WILDLIFE OF THE ARCTIC
There's no doubt that one of the main incentives to brave the wild conditions of the Arctic wilderness is to have those David Attenborough moments in nature. Because it is so remote and untouched by humans, it really is one of the planets last true wildernesses and that means wild animals still dominate this environment.
Here are a few video clips of creatures I have been lucky to film in the Arctic on two separate expeditions and one of the main reasons I dream of going back.
Polar bear
The Kings/Queens of the Arctic, the 'Nanook / Na'nuq / ᓇᓄᖅ ' as they are known to indigenous cultures up here are both loved, worshipped and feared by those who live side-by-side with these incredible creatures. I have seen Polar Bears swim right up to the side of our boat sniffing around to see what these alien creatures are doing in their kingdom and I have met Inuktitut locals who have had Polar Bears stick their big white heads right in their kitchen window while they were cooking breakfast. Sadly due to global warming their hunting abilities have been severely affected by a lack of sea ice and so these interactions with humans are becoming more common, often ending in them being killed. I found the remains of a freshly shot Polar Bear in a house in the Arctic and while this bear was eaten and the fur used for traditional clothing, it should not have been killed at all, they belong out in the frozen wilderness far from people and their guns and they need solid sea ice to survive out there.
