Even more from our polar bear trip!

Here are a few more pictures from our polar bear trip to Kaktovik, Alaska.

 First, a little background on this village.

 It has a population of around 250 people.

 Kaktovik is an Inupiat village located on Barter Island.

 This island is found in the Northeast corner of Alaska near the Canadian border.

Kaktovik is a very isolated place!

 However, this remoteness allows the residents to maintain their Eskimo traditions.

These people are very dependent on the subsistence lifestyle with caribou and whale being the primary meats they rely upon for survival.

 Another interesting fact is that Kaktovik lies within the boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

ANWR contains nearly 20 million acres. It is the largest wildlife refuge in the country. Kaktovik is one of only two villages located within the refuge.



 Check out this big boy!

 Sometimes, we just floated along in the water as the bears walked along the shore.

 More pics to come!