Why Is Arctic Ice So Fascinating?
Updated: Oct 2
Arctic Ice Is Never Just Ice
There is something magical about Arctic ice. Some of it can be thousands of years old, and the scale is difficult to comprehend. It also has its own sounds, dangers, and possibilities for wildlife. Ice creates an ecosystem that is completely different from anything in which we live. Sea ice supports life in ways that are easy to overlook when we are simply looking at a frozen landscape.
It is also important to remember that not all ice is the same. Sea ice is frozen salt water. Pack ice is floating sea ice that has broken apart and come together again. Glaciers are made from fresh water, as are the icebergs that break away from them. Ice also moves significantly. A great example is the the 1857 voyage of McClintock who got trapped in the arctic ace and found himself drifting during eight months of winter, moving an extraordinarily 1200 Geographical miles.1
Then there is colour. Blue ice is older ice with fewer air bubbles. Ice absorbs red wavelengths of light and transmits blue light, which gives older ice that remarkable colour. Icebergs can also appear in different shades depending on their age, dirt, trapped air, and the angle of the light. That can make the same landscape look completely different from one moment to another.
A Landscape That Keeps Moving
One of the easiest things to misunderstand about the Arctic is that the landscape is static. Sea ice moves. It breaks apart, consolidates, and drifts into or away from an area. Icebergs move with currents and wind while melting and changing shape. Glaciers themselves are moving, and their edges change with the surrounding conditions.
Even the season can completely alter what an expedition sees. A voyage in early summer can look very different from one later in the season.
Weather adds another layer. Fog can arrive quickly in the Arctic, just as it has affected ocean crossings throughout history. The angle of the light can also change the colours of the landscape in ways that are difficult to see elsewhere.
For an expedition team, these changes are operational as well as visual. Ice determines where a ship can safely travel, whether a landing is possible, whether a passage remains accessible, and how a glacier can be approached by Zodiac. Wildlife can also influence decisions. If whales, seals, or other animals are in an area, the itinerary may need to change. An expedition is moving through a physical system that is constantly changing.
Looking Closely at a Glacier
Understanding a little of the science behind ice makes the experience more interesting without turning the journey into a science lesson. We can look at an iceberg and begin to think about its age, the conditions that formed it, and what its colour is telling us. We can look at sea ice and understand that it is moving rather than simply being part of the scenery.
And when we stand in front of a glacier, there is more to experience than what we see.
Listen to the movement of the ice. Look at its scale. Smell the freshness of the ocean. Feel the cold on your skin. Even the salt from the damp air can reach your lips.
Photography can become a major part of the experience too. For some travellers, reaching the Arctic is a lifelong dream because of the photographic possibilities. The subjects are almost endless, from ice and wildlife to flora and fauna and the human communities of the region. But the perfect photograph is not a requirement for an extraordinary experience.
The Arctic Is Not Always White
Another common misconception is that the Arctic is simply white. The scale can be difficult to grasp. The colours can change with the light. Fog can transform visibility. Ice can be blue, white, grey, or marked by dirt and trapped air. Wildlife can appear within a landscape that looks completely empty. It is for this reason that photography is so interesting in the arctic.
This is also one of the differences between the Arctic and Antarctica. Antarctica is a continent surrounded by the Southern Ocean, without Indigenous communities or permanent settlements. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by countries, with communities and settlements across the region.
There is a simple way people sometimes describe the difference: you go to Antarctica to see penguins, and you go to the Arctic to see polar bears.
The reality is more complicated, of course, but the distinction captures something about the two experiences. In the Arctic, ice is part of a much larger living landscape. It determines where an expedition can go, changes with the weather and season, and provides opportunities for wildlife. And when we encounter it, it is worth taking the time to look closely. The ice itself is already telling us a great deal.
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Seeing the Ice Differently
Personally, The arctic for me is fascinating because it is bigger than Europe and Australia combined, it is desolated, has harsh conditions and still, people live there and people explore there.
Another fascinating part is how expeditions have evolved from going by a simple vessel (with all consequences) to the wonderful modern cruise boats.
Sciencific research meant measuring shadows in the first decade of the 20th century, now we have laboratories and science teams on board. Read about the hardships of Peary and Cook who were the first to travel to the north pole and understand that in our time everyone can go to the arctic, like the great photographer Cindy Miller Hopkins who went 11 times!
If Arctic ice or the north pole are the reasons you are considering an expedition, we can help you choose an itinerary that gives you the right conditions for the experience you want. The timing, region, vessel, expedition team, and flexibility all matter. Tell us what draws you to the Arctic, and we can help you explore the possibilities.
The Arctic is about far more than reaching a remote destination. Explore our broader approach to Expedition Travel.
McCarthy, T. (Ed.). (2004). The greatest polar exploration stories ever told. Lyons Press. P.12
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