Episode Information

In peak season, the Arctic ice cap covers an area roughly the size of the United States. No one had ever sailed full circle around the perimeter of this frozen sea, until now. Together with a team of scientists, naturalists and explorers from 17 countries, we set off on an epic 13,000 mile voyage —the world’s first circumnavigation of the Arctic.

Along the way, our crew meet the rare inhabitants of this frozen land: traditional Inuit communities struggling to maintain their way of life and lonesome researchers manning isolated observation stations – all in the name of science. But the most spectacular residents to be found here are animals with the amazing ability to thrive in one of the most extreme climates on earth. We encounter polar bears, walrus colonies, herds of musk ox, and a spectacular gathering of nearly 400 white beluga whales.

Sixty days and 24 time zones later, the Kapitan Dranitsyn, its crew and passengers have come full circle around the frozen Arctic to claim their place in history.