POLE POSITION

Photography and wildlife enthusiast BRIAN HOOD suits up for the Arctic chill to face off with majestic polar bears and giant walruses before they disappear forever.

The midnight sun appeared from behind a cloud and lit up the tundra in a golden hue, with the snowcapped mountains of East Fjord providing a dramatic backdrop. At the shore edge the mother bear emerged from the water, closely followed by her pair of two-year-old cubs. We had just witnessed an in-water hunt for a resting harbour seal. We had watched communication between the mother and cubs, the latter falling back a distance behind their mum while she attempted to catch the seal.

The bears had been swimming for over two hours. The seal lived to see another day. Our group on the Zodiac was ecstatic! I checked my watch; it was 3am. This was our first night on board.

The polar regions have held the same mystic allure as the oceans and rainforest do for me.

The wilderness and nature were always appealing to me when I was growing up in the countryside in the west of Scotland. Gifting myself the trip of a lifetime to experience the High Arctic was just the tonic for reaching my 45th year. Because of the pandemic, my 2020 plans were moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

Thankfully this year, in July, the 12-day expedition booked through Natural World Safaris (naturalworldsafaris.com) took place.

Svalbard was the destination. It is an archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole that has been governed by Norway since the Svalbard treaty in 1920.

It was initiated due to disputes in the mining industry and the need for a legal framework to manage t them. Situated at a latitude of 74 to 80 degrees north, this land is approximately 60 per cent covered by glaciers and home to majestic arctic wildlife, scenery and, to my surprise, some very interesting human history.

My primary objective was to see the bears.

The polar bear has become a symbol for global warming - an emotive topic that I'll come back to later. Little did I know how much I would really appreciate what else this rugged land would offer.