<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bear Island |website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1966|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}
'''Bear Island''' ({{langx|no|Bjørnøya}}, {{IPA|no|ˈbjø̀ːɳœʏɑ|pron}}) is the southernmost island of the [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Svalbard|Svalbard archipelago]]. The island is located at the limits of the [[Norwegian Sea|Norwegian]] and [[Barents Sea|Barents]]  seas, approximately halfway between [[Spitsbergen]] and the [[North Cape, Norway|North Cape]]. Bear Island was discovered by Dutch explorers [[Willem Barentsz]] and [[Jacob van Heemskerck]] on 10 June 1596. It was named after a [[polar bear]] that was seen swimming nearby. The island was considered [[terra nullius]] until the [[Spitsbergen Treaty]] of 1920 placed it under Norwegian sovereignty.

Despite its remote location and barren nature, the island has seen commercial activities in past centuries, such as coal mining, fishing and [[whaling]]. However, no settlements have lasted more than a few years, and Bear Island is now uninhabited except for personnel working at the island's [[meteorological station]] ''Bjørnøya radio''. Along with the adjacent waters, it was declared a [[nature reserve]] in 2002.

==History==
[[File:Ile aux ours.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Remnants of a [[whaling]] station at Kvalrossbukta, Bear Island.]]
[[File:Bjørnøya 5.JPG|thumb|Bear Island (Norway).]]

[[Seafarer]]s of the [[Viking Age|Viking era]] may have known Bear Island, but the documented history begins in 1596, when [[Willem Barentsz]] sighted the island on his third expedition. He named this island "Vogel Eylandt", "Bird Island" in English.<ref name=Arlov>{{cite book | author=Arlov, Thor B. | title=Svalbards historie | location=Trondheim | publisher=Tapir Akademisk Forlag | year=2003 | language=no|isbn=82-519-1851-0}}</ref> [[Steven Bennet]] conducted further exploration in 1603 and 1604 and noted the then rich population of walrus. Starting in the early 17th&nbsp;century, the island was used mainly as a base for the hunting of [[walrus]] and other species of [[Pinniped|seals]]. Also, the eggs of seabirds were harvested from the large bird colonies until 1971.<ref name=eggs>{{cite web |year=2001  |last=Circumpolar Seabird Working Group |url=https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/f233eb21-cf50-4dc8-96d7-a1c1e26dfb17/content |title=Seabird harvest regimes in the circumpolar nations |access-date=December 20, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231018222426/https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/f233eb21-cf50-4dc8-96d7-a1c1e26dfb17/content| archive-date = 18 October 2023}}</ref>

The [[Muscovy Company]] claimed Bear Island for the English Crown in 1609, but it abandoned the site when walrus-hunting declined. A Russian settlement existed in the 18th century and its remains were later used as a basis for territorial claims by [[Imperial Russia]] in 1899 and again by the [[Soviet Union]] in 1947.<ref>{{cite book |title=Unknown Europe |last=Meissner |first=Hans Otto |author-link=Hans Otto Meissner |others=trans. Florence and Isabel McHugh |year=1963 |publisher=Blackie & Sons |location=London and Glasgow |pages=158–170 }}</ref>

Bear Island has never been extensively settled. The remnants of a whaling station from the early 20th century can be seen at ''Kvalrossbukta'' (''"walrus bay"'') in the southeast. From 1916 through 1925, coal was mined at a small settlement named ''[[Tunheim]]'' on the northeastern coast, but then the mining was given up as unprofitable. Due to the cold climate, the remains of the settlement, including a half-destroyed jetty and a steam locomotive, are relatively well-preserved.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.steamlocomotive.info/valbum.cfm?display=27178|title=Steam Locomotive Information}}</ref>

The strategic value of Bear Island was recognised in the late 19th century, when [[Imperial Russia]] and [[Imperial Germany]] demonstrated their interests in the Barents Sea. The German journalist and adventurer [[Theodor Lerner]] visited the island in 1898 and 1899 and claimed rights of ownership. In 1899, the German fishery association ''Deutscher Seefischerei-Verein'' (DSV) started investigations of whaling and fishery in the Barents Sea. The DSV was secretly in contact with the German naval command and considered the possibility of an occupation of Bear Island. In reaction to these advances, the Russian Navy sent out the protected cruiser {{ship|Russian cruiser|Svetlana|1896|2}} to investigate, and the Russians hoisted their flag over Bear Island on 21 July 1899. Although Lerner protested the action, no violence occurred and the matter was settled diplomatically with no definitive claims of sovereignty over Bear Island by any nation.<ref name=Arlov/>
[[File:Hammerfesthuset,_Bjørnøya.jpg|thumb|right|Hammerfest house from 1822]]
The whole island was privately owned by the coal mining company of [[Bjørnøen|Bjørnøen AS]] from 1918 to 1932, when the Norwegian state took over the shares. Bjørnøen AS now exists as a state-owned company, and it is jointly managed with [[Kings Bay AS]], the company that runs the operations of [[Ny-Ålesund]] on [[Spitsbergen]].<ref name=Statereport>{{cite web | author=Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry | year=2005| title=The State's Ownership Report 2004 | url=http://www.odin.no/filarkiv/253150/ownership2004.pdf | access-date=February 27, 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231018222650/https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/upload/nhd/vedlegg/ownership2004.pdf| archive-date = 18 October 2023}}</ref> A Norwegian radio station (''Bjørnøya Radio'', [[callsign]]: ''LJB''<ref name=radiolist>{{cite web | year = 2005 | url = http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/ois/Operational_Information/VolumeD/VolumeD/Chapter4.pdf |title=List of coastal radio stations |publisher= World Meteorological Organisation |access-date = October 9, 2006}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>) was established in ''Herwighamna'' on the northern coast in 1919. It was later extended to include a meteorological station.

In 1932 and 1933, the island was a site of the first Polish polar expedition, related to the second [[International Polar Year]]. Three researchers - [[Czesław Centkiewicz]] (who later recounted the expedition in his book ''[[Wyspa Mgieł i Wichrów]]''), [[Władysław Łysakowski]] and [[Stanisław Siedlecki]] stayed there for entire winter conducting meteorological and geophysical observations.<ref name=Pgeogr>{{cite web| author= Jan Szupryczyński| year= 2013| title= Pierwsza Polska wyprawa polarna ("The first Polish polar expedition")| url= https://rcin.org.pl/igipz/Content/27566/PDF/WA51_44634_r2013-t85-z1_Przeg-Geogr-Szuprycz.pdf| access-date= February 3, 2023}}</ref>

Since the shipping routes from the Atlantic Ocean to the ports of the arctic [[White Sea]] pass through the [[Barents Sea]], the waters near Bear Island were of some strategic importance during [[World War II]] as well as during the [[Cold War]]. Although Svalbard was not occupied by Germany, the [[Kriegsmarine]] built several weather stations there as part of [[Operation Haudegen]]. An automated radio station was deployed on Bjørnøya in 1941. German forces attacked several [[arctic convoys of World War II|arctic convoys]] with military supplies bound for the [[Soviet Union]] in the waters surrounding Bear Island. They inflicted heavy losses upon [[Convoy PQ 17]] of June/July 1942, but they were ineffective in the [[Battle of the Barents Sea]] on New Year's Eve 1942. The waters southeast of Bear Island were the scene of more naval battles in 1943. 
In November 1944, the Soviet Union proposed to annul the Spitsbergen Treaty with the intention of gaining sovereignty over Bear Island. Negotiations with [[Trygve Lie]] of the Norwegian government-in-exile did not lead to an agreement by the end of World War II, and the Soviet proposals were never carried out.<ref name=Arlov/> The Soviet Union (and later, Russia) maintained some presence on Spitsbergen, however.

By the time the Germans had surrendered to the allied forces, the weather station operating on the island was still occupied by a team of 11 soldiers, commanded by Lieutenant Wilhelm Dege, who were broadcasting weather information back to Germany. They had been informed of the German surrender via radio on May 7, 1945, and by May 22 with the arrest of [[Karl Dönitz|Admiral Donitz]], they were left to fend for themselves. After nearly running out of supplies, they surrendered to a group of Norwegian seal hunters on September 4, making them the last German soldiers to surrender during the war.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany in World War II: The Long Surrender |url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/germany-in-world-war-ii-the-long-surrender/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=Warfare History Network |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2002 a [[nature reserve]] was established that covers all of the island, except {{convert|1.2|km2|sqmi|}} around the meteorological station. The reserve also includes the adjacent waters of a {{convert|4|nmi|km|adj=on|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} radius from the coast.<ref name=Forvplan>{{cite web| author= Sysselmannen på Svalbard (The Governor of Svalbard)| year= 2005| title= Forvaltningsplan for Bjørnøya 2005–2010 ("Administrative plan for Bjørnøya 2005–2010")| url= http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/forvpl_sms.pdf| access-date= November 24, 2005| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051029191326/http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/forvpl_sms.pdf| archive-date= October 29, 2005| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}}</ref> 
In 2008, the decision was made to extend the reserve to a radius of {{convert|12|nmi|km|0|abbr=off}} from the coast covering {{convert|177|km2|sqmi}} on land and {{convert|2805|km2|sqnmi}} of sea area.<ref>{{cite news |title=Enlarged nature reserve around Bear Island |url=http://www.norwaypost.no/News/Enlarged-nature-reserve-around-Bear-Island/menu-id-26.html |work=[[Svalbardposten]] |publisher=The Norway Post |date=December 18, 2008 |access-date=December 18, 2008 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> 
Today, the island's only inhabitants are the nine<ref name=NudieDip>{{cite web | title=Badet naken på Bjørnøya ("Swam naked on Bear island") | year=2008 | url=http://www.siste.no/Innenriks/article3730159.ece | access-date=September 5, 2008 | archive-date=December 27, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227224340/http://www.siste.no/Innenriks/article3730159.ece | url-status=dead }}</ref> staff members of the Norwegian meteorological station and radio station at Herwighamna. This station carries out meteorological observations and provides logistic and telecommunication services, including a radio watch on the [[High Frequency|HF]] channels 2182/2168 and the [[VHF]] channels 16/12. Weather forecasts are transmitted from the station twice daily, announced on [[High Frequency|HF]] 2182/[[VHF]] 16 at 10:05 am/pm UTC. A [[non-directional beacon]] at 74°30'7.0"N  019°5'10.2"E, identification BJO transmits on 316&nbsp;kHz ([[Morse code|Morse]] identifier - . . .   . - - -   - - -).<ref>Jeppesen Aviation Charts, cycle 2304 (2023/04)</ref> The station also has [[Bjørnøya Heliport|landing platforms]] for use by helicopters of the [[Norwegian Coast Guard]], the Norwegian [[330 Squadron]], and the [[Governor of Svalbard]]. The [[Norwegian Polar Institute]] conducts annual expeditions to Bear Island, mostly concerned with [[ornithology|ornithological]] research. Several other research projects, mostly pertaining to geography and climatology, are carried out less regularly. There are very few opportunities for individual travel to Bjørnøya.

Amateur radio operators occasionally conduct [[DXpeditions]] on the island during the summer months.

The first recorded case of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Svalbard]] occurred on Bear Island on 6 October 2021. A Russian fisherman had been confirmed to have contracted the disease and was transported via helicopter to Longyearbyen to be treated at its hospital, where he made a full recovery. There have been 0 confirmed deaths from COVID-19  in Svalbard as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Syk fisker har Covid-19 |url=https://www.sysselmesteren.no/nb/nyheter/2021/10/syk-fisker-har-covid-19/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Sysselmesteren på Svalbard |language=nb}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Uria lomvia 2.jpg|thumb|upright|Stappen bird cliffs]]
Bear Island lies about {{convert|235|km|nmi}} south of mainland [[Spitsbergen]] and {{convert|397|km|nmi}} north-northwest of [[Ingøy]] in mainland Norway. It is located at the limits of the [[Norwegian Sea|Norwegian]] and [[Barents Sea]]s on Spitsbergen Bank, which extends southward from Spitsbergen and [[Edgeøya]], forming a part of the [[continental shelf]].

The island's outline is an approximate [[triangle]] pointing south with a greatest north–south extension of {{convert|20|km|mi|0}} and a greatest east-west extension of {{convert|15.5|km|mi|frac=4}}. Its surface area is {{convert|178|km2|sqmi|0}}. The southern part of Bjørnøya is mountainous, the highest top being [[Miseryfjellet]] on the southeast coast at about {{convert|536|m|ft|0}} above sea level.

Other notable mountains are [[Antarcticfjellet]] in the southeast, and ''Fuglefjellet'', [[Hambergfjellet]] and [[Alfredfjellet]] in the southwest. The northern part of the island forms a rocky, lowland plain that covers some two thirds of the surface area.

Apart from a few sandy beaches, the coast is mostly steep, with high cliffs and notable signs of erosion such as caverns and [[stack (geology)|isolated rock pillars]]. A number of anchorages and landing points exist, as well as a small harbor at ''Herwighamna'' on the north coast.

=== Hydrography ===
Norwegian government agencies have conducted [[hydrographic survey]]s of Svalbard waters throughout the 20th century. The responsibility fell to the {{lang|no|Norges Svalbard- og Ishavsundersøkelser}} in 1928, its successor, the [[Norwegian Polar Institute]] from 1948, and the [[Norwegian Hydrographic Service]] from 1984.<ref name=Norskelos>{{cite book | author= Anon. | title=Den Norske Los – Farvannsbeskrivelse – Sailing Directions, Vol.7: "Arctic Pilot" | publisher=[[Norwegian Polar Research Institute]] and the [[Norwegian Hydrographic Service]] | year=1990|language = no, en| isbn=82-90653-06-9}}</ref> [[Land surveying]] and mapping are the responsibilities of the Polar Institute.

Water depths near the island and to the north and east do not much exceed {{convert|100|m|ft|0}}, but become much greater to the south, and especially some {{convert|30|nmi|km|round=5|order=flip|abbr=off}} to the west, where the continental shelf slopes into the deep water of the [[Norwegian Sea]] and [[Greenland Sea]].

The lowland is strewn with shallow freshwater lakes that cover about {{convert|19|km2}} in all. Several streams flow into the ocean, often via [[waterfall]]s along the steeper parts of the coast. There are known [[glacier]]s on Bear Island.

=== Climate ===

Bear Island, located well south of the main islands in the Svalbard Archipelago, has the mildest climate in Svalbard. A branch of the [[North Atlantic current]] carries warm water to the west of Svalbard, passing Bear Island on its way. This influences climate, making it much warmer than other polar regions at similar latitude. Bear Island's climate is maritime and [[polar climate|polar]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''ET'') with relatively high temperatures during the winter, and a large amount of precipitation. The large winter precipitation is very unusual in a high polar region, a result of Atlantic Lows sometimes going this far northeast due to open sea southwest of Bear Island. The record high {{convert|23.6|C}} was recorded June 1953. The record low {{convert|-31.6|C}} is from March 1927.
The annual mean temperature was {{convert|-0.4|C}} in the period 1991–2020, thus threatening to melt [[permafrost]] on the island; by comparison, the annual mean temperature was {{convert|-2.4|C}} in the period 1961–1990.

While winters are very long, the maritime moderation and the delay of salt water ice formation makes Bear Island have far fewer cold winters than a lot of mid-latitude climates on the larger continental landmasses. In summer, the maritime influence causes [[seasonal lag]]. This means that August is slightly milder than July, which is extremely uncommon at high latitudes. The seasonal lag is extreme in the winter with the coldest month being March and April being colder than December.

The weather can be quite stable during summer months, although foggy conditions are common, occurring during 20% of all days in July. Fog develops when the warm air of the [[Atlantic Ocean]], from farther south, passes over cold water. The average monthly precipitation is lowest in May, and highest in September and October.

Because Bear Island lies at a boundary between cold water of polar origin and warmer Atlantic water, water temperatures within a few dozen nautical miles of the island are quite variable, sometimes reaching {{convert|10|C}} in summer. During the winter [[fast ice]] develops on the coast, but it is rare on the open sea around Bear Island. The [[Barents Sea]] carries [[pack ice]] to Bjørnøya every winter, but a significant amount of ice is not common before February.

The [[polar night]] lasts from about November 8 through February 3, and the period of [[midnight sun]] from about May&nbsp;2 through August&nbsp;11. With just 595&nbsp;hours of bright sunshine per year, Bear Island has the lowest average yearly sunshine in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/o/i/Fact_sheet_No._9_Updated.pdf|title=Archived copy|access-date=2015-10-13 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032038/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/o/i/Fact_sheet_No._9_Updated.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

{{Weather box 
|metric first= yes
|single line = yes
|location = Bear Island  1991–2020 (16 m, extremes 1910–2020)
|Jan record high C = 5.3 | Jan record low C = -29.8
|Feb record high C = 5 | Feb record low C = -29.1
|Mar record high C = 6.2 | Mar record low C = -31.6
|Apr record high C = 8.1 | Apr record low C = -25.6
|May record high C = 16.5 | May record low C = -17.7
|Jun record high C = 23.6 | Jun record low C = -8.4
|Jul record high C = 22.8 | Jul record low C = -4.7
|Aug record high C = 22.5 | Aug record low C = -2.4
|Sep record high C = 15.5 | Sep record low C = -10.4
|Oct record high C = 11.6 | Oct record low C = -22.2
|Nov record high C = 8.4 | Nov record low C = -25.1
|Dec record high C = 6.4 | Dec record low C = -28.1
|Jan high C = -2.3
|Feb high C = -2.8
|Mar high C = -3
|Apr high C = -1.4
|May high C = 1.5
|Jun high C = 4.5
|Jul high C = 7.2
|Aug high C = 7.3
|Sep high C = 5.5
|Oct high C = 2.2
|Nov high C = 0.2
|Dec high C = -1.2
|year high C =
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
|Jan mean C=-4.6
|Feb mean C=-5.1
|Mar mean C=-5.4
|Apr mean C=-3.5
|May mean C=-0.2
|Jun mean C=2.9
|Jul mean C=5.3
|Aug mean C=5.7
|Sep mean C=4.1
|Oct mean C=0.7
|Nov mean C=-1.4
|Dec mean C=-3.4
|year mean C=
|Jan low C = -7.3
|Feb low C = -7.7
|Mar low C = -8
|Apr low C = -5.7
|May low C = -1.7
|Jun low C = 1.5
|Jul low C = 3.8
|Aug low C = 4.2
|Sep low C = 2.7
|Oct low C = -1
|Nov low C = -3.5
|Dec low C = -5.7
|year low C =
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
|precipitation colour= green<!-- Enter "green" for green precipitation colours, remove this line for blue colouring. -->
|Jan precipitation mm=48
|Feb precipitation mm=41.7
|Mar precipitation mm=41.6
|Apr precipitation mm=31.7
|May precipitation mm=25
|Jun precipitation mm=19.7
|Jul precipitation mm=27.4
|Aug precipitation mm=32.4
|Sep precipitation mm=47.2
|Oct precipitation mm=40.2
|Nov precipitation mm=46
|Dec precipitation mm=50.4
|year precipitation mm=
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
|source 1= yr.no/Norwegian Meteorological Institute/eklima (means, precipitation, extremes)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-99710/Norway/Svalbard/Svalbard/Bj%C3%B8rn%C3%B8ya?q=last-13-months|title=Last 13 months|publisher=Norwegian Meteorological Institute|website=www.yr.no}}</ref>
|source 2=Meteostat (average high/low)<ref>{{cite web |title=Meteostat (average high and low)|url=https://meteostat.net/en/station/01028/climate }}</ref>
|date=06 February 2022
}}

<br>
Earlier climate normal for Bear Island with sunhours
{{Weather box
|collapsed=yes
|location=Bear Island, Norway 1961-1990
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|Jan high C = -5.0
|Feb high C = -4.7
|Mar high C = -4.8
|Apr high C = -2.9
|May high C = 0.3
|Jun high C = 3.6
|Jul high C = 6.6
|Aug high C = 6.3
|Sep high C = 4.2
|Oct high C = 1.2
|Nov high C = -1.7
|Dec high C = -4.3
|Jan mean C = -7
|Feb mean C = -7
|Mar mean C = -7
|Apr mean C = -4
|May mean C = 0
|Jun mean C = 2
|Jul mean C = 4
|Aug mean C = 4
|Sep mean C = 3
|Oct mean C = 0
|Nov mean C = -3
|Dec mean C = -6
|Jan low C = -11.4
|Feb low C = -10.9
|Mar low C = -10.5
|Apr low C = -8.0
|May low C = -3.0
|Jun low C = 0.4
|Jul low C = 2.8
|Aug low C = 3.0
|Sep low C = 1.3
|Oct low C = -2.3
|Nov low C = -6.0
|Dec low C = -9.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 30
|Feb precipitation mm = 33
|Mar precipitation mm = 28
|Apr precipitation mm = 21
|May precipitation mm = 18
|Jun precipitation mm = 23
|Jul precipitation mm = 30
|Aug precipitation mm = 36
|Sep precipitation mm = 44
|Oct precipitation mm = 44
|Nov precipitation mm = 33
|Dec precipitation mm = 31
|Jan humidity = 87
|Feb humidity = 88
|Mar humidity = 88
|Apr humidity = 87
|May humidity = 88
|Jun humidity = 90
|Jul humidity = 92
|Aug humidity = 91
|Sep humidity = 89
|Oct humidity = 86
|Nov humidity = 87
|Dec humidity = 88
|Jan precipitation days = 9
|Feb precipitation days = 9
|Mar precipitation days = 9
|Apr precipitation days = 6
|May precipitation days = 5
|Jun precipitation days = 6
|Jul precipitation days = 7
|Aug precipitation days = 7
|Sep precipitation days = 10
|Oct precipitation days = 10
|Nov precipitation days = 9
|Dec precipitation days = 9
|Jan sun = 0
|Feb sun = 6
|Mar sun = 57
|Apr sun = 105
|May sun = 116
|Jun sun = 105
|Jul sun = 79
|Aug sun = 70
|Sep sun = 42
|Oct sun = 15
|Nov sun = 0
|Dec sun = 0
|source 1 = http://www.theweathernetwork.com/index.php?product=statistics&pagecontent=C00009
|source 2 = [[Norwegian Meteorological Institute|met-no]]/[http://met.no/Klima/Klimastatistikk/Klimadata/ met.no/eklima]
}}

=== Flora and fauna ===
[[File:Bjoern12.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Purple saxifrage]] is well-suited to Bjørnøya's climate]]
[[V. S. Summerhayes|Victor Summerhayes]] and [[Charles Sutherland Elton|Charles Elton]] visited Bear Island during the [[1921 Oxford University Spitsbergen expedition]]<ref>{{cite journal | title = Contributions to Ecology of Spitsbergen and Bear Island | journal =Journal of Ecology| date=September 1923|  first1 =V.S.  | last1 = Summerhayes |  first2 = C.S.  | last2 = Elton |volume =#11 | issue =2 | pages=  216-233 |doi=10.2307/2255864  |   access-date = 16 December 2024   |url = https://www.jstor.org/stable/2255864?seq=1 }}</ref> and the location formed the basis of their pioneering [[Trophic dynamics|ecological study]] which produced one of the first [[food chain|food web]] diagrams. There is a little plant growth, consisting mostly of [[moss]] and some [[scurvy grass]], but no trees.

The only indigenous land [[mammal]]s are a few [[Arctic fox]]es. Despite its name, Bear Island is not a permanent residence of [[polar bear]]s, although many arrive with the expanding pack ice in the winter. Occasionally, a bear will stay behind when the ice retreats in spring and remain through the summer months.<ref name=Arsaether>{{cite news | last=Årsæther | first=Jan | title=Isbjørnfamilie fanget på Bjørnøya ("Polar bear family trapped on Bear Island") | date=July 27, 2004 | publisher=TV2 (Norway) | url=http://pub.tv2.no/TV2/nyhetene/article258155.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040810143328/http://pub.tv2.no/TV2/nyhetene/article258155.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 10, 2004 }}</ref> Moreover, the sub-population of ''[[Ursus maritimus]]'' polar bears found here is a genetically distinct set of polar bears associated with the [[Barents Sea]] region.<ref>C. Michael Hogan (2008) [http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=36084 ''Polar Bear: Ursus maritimus'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224205716/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=36084 |date=December 24, 2008 }}</ref>

[[Ringed seal]] and [[bearded seal]], prey of the polar bear, live in the waters near Bjørnøya, but the formerly common [[walrus]]es have nowadays become guests. Bear Island's freshwater lakes hosts a population of [[Arctic char]].<ref name="Omalley 2019">{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/ece3.4891 |title=Characterizing neutral and adaptive genomic differentiation in a changing climate: The most northerly freshwater fish as a model |journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=2004–2017 |year=2019 |last1=O'Malley |first1=Kathleen G. |last2=Vaux |first2=Felix |last3=Black |first3=Andrew N. |pmc=6392408 |pmid=30847088 |bibcode=2019EcoEv...9.2004O }}</ref>

==== Birds ====
[[File:Uria_Lomvia_1_1.jpg|thumb|right|Sea birds on Bear Island]]
[[File:bjoern9.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Miseryfjellet]], the tallest peak at {{convert|536|m}}]]
The only land bird of significant numbers on the island is the [[snow bunting]] which arrive in the early spring to breed. However, the island is rich in seabirds nesting on the southern cliffs. Other species visit the island during their seasonal [[bird migration|migration]] between Svalbard's northern islands and mainland Europe. The only permanent resident appears to be the [[northern fulmar]].

Bear island has been identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA) by [[BirdLife International]]. It supports breeding populations of [[northern fulmar]]s (50,000–60,000 pairs), [[purple sandpiper]]s, [[red phalarope]]s (10 pairs), [[glaucous gull]]s (2000 pairs), [[black-legged kittiwake]]s (100,000 pairs), [[little auk]]s (10,000–100,000 pairs), [[common guillemot]]s (50,000 pairs), [[thick-billed guillemot]]s (190,000 individuals) and [[black guillemot]]s (1000 pairs).

It also supports migratory populations of [[pink-footed goose|pink-footed geese]] (30,000 individuals), [[barnacle goose|barnacle geese]] and [[long-tailed duck]]s.<ref name=bli>{{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=Bjørnøya (Bear Island) |access-date=2013-08-22 |work=Important Bird Areas factsheet |publisher=BirdLife International |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630122358/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=June 30, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref>

==Environmental concerns==
Although there are currently no industrial activities on Bjørnøya or in its immediate vicinity, pollution by toxic and radioactive substances remains a threat to the island's virtually untouched nature. Exploration in the Barents sea and the recent development of the [[Snøhvit]] [[natural gas field|gas field]] off the northern coast of Norway shows that the ecologically sensitive polar and subpolar sea areas of the Norwegian and Barents Sea have come into the focus of the petrol and gas industry.<ref name=Oljedirekt>{{cite web | author=Norwegian Petroleum Directorate | year=2005 | title=Barents Sea exploration celebrates 25 years | url=http://www.npd.no/English/Emner/Geografiske+omraader/Barentshavet/barentshavet_25_aar_jubileum.htm | access-date=March 1, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125173505/http://www.npd.no/English/Emner/Geografiske+omraader/Barentshavet/barentshavet_25_aar_jubileum.htm | archive-date=November 25, 2005 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> The environmental organisation [[Bellona Foundation|Bellona]] has criticised<ref name=Cato>{{cite web | author=Buch, Cato | year=2002 | title=Snøhvit: Reasons for Bellona's opposition | url=http://www.bellona.no/en/energy/fossil/barents/snohvit/24419.html | access-date=October 18, 2005 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210104203/http://www.bellona.no/en/energy/fossil/barents/snohvit/24419.html | archive-date=February 10, 2006 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> the Norwegian government for licensing these activities without sufficient studies of their ecological impact. Organic toxins, specifically [[polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]]s, have been found in high concentrations in biological samples from Bear Island, especially in Arctic char of the freshwater lake ''Ellasjøen''.<ref name=Herzke>{{cite book|author1=Herzke, D. |author2=Evenset A. |title=Polybrominated diphenylethers in biota from Bjørnøya (Bear Island) |year=2004 |url=http://bfr2004.com/Individual%20Papers/BFR2004%20Abstract%20044%20Herzke.pdf |display-authors=etal |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928115820/http://bfr2004.com/Individual%20Papers/BFR2004%20Abstract%20044%20Herzke.pdf |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref> The Soviet [[nuclear submarine]] [[Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets|''Komsomolets'']] sank on 7 April 1989, some {{convert|135|nmi|km|-1}} southwest of Bear Island.<ref name=Montgomery>{{cite book | author=Montgomery, George | title=The Komsomolets Disaster | publisher=Center for the Studies of Intelligence| year=1995 }}</ref> Leakage of radioactive material from the reactor and nuclear warheads currently poses a problem,{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} and severe pollution of the surrounding waters remains possible.<ref name=NRPA>{{cite journal |author1=Gwynn, J.P. |author2=Dowdall, M. |author3=Lind, B. |title=The Radiological Environment of Svalbard |publisher=Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority |year=2004 |url=http://www.nrpa.no/dav/9b02076312.pdf |journal= National Institute Polar Research Memoirs|volume=23 |issue=2 |page=167 |doi=10.1111/j.1751-8369.2004.tb00006.x |bibcode=2004PolRe..23..167G |access-date=February 10, 2011 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213943/http://www.nrpa.no/dav/9b02076312.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2011}}

==Culture==
[[Surfing]] has been documented in the movie ''Bjørnøya – følg drømmen.'' 
<ref name=Followdream>[http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/inne-og-ute/jakten-pa-den-unike-bolgen/ Jakten på den unike bølgen] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021014201/http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/inne-og-ute/jakten-pa-den-unike-bolgen/ |date=October 21, 2014 }}</ref>

==Books==

“The Last Bear”, a storybook by Hannah Gold, features Bear Island and Svalbard. The story depicts a girl named April who must, with her father, go to the Arctic to research for a duration of 6 months. During these 6 months, April secretly helps a wounded bear to escape the island to Svalbard.

[[Bear Island (novel)|''Bear Island'']] is a thriller novel by Scottish author [[Alistair MacLean]], originally published in 1971. The book is a murder mystery set on the island, tying into its World War II history. In 1979 it was adapted into [[Bear Island (film)|a film]] bearing the same name, starring Donald Sutherland, Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Widmark.

In [[Tom Clancy]]'s second bestselling novel [[Red Storm Rising]], Bear Island gets a brief mention as one of many locations where invading Soviet forces battle [[NATO]] defenders, in this case to more easily move naval forces into the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

==See also==
* [[List of islands of Norway by area#Outside the mainland of Norway|List of islands of Norway]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bjørnøya}}

Publications of administrative and general interest are issued by the [[Governor of Svalbard]] {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051222054209/http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/eng/]}}. Maps, research reports, and scholarly works about Svalbard-related subjects are available from the [[Norwegian Polar Institute]] {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060214023512/http://npiweb.npolar.no/]}}.

'''Books'''
* [http://www.ikfoundation.org/shop/bear-island.html Bear Island: The story of an isolated arctic island – exploration, people, culture and nature] by Dag Kjelldahl

'''General information'''
* [http://bjornoya.org/ Website of the meteorological station on Bear Island]
* [http://odin.dep.no/jd/english/doc/white_paper/012001-040007/dok-bn.html Report to the Storting (1999–2000) on Svalbard] by the [[Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police]] – extensive report on political, administrative, economical and scientific matters relating to Svalbard

'''Time Zone'''
* [http://www.timegenie.com/city.time/xenbj/ TimeGenie.com] – Central Europe Time zone. Standard Time difference compared to UTC/GMT is +1 hours

'''Maps and photos:'''
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927174511/http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/bjorn_natres.jpg Bear Island nature reserve (JPEG image)]}} – from the Office of the Governor of Svalbard
* [http://toposvalbard.npolar.no/ An interactive map of Svalbard] – Bear Island included
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141226192057/http://www.npolar.no/npcms/export/sites/np/no/nyheter/vedlegg/bjornoya5.pdf Detailed map northeastern part (PDF)]}} showing the location of the meteorological station near the top
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141226192051/http://www.npolar.no/npcms/export/sites/np/no/nyheter/vedlegg/bjornoya6.pdf Detailed map southern part (PDF)]}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080410112619/http://miljo.npolar.no/mis/multimedia/images/omrade/kart/verneA4.jpg Map showing the location of Bear Island in relation to Svalbard]}} – from the Norwegian Polar Institute
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051212050829/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/bildeserier/article1109832.ece Strategic Arctic outpost]}} – pictorial introduction to Bear Island, from Norwegian newspaper [[Aftenposten]], September 6, 2005

'''Geography, hydrography, meteorology:'''
* [http://maps.unomaha.edu/Maher/svalbard/bjorn.html Geology of Bear Island, Norway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908133541/http://maps.unomaha.edu/Maher/svalbard/bjorn.html |date=September 8, 2006 }} – by Dr. Harmon D. Maher Jr., Dept of Geography and Geology, [[University of Nebraska at Omaha]]
* [http://cruise-handbook.npolar.no/en/svalbard/geological-development.html Svalbards geological development] – By Winfried Dallmann, [[Norwegian Polar Institute]].
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071123231539/http://met.no/english/about/organisation/met_dep/forecast_nn/bear_island.html Bjørnøya and the island's meteorological station]}} – by the [[Norwegian Meteorological Institute]]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929091335/http://met.no/observasjoner/svalbard/normaler_for_kommune_2121.html Monthly temperature, precipitation normals 1961–1990]}} – upper table: temperature ([[Celsius|°C]]); lower table: precipitation (mm)
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080112082827/http://met.no/kyst_og_hav/iskart.html Sea ice charts of the Bjørnøya area]}} – updated daily on weekdays

'''History:'''
* [http://arcticwar.pomorsu.ru/sea/arcticwar2000/selinger.html "Meteorological operations in the Arctic 1940–1945"] – by Franz Selinger; on [[World War II]] German Arctic meteorology services, incl. ''TAAGET'' station, Bjørnøya

'''Recent events:'''
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070308041928/http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/eng/show.asp?page=goxpage00000026.html Two Russian vessels arrested at Bear Island for violation of fishing regulations]}}

{{Svalbard topics}}
{{Barents Sea Islands}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bear Island (Svalbard, Norway)}}
[[Category:Bear Island (Norway)| ]]
[[Category:Islands of Svalbard]]
[[Category:Seabird colonies]]
[[Category:Islands of the Barents Sea]]
[[Category:Nature reserves in Svalbard]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Svalbard]]
[[Category:1590s in the Dutch Empire]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Norway]]