Freeman StraitFreemansundet is the sound separating Barentsøya, to the north, from Edgeøya, in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway.BackgroundThe straight is named after Alderman Ralph Freeman, who was involved in the English whaling trade in the early 17th century. The polar bear, Ursus maritimus, is a seasonal visitor to the Freemansundet; this species has a genetically distinct deme within the Barents Sea region.