According to the cruise company’s statement: “The incident occurred when the four-person polar bear guard team, who are always on board for these expedition cruises as required by law, prepared for a shore leave. One of the guards was unexpectedly attacked by a polar bear that had not been spotted and he was unable to react himself.”

“There had to be intervention for reasons of self-defense and to protect the life of the attacked person,” the statement added.

The Joint Rescue Coordination for northern Norway said on Twitter on Saturday that the animal had been shot and killed.

The injured guard, who was not identified, was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital, according to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Mr. Krause said that the company dated to 1891 and that he was not aware of any similar episodes on any previous expedition. The ship, which typically carries a maximum of 150 people, remained at the site for “a couple of hours” to comply with local laws and then moved on, he added

“Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is very aware of its responsibility when traveling in environmentally sensitive areas and respects all nature and wildlife,” the company statement said.