The Arctic is one of nature’s last, most remote and marvelous strongholds: the basic raw elements of creation and constant struggle for survival in a harsh climate. It is a savage land of rock and ice, which is home to a rich range of bird and animal life.

The Arctic, centred on the North Pole includes the regions north of the tree line; Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), Svalbard, and other polar islands; the northern parts of the mainland of Siberia, Alaska, and Canada; the coasts of Labrador; the north of Iceland. Conditions typical of Arctic lands are extreme fluctuations between summer and winter temperatures, permanent snow and ice in the high country and grasses, sedges, and low shrubs in the lowlands and permanently frozen ground (permafrost).

The Norwegian explorer, Amundsen, adopted Inuit ways of travel by dogsled and hunting in his bid for the North Pole and his search for the North West Passage and today the native people’s art and rich mythology fascinates. At the top of the food chain Polar bears are the undisputed monarchs of the Arctic with seals being a favourite prey. They can swim in icy waters for more than a day at a time and adult males can reach 11 feet in length, weighing up to 1,800 pounds: their beauty is to be admired, their strength respected.

The name Arctic derives from the Greek “arktos” or bear referring to the constellation of the Great Bear (or Big Dipper) above the North Pole, with Antarktikos reserved for the continent ‘opposite the Bear’- Antarctica.