Aug 6, 2026 – 5.00amA walrus must always be approached silently, and slowly. In this case, it is not one walrus but an entire huddle. It is an apt collective noun. Weighing in at around a tonne each, these mollusc-eating machines are laying about on a low-lying headland jutting out into the bay of Borebukta between two glaciers. We’re in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago about 2000 kilometres northwest of Oslo and about half that distance from the North Pole. The walruses are idly sunning their ridiculous bodies, tusks aloft. They may otherwise have noticed the 17 passengers of the Aqua Lares silently sidling up, directed by three guides armed with high-calibre rifles and flare guns (for the polar bears, not the walruses).Walrus spotting near Svalbard. Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Kylar LoussikianDeputy editor – businessKylar Loussikian is the Financial Review’s deputy editor – business.Fetching latest articles