Kongsfjorden

Kongsfjorden is an inlet on the west coast of Spitsbergen, an island which is part of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. The inlet is 26 km long and ranges in width from 6 to 14 km. Two glaciers, Kronebreen and Kongsvegen, head the fjord.

The coal-mining town of Ny-Ålesund is located on its southern shore and is one of the few permanent settlements on Spitsbergen. It is also a popular shore break for cruise ships, although local scientists who monitor CO2 levels as part of their climate change research have voiced concerns that the excessive pollution generated by cruise ships is interfering with their measurements.