AECO Guidelines and Polar Bear Safety
Leave no trace, disturb nothing and follow your expedition leader.
Get Expedition QuotesHow the Arctic Is Protected
Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic belongs to nations, and each sets its own rules for visitors. Alongside them, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, AECO, publishes guidelines its member companies and their guests follow, from wildlife distances to how to behave in a small town.
For travelers, it all adds up to a simple principle: leave no trace, disturb nothing and follow your expedition leader. This page summarizes the guidance and the special care needed in polar bear country.
AECO Guidelines in Brief
Wildlife
Treat all animals as protected. Keep noise down, keep the distances your leader sets, and never touch live or dead animals.
Plants
Do not pick flowers or plants, and avoid stepping on them or creating new paths.
Cultural remains
Old huts, graves and artifacts are protected. Walk around them, never between, and do not touch or move anything.
Leave no trace
Take all litter away, including cigarette butts. Do not build cairns, move stones or carve rocks.
Communities
Respect privacy. Ask before photographing people, and if there is hesitation, the answer is no.
Stay with the group
Never wander off from the guides who carry protective equipment, and always follow their instructions.
Read the full text in AECO’s visitor guidelines. AECO also publishes biosecurity guidelines that ask guests to clean boots and gear so seeds and soil do not travel between sites.
Polar Bear Safety
Polar bears are the reason Arctic landings are planned like small military operations. Before guests go ashore, an armed team lands first to scout the area. Guards take up positions with a view of the surroundings while guests explore within a defined zone. If a bear appears, the team withdraws everyone to the boats.
- Stay calm and tell a guide at once if you spot a bear.
- Never approach a bear, and never leave food out.
- Stay inside the area the guides have marked.
- Never touch firearms or deterrents carried by the staff.
In Svalbard, rules in force since 2025 also require vessels to stay at least 500 meters from polar bears between 1 March and 30 June; AECO members keep at least 300 meters throughout the year.
What Is Different From Antarctica?
Antarctic tourism is governed by the Antarctic Treaty and the operators’ association IAATO, and there are no polar bears in the south. In the Arctic, national laws apply, people live in the region, and bears shape every landing. For the southern rules, see our sister site Cruising Antarctica.
Rules and Safety Questions
Why do Arctic guides carry rifles?
Polar bears can be dangerous, and in places such as Svalbard people outside settlements carry protection. Expedition guides scout landing sites first, keep watch during landings and carry firearms and deterrents only as a last resort. Guests must never touch them.
What happens if a bear is seen near a landing?
The landing is usually cancelled or guests return to the boats calmly. The team will not land where a bear is present, because the aim is to protect both people and bears.
Can I collect stones, bones or antlers?
No. AECO guidelines ask visitors to leave stones, bones, antlers, driftwood and cultural remains where they are, and in many areas the law protects them too.
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