stunning ice-scapes
Imagine that feeling of sitting at the end of the world, before you an open stretch of mirror-like still water all the way to the orange hues of the horizon, and beneath your feet a metre or so of ice is the only thing that holds you up. Beside you the chef is coolly displaying a dream lunch starter of fresh Arctic char sashimi right on the ice, complete with wasabi and soy sauce, and above you a neat display of brightly-billed eider ducks.
Well, this is where I was this time last year, enjoying the Arctic wilderness on safari in search of polar bears and narwhals.
Living on the fast-ice southeast of Bylot Island in Arctic Canada, I ‘camped’ for a week. Sleeping under the magical glow of the midnight sun (although I must admit I had to close the blinds to actually sleep!), is truly wonderful after a day of playing in icebergs and slowly stalking polar bears in the hopes of getting that little bit closer for the ultimate photo.