As you might expect, Instagram accounts devoted to the Arctic feature ethereal, icy vistas and many (many) adorable polar bears. But as we found when we went digging, there’s also a lot of fascinating history and current research being shared in photos and captions.
That beautiful, pastel-colored panorama above is the Lofoten Islands of Norway. It’s a wonderland of soaring, craggy mountains, sheltered bays and open sea, quiet beaches and majestic wildlife. You can surf the waves, fish for cod, sail on a whale safari, follow in the wake of Vikings, dance in the midnight sun, and explore the northernmost contemporary art gallery on the planet.
For more Arctic miscellany, we’ve collected accounts that give us what we want — walruses, aurora borealis, crystal-blue water — along with a few surprises that made us curious about things we didn’t even know were a thing.
For images that will have you packing your bags for an excursion to Canada…
For ‘need to see it in person’ photographs of nature and the city of Tromsø, Norway…
For items in the collection of the museum devoted to Arctic exploration, cultures, and environments…
For photos of amazing wildlife from around the Arctic region…
For pictures and stories of badass women working in polar research…
For brilliant photos from Svalbard and Longyearbyen in the Arctic Circle…
For adorable photos of the majestic polar bear from an organization devoted to protecting their future…
For moody, atmospheric images and video from a photographer based in Senja island, Norway…
For portaits of racial and ethnic minorities working in the polar research field…
For historical and modern artifacts from the Polar Museum and Library at the Scott Polar Research Institute…
For images and news from an organization that delivers scientific knowledge and advice to Norwegian authorities about the Arctic and the Antarctic…
For pics from classes and the landscape at the world’s northernmost higher education institution, located in Longyearbyen, Svalbard…
And we are on Instagram at @strongsenseof, sharing travel photos, mini book reviews, and other things that delight us every day. Follow us there!
Top image courtesy of Andrei Stepanov/Shutterstock.
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