I first got the idea for a post about Arctic art from “Arctic Dreams” – yes, the book which has inspired me with many and varied ponderings. Lopez was describing a conversation with a retired scientist who was also an artist, when they were on Cornwallis Island in the Canadian Arctic. They marvelled about the fact that summer brings 24 hours of daylight which also delivers a “fullness and subtle quality of light”, together with a range of colour balances…
A lot is being written and reported about the impact of climate change on polar bear populations. While I can’t profess to have any depth of knowledge in this area, or indeed be in a position to substantiate the validity of what I am reading, I will attempt to sift through what I have read and present here what appears to me to make the best sense. Polar Bear population I’m going to start with some detail around polar bear…
Polar bears are the image we all associate with the Arctic regions. And rightly so, since this is the only area where they are found. Moreover, they have also become the subject used by many of the climate change advocates. But I will cover this in a separate post. For now, I would like to share the following facts about polar bears: Polar bears are classified as marine mammals. They are the only bear species to be classified as a…
When I started thinking about what camera equipment I should take with me to the Arctic, I quickly decided that I didn’t want to take the Canon 7D which I took to the Antarctic. It is too big and heavy. In the intervening years I have hardly used it. I also don’t think that my Sony point-and-shoot is going to be up to the challenge of wildlife photography in the polar region. It was beginning to look like my Samsung…
As you can see, I’ve gathered some reading material. And I suspect the pile will grow over the next few months. I just hope that I can read it all before I leave! Meanwhile, the first book I’ve read was a Christmas gift. A classic called “Arctic Dreams” by Barry Lopez. Lopez is known for his passionate writings about remote areas, and about the relationship between us and the land we inhabit. And more importantly, about the impact we have…
Who would have thought that, after voyaging to the Antarctic, there would be gaps in the gear I need to take to the Arctic? Well, apparently there are. Both travel operators provided us with a comprehensive list of what to bring. Apart from the expected clothing, accessory, and equipment suggestions, I noted the following: In Greenland the air is dry and the sun is strong, and we will be outdoors more often and for longer periods, so we need to…
I was curious about how this trip to the Arctic would be different from my trip to the Antarctic. I though a good starting point would be to explore the ways in which the two regions themselves differ. So, I created the table below to show some of the interesting things I came up with. This is by no means an exclusive list. It contains just those points which took my fancy (plus some boring facts I thought were worthy)…
Where in the Arctic am I going? Most of us would associate “the Arctic” with the North Pole. (Which North Pole, I would ask? We’ll go into that later) That’s only partly correct. The Arctic is a region, which is made up of both land and sea. Its boundary is generally accepted to be the Arctic Circle, currently at approximately 66 degrees north My trip is to two different parts of the Arctic. I’ll be starting my adventure by voyaging…
A big part of this adventure was always going to be about the sea. About the voyage, the cruising conditions, the ship, shipboard routine and navigation. You see, I have spent quite a lot of my life, “messing about in boats”. They are an integral part of some of my favourite memories. It was inevitable that I should find a way to bring this part of me to my Antarctic adventure. So, I decided to keep a chart of my…