Do Not Provoke a Sleeping Bear – You May Pay Dearly in the Arctic

An incident occurred earlier this month in a fjord in northeastern Svalbard, approximately 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole, involving a tourist and a polar bear. While a ship was navigating the waters, passengers spotted a polar bear sleeping on the shore.

One individual on board the ship then activated the vessel's foghorn, startling the bear awake. The animal subsequently moved away from the immediate area. The governor's office confirmed the event and has mandated that the person responsible pay a significant fine, to which the individual has agreed.

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It is reported that the ship's passengers noticed a polar bear sleeping on the shore.

Disturbing polar bears is strictly prohibited under local regulations. These animals have been classified as a protected species in Svalbard since 1972. According to the most recent scientific count in 2015, the archipelago was home to an estimated 260 polar bears.

The identity and nationality of the individual who sounded the foghorn have not been disclosed. The governor's office has taken action to ensure compliance with wildlife protection laws, emphasizing the importance of not unnecessarily disturbing or harassing these protected animals.

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Then one of the people on board the ship turned on the ship's foghorn, waking the animal, which moved to another place.