At the edge of the world

The Arctic, remote and unseen, has just become more ‘accessible.’ The Royal Canadian Geographic Society, in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature, has put up a stunning photo exhibition ‘The Accessible Arctic’ at the India International Centre. The exhibit displays the bewitching beauty of the ice-capped continent, its wildlife and the traditions of its native inhabitants. 

The Royal Canadian Geographic Society, founded in 1929, has long been featuring stories on the Arctic in its popular magazine Canadian Geographic. The Canadian Museum of Nature, on the other hand, has been shedding light on the flora and fauna of the island, since its formation in 1913.

Now, the two organisations have come together to showcase Canada’s amazing natural history. The most impressive cover photographs of Canadian Geographic have been assembled and curated by The Canadian Museum of Nature to form the ‘Accessible Arctic.’

The most captivating pictures are, of course, those of Inuits – the aborigines of the Arctic. Till a few years back, the Inuits were nomadic hunters surviving on the mercy of nature. Only recently, the government has provided them with heated dwellings, hospitals, schools etc.

Inuit children make for interesting pictures with fur hoods covering almost their whole face leaving only tiny eyes, pink cheeks and frozen noses to see. The livelihood of Inuits is also explained in pictures. A woman unspools her fishing line into a narrow lead of water. Alongside, a man waits with harpoons and spears.

The exotic wildlife of the continent finds adequate representation. A huge polar bear poses commandingly along the seashore with a beautiful orange skyline forming the background. Two walrus wallow with their ridiculously long teeth on a slab of ice. In the peak of winter, an Arctic fox surveys his snowy domain. A set of caribou antlers peek out of a lake – all that remains of a deer, and a snow owl – which are active during the day – feeds its chicks.

The natural beauty of Arctic – different from any other place on earth – is a revelation. A ribbon of green Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern lights, streams across the Arctic sky. The Hood river plunges down high rocks forming the scenic Wilberforce Falls. At the end of glaciers, vast green fields are dotted by deer and bright colourful flowers.

Arctic still remains inaccessible for commoners like us. So seeing ‘The Accessible Arctic’ becomes a must!