About
Name: Little Auk, Dovekie, Sea Dove (Alle alle)
Length: 20 centimetres.
Weight: 140 to 190 grams.
Location: Islands of the high Arctic.
Conservation status: Least Concern.
Diet: Crustaceans, small invertebrates, fish.
Appearance: Black with white belly, small white arc above the eyes.
How do Little Auks feed?
Little Auks are skilled divers, using their wings to propel themselves. They can dive up to 30 metres, catching prey by zig-zagging back up.
Are Little Auks social?
Little Auks forage in large flocks and form colonies during breeding.
How fast do Little Auks fly?
Little Auks can reach speeds of up to 70 km per hour but are not adept at coasting or turning.
What are Little Auk birthing rituals like?
Breeding season varies by location, generally starting around April. They reach sexual maturity at 3 years and mate until about 8 years. They nest in colonies on cliff sides, using pebbles to build nests. The female lays one egg, incubated by both parents for a month. After hatching, the chick is fed for another month before it fledges.
How long do Little Auks live?
Little Auks can live up to 25 years in the wild.
How many Little Auks are there today?
There are an estimated 30 million Little Auks worldwide.
Do Little Auks have any natural predators?
Arctic Foxes and Glaucous Gulls prey on Little Auks, while Polar Bears may eat their eggs.
7 Lovely Little Auk Facts
1. Little Auks impact their breeding areas by transporting marine nutrients onto land as guano.
2. Little Auk chicks grow faster than any other Auk species.
3. They are the most populous bird in Svalbard.
4. Their breeding colonies are the largest among Auk species, sometimes numbering in the millions.
5. They have a specialized throat pouch to carry food to nestlings.
6. Although they resemble penguins, all existing Auk species can fly.
7. There are 2 subspecies: Alle alle polaris breeds on Franz Josef Land, while Alle alle alle breeds on Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Novaya Zemlya.
Best Deals
Alpine Peaks of Spitsbergen, Ski & Sail
08 May - 15 May 2025$ 3.750
Arctic Ocean - Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding
31 May - 09 Jun 2025$ 2.900
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
03 Jun - 10 Jun 2025$ 4.300
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer
08 Jun - 18 Jun 2025$ 5.350
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
09 Jun - 16 Jun 2025$ 4.300
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Polar Bears, Bowhead Whales & more
10 Jun - 17 Jun 2025$ 4.300
Related Trips
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Alpine Peaks of Spitsbergen, Ski & Sail
08 May 2025 - 15 May 2025 
8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 3.750 per person
Arctic
Aberdeen
Arctic Ocean - Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding
31 May 2025 - 09 Jun 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 2.900 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
03 Jun 2025 - 10 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer
08 Jun 2025 - 18 Jun 2025 11 Days / 10 Nights
From $ 5.350 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
09 Jun 2025 - 16 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Polar Bears, Bowhead Whales & more
10 Jun 2025 - 17 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Into the pack ice - Polar Bear Special
12 Jun 2025 - 19 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife - Summer Solstice
16 Jun 2025 - 23 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer - Summer Solstice
18 Jun 2025 - 28 Jun 2025 11 Days / 10 Nights
From $ 5.350 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Into the pack ice - Summer Solstice - Polar Bear Special
19 Jun 2025 - 26 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
23 Jun 2025 - 30 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
24 Jun 2025 - 01 Jul 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Blog
Blog
Birding Opportunities Abound in Spitsbergen
Seabirds are the most prevalent type of bird in Spitsbergen. Experts have estimated that there are 164 bird species that have been found throughout Spitsbergen at various points during recent history, but only 30 of them are known to turn to the Svalbard Islands as their primary breeding spot.
Blog
Svalbard’s 12 Most Iconic Animals
Each of our Arctic regions offers its own distinct and unforgettable features: Greenland boasts mountainous shorelines and record-setting fjords, Northern Norway is renowned for the aurora borealis and historic masted schooners, and Svalbard (especially Spitsbergen) is where you're most likely to encounter a variety of Arctic wildlife.
Blog
16 Conversation-Starting Svalbard Facts
It might seem odd that an icy, snowy, bear-packed cluster of islands at the edge of the world could be such a hotspot (so to speak) of outdoor tourism.
Blog
Spitsbergen: a true polar bear trip
On the third day of our Svalbard cruise, we navigated through the sea ice north of Spitsbergen. The morning greeted us with fog and fragmented ice, but conditions gradually improved. A swarm of black-legged kittiwakes trailed behind us, as our ship stirred the waters, pushing aside ice floes to reveal the tiny dark polar cod beneath.
Blog
The Pack Ice and Polar Bears of North Spitsbergen
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is renowned for being one of the prime locations to observe polar bears. The largest island in this region, Spitsbergen, not only offers sightings of these majestic Arctic creatures but also provides a unique opportunity to experience the phenomenon of pack ice.
Blog
A Bug’s Life in Svalbard
When you think about Svalbard wildlife, you might imagine reindeer, Arctic foxes, polar bears – the primary animal attractions that draw passengers to an Arctic cruise. But in fact, the Svalbard archipelago is a thriving location for over 1,000 species of terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates: animals that lack backbones. Despite this richness of life, however, these invertebrates are only found in the Isfjord and Kongsfjord areas of these wonderfully diverse islands.
Blog
Puffins: Clown Birds of the Atlantic
Puffins are part of a family of 22 seabird species known as auks, which are pigeon-sized birds that thrive on a diet of small fish and crustaceans.
Blog
The Arctic Borderland of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Kongsfjorden is a glacial fjord in Svalbard that hosts a diverse array of flora and fauna.
Blog
Polar Bear Sets Impressive New Diving Record
According to polar bear experts Rinie van Meurs and Dr. Ian Stirling, the new record for polar bear diving is an astounding three minutes and 10 seconds. Unless this particular polar bear has an unusually large lung capacity, we can now safely assume that these creatures have the ability to remain underwater for an extended period of time.
Blog
Inside the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Literature, cinema, and even video games often present us with various global disaster scenarios. These typically involve devastating wars, catastrophic natural events, or widespread pandemics that leave survivors scavenging for food and supplies amidst hordes of zombies.
Blog
Around Spitsbergen vs. North Spitsbergen
Svalbard, particularly Spitsbergen, was the first polar expedition cruise destination. It's no surprise that there are numerous trip programs available in this region. Among the most unique are the Around Spitsbergen and North Spitsbergen cruises.
Blog
Polar Bear Primer: Eight Facts About the Arctic Wanderer
Polar bears inhabit the Arctic region across 19 subpopulations, including areas in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. These majestic creatures prefer the edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact, creating a dynamic environment of melting and refreezing that forms ice patches and leads, which are open spaces in the sea between sea ice.
Blog
Circumnavigating Spitsbergen
Many of our expedition cruises focus on specific areas of the Arctic or Antarctica, delving deep into local wildlife and other natural highlights. However, some programs aim to provide a broader survey, visiting a variety of sites to offer guests a wider perspective.
Blog
The Ice-Jewelled Geology of Spitsbergen
The Svalbard archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean, roughly 660 km (410 miles) north of Norway's northernmost point. This region is a haven for geologists, boasting a rich geological history that spans from the Mesozoic era (65-245 million years ago) through the Cambrian era (570 million years ago) and back to the Archean era, over 3.5 billion years ago.
Blog
“The polar bear will still be there”
For several hours, we had been navigating the pack ice in search of polar bears. Despite numerous binoculars scanning the ice, no bears were visible, and only a few tracks were found. This suggested we might be in an area with fewer bears. Later that morning, we decided to head a few miles east, suspecting a higher bear population there.
Blog
Six Must-See Svalbard Sites
It’s home to humanity’s last-ditch supply of crop seeds, the world’s northernmost settlement of over 1,000 people, and it is one of the best places on Earth to spot a polar bear.
Blog
Svalbard vs. the Canadian Arctic
It’s easy to assume the Arctic is uniform, a vast expanse of northern freeze shaped by snow, ice, and endless darkness.
Blog
Polar Bears and Pack Ice: 22 Pics from North Spitsbergen
Last month, we explored one of the premier Arctic cruise destinations in our North Spitsbergen blog. That post not only detailed our itinerary in this breathtaking region but also highlighted some of the stunning locations where you might encounter polar bears, whales, walruses, seals, seabirds, and the mesmerizing ice formations of the far north.
Blog
The polar bear: king of the Arctic food chain
As apex predators, polar bears reign supreme in the Arctic food chain. Only humans pose a threat to this massive and majestic species. But one look at these magnificent creatures explains why so many people embark on Arctic trips hoping to spot a polar bear in its natural habitat.
Blog