Responsible tourism in the Antarctic & Arctic

Before they disappear

The indigenous peoples living around the Arctic Circle have battled for centuries to maintain their unique ways of life. Long threatened by colonisation and European diseases, then “development” and relocation, and even the spread of communism; today, Inuit culture is largely recognised and protected, and communities are permitted to hunt and occupy their ancestral lands. But now the lands themselves are facing a much bigger threat than ever before: climate change.

Over 150,000 Inuit are dependent on the ocean for fishing, whaling and hunting seals* – but without the ice cover to hold the land in place, the coast is eroding and villages are, literally, disappearing. The waters are rising around them and sea ice is flimsy – hunters can no longer drag their boats across it to the sea, leaving them stranded on the land and unable to sustain themselves and their families. In 2013 a community of Alaskan Inuit on the Bering Strait were described as the United States’ first “climate change refugees”, as their village succumbed to the rising waters.

Arctic drilling also poses a threat to subsistence lifestyles, as does the disappearance of the wildlife upon which these people depend. Most of us would cheer up at the thought of a longer, warmer summer, but suicide rates have rocketed amongst native Canadian and Greenlandic populations as the ice breaks up sooner each spring and the Arctic winter shrinks each year. Tragically, they are the ones paying the price of a high-consumption Western lifestyle, a lifestyle to which they never subscribed. We now know that the Arctic is warming at twice the global rate.

*Source: BBC

What you can do
Visiting an Inuit community is an eye-opening addition to your Arctic cruise itinerary. Baffin Island, Hudson Bay and Greenland are some of the best places to meet indigenous peoples – many of whom are actively involved in tourism, as a means of supplementing their income. Purchasing crafts and paying for tours or demonstrations can make a big difference to a struggling family.

Keep your distance from the wildlife, including seals, penguins and other birds. However, the animals themselves aren’t aware of these regulations, and are also not afraid of humans. If you position yourself quietly, they may well approach you, which is fine. However, you must never touch, feed or obstruct them or use flash photography, and noise should be kept to a minimum. Contamination by “alien matter” is a real threat to fragile ecosystems, in the form of seeds, plants and foreign bacteria. In Antarctica, boats will provide special boots which must be worn during shore visits, which are disinfected between each excursion to reduce the chances of contamination. To support polar research, including monitoring climate change, you can make a donation to the Scott Polar Research Institute. Most vessels have expert guides onboard – wildlife photographers and filmmakers, divers, geologists, polar scientists, historians and geographers. These are an unbelievable source of information – travellers are advised to make the most of it! Norway is one of just three countries which still allows commercial whaling, contravening the International Whaling Commission’s commercial whaling moratorium. Whale meat is still served across Norway, including Svalbard. In Greenland, whale hunting is permitted as a subsistence practice by indigenous whalers. However, it’s now being sold to tourists – increasing demand. We do not recommend eating whale meat as it is a direct threat to whale species. As always, be respectful of any communities you visit. You may not like the idea of hunting seals, whales or polar bears for subsistence purposes – but keep an open mind, and be prepared to learn from your Arctic hosts. Always ask permission before taking pictures. Purchasing Inuit crafts and taking tours with local guides contributes to local income and livelihoods– and helps people remain in these isolated rural areas rather than migrating to the cities. There are several natural parks, designated wilderness areas and wildlife refuges in the Arctic – each will have its own set of visitor guidelines. Be sure to familiarise yourself with these – your guide will also advise on behaviour within the park. In general, take nothing with you, leave nothing behind and keep to designated trails. The Polar Regions have an exceptionally short season for regeneration each year – even the most minor damage to vegetation and lichen can take decades to recover from. As tour operators often work in both the Antarctic and the Arctic (the same vessels are used as the season alternates), many in both destinations are members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO). This promotes good practices, training and environmental protection – so we highly recommend travelling with an operator who belongs to IAATO. You can download their visitor guidelines for more information.