Hopen is a narrow island in the Barents Sea, in the south-east of Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. The island and its surrounding waters form the Hopen Nature Reserve, an important habitat for seabirds and polar bears, particularly when sea ice builds up around the island.
This image was acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 31 May 2026. It shows the island’s snow-covered ridges as a bright, elongated strip surrounded by dark open water. Turquoise tones fringe parts of the coast, while sea ice forms curved bands and irregular edges to the east and north-east.
Copernicus data help map the distribution of sea ice, monitor snow cover, and document changes in coastal waters.