Arctic Splendor

Sailing through the High Arctic is one of my most favourite experiences that I am so fortunate to have. There is something special about the quiet tranquility of the Arctic Ocean, especially in the very early morning or late into the evenings. Most of my time in Nunavut, Canada has been during the months of July through September, during this time in the land of the Midnight Sun, the light is phenomenal!  Once we get a little later into the summer months, the sun begins to set again. Often, golden hour is more like golden hours, as sunsets and sunrises can last for hours. Truly making it a photographer’s dream. Here we have a beautiful glacial blue iceberg which was drifting down a golden Lancaster Sound at sunset.

Have you ever wondered why many icebergs are blue in colour? Icebergs that have been formed from older glaciers have little internal air or reflective surfaces. When long wavelength light from the sun hits the iceberg, it is absorbed, rather than reflected. The light transmitted or refracted through the ice returns as blue or blue-green and this is what we see.