Tag Archives: Arctic

Adventure, Exploration, Travel, Videos, Views, Wildlife

Arctic Views: A Narwhal Expedition To Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Russia

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Timelab Pro (April 15, 2023) – Our trip to Franz Josef Land was an unforgettable experience, and we were fortunate enough to be on board the mighty famous ship Mikhail Somov for a scientific mission to study the Narwhals in the Arctic.

Franz Josef Land is the northernmost territory of Russia, and one of the least filmed territory in the world. Our shots are truly unique, capturing the beauty of the Arctic landscape and the majestic Narwhals in their natural habitat.‌ As we took our drone to the skies, we searched for days to find these elusive creatures, and finally, we were lucky enough to spot them.

Did you know that Narwhals are the only known species of whale to have a single tusk? And that this tusk, which is actually a protruding tooth, can grow up to 3 meters long? The scientists on board the Mikhail Somov were conducting an important research expedition to prove that Narwhals dwell in the Russian Arctic.

They also took biopsies from the Narwhals to better understand the impact of global climatic changes on these amazing creatures. Our diesel-electric ship, the Mikhail Somov, is a historical ship with a rich history of Arctic exploration. In 1985 the Mikhail Somov became trapped in the ice for 133 days, but the crew was able to survive and eventually free the ship. Despite its modern upgrades, the ship still maintains the charm and spirit of its earlier expeditions.

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Animals, Nature, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Siberia Views: The Nomadic Nenets Reindeer Herders

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BBC Earth – Arctic Siberia’s Nomadic Nenets herders have migrated with reindeer for generations. Reindeer were among the last animals domesticated by humans.

According to the Nenets legend, the humans promised the reindeer that they would protect them on their long migration from the mainland to the seashores as long as the reindeer provide humans with all their needs, including milk, fat, meat, bones, horns, and skins. The nomadic reindeer herders reside in the taiga forests of the Russian tundra and northern Mongolia. 

Climate Change, Global Warming, Nature, Television, Videos, Views

Climate: The Future Of Our Frozen Planet – Sir David Attenborough (BBC)

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“We can do it. We must do it.”

Sir David Attenborough. This is life on thin ice.

Frozen Planet II (2022): This six-part series – narrated by Sir David Attenborough – explores the wildlife found in the world’s coldest regions: the Arctic and Antarctic, high mountains, frozen deserts, snowbound forests, and ice-cold oceans. From polar bears to penguins, and from snow monkeys to Siberian tigers, each species must overcome a unique set of challenges to endure its extreme environment.

Climate Change, Culture, Documentaries, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: American Arctic’s Disappearing Traditions

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To Laureli Ivanoff, climate change is far from an abstract idea. As an Iñupiat writer living in the remote Alaskan town of Unalakleet, she’s seen firsthand the warming planet’s tangible impact on her culture’s food traditions, some of the only practices to survive colonization. “Ice fishing or hunting or just going out and enjoying ourselves, there’s no way to really do that if there isn’t any snow,” she says.

Animals that rely on snow and sea ice, such as the ugruk—or bearded seal—are harder to find as sea ice melts, leaving subsistence hunters concerned for their livelihoods. Although local native communities have weathered many historic hardships before, Ivanoff believes the challenges ahead are unprecedented. “Already every year, we’re wondering, ‘Is the ocean ice going to form?

Read more about climate change’s impact on the American Arctic : https://ti.me/3MqmwOe

Adventure, Podcasts, Stories, Travel

Podcasts: ‘The Arctic Story Hunter’ (NatGeo)

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What’s it like to grow up underneath the aurora borealis, on the shores of the Arctic Ocean? Photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva describes leaving—and returning to—Tiksi, a Siberian coastal village that during her childhood became a ghost town in the wake of the Soviet collapse. That experience taught her to find beauty in unexpected places—riding reindeer with nomadic herders, visiting isolated Arctic weather stations, and following mammoth ivory hunters.

Magazines, Reviews, Science, Views

Front Covers: Science Magazine – September 3

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Podcasts, Reviews, Science

Science: Laser-Cooled Antimatter, Economic Cost Of Invasive Species

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Laser-cooled antimatter opens up new physics experiments, and the staggering economic cost of invasive species.

In this episode:

00:44 Cooling antimatter with a laser focus

Antimatter is annihilated whenever it interacts with regular matter, which makes it tough for physicists to investigate. Now though, a team at CERN have developed a way to trap and cool antihydrogen atoms using lasers, allowing them to better study its properties.

Research Article: Baker et al.

News and Views: Antimatter cooled by laser light

09:27 Research Highlights

A dramatic increase in Arctic lightning strikes, and an acrobatic bunny helps researchers understand hopping.

Research Highlight: Rising temperatures spark boom in Arctic lightning

Research Highlight: Rabbits that do ‘handstands’ help to find a gene for hopping

11:53 Cost of invasion

Invasive alien species are organisms that end up in places where they don’t really belong, usually as a result of human activity. These species can cause loss of biodiversity and a host of damage to their new environments. This week, researchers estimate that the economic impact of invasive species to be over US $1 trillion.

Research Article: Diagne et al.

19:04 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the physics that might explain how a ship blocked the Suez Canal, and a new insight into octopuses’ sleep patterns.

The Financial Times: The bank effect and the big boat blocking the Suez

Science: Octopuses, like humans, sleep in two stages