Arctic Circle

My journey to the Arctic Circle took me to a land that seemed like another world, almost completely flat and covered in ice, barren with no trees, but yet wondrous because of its simplicity, fascinating culture, and kind people.

GETTING THERE

I visited Utqiagvik, which is farther north than any other town in America and it's in an area know as Alaska's North Slope. I flew from Anchorage ANC directly to Utqiagvik BRW. There was no road into town, so flying was the only way in. Due to its isolation and limited resources, I booked flights and hotels as far in advance.

AMAZING EXCURSIONS

Many people had snowmobiles and that seemed like the most fun and efficient way around town. I hired a local man to drive me on his snowmobile, to get the lay of the land. The town was surrounded by water on all sides but one, the sky was big, with wispy clouds, and colorful sunsets. The beaches were black sand, which contrasted starkly with the brilliant white snow. One beach had two gigantic whale bones formed into an arch, as a monument. It was here that I took a Polar Plunge into the Arctic Ocean, and yes it was shockingly cold!

Utqiagvik was small, so it was easy to walk around. I immediately spotted an Arctic Fox, alone, wandering on a small frozen lake, trying to find a morsel to eat. I was very lucky to see it, because during the cold they live in underground dens.

I went to Utqiagvik hoping to find a Polar Bear, which float in on sheets of ice some times and roam the town. I didn't see a polar bear because there wasn't enough drift ice. However, I witnessed the Native American Inupiat people doing their traditional subsistence bowhead whale hunt, which was regulated by the International Whaling Commission.

The town was abuzz with excitement as word spread that two families were arriving back to shore with after the hunt. I got a taxi to take me up to the northern point to see what was happening. I waited as two small boats slowly came towards the beach. Behind them, each had a harpooned whale, mostly submerged in water. As each boat arrived closer to shore, several people went into the water and attached a tractor cable line onto the tail of the huge animal. It was then pulled out of the sea, onto the snow, and into the middle of the peninsula. Once there, I watched for many hours as the animals were ceremonially divided up, portions were given to each native family. For Inupiat people, the whale was cultural, spiritual, and also a food source. Every part of the whale was utilized.

It's possible to visit the Arctic Circle in other countries as well, including Canada, Finland, Greenland, Norway, etc. But thanks to frequent flights from Anchorage, Utqiagvik was accessible, interesting, and it could easily be combined with visits to other parts of Alaska.