WATCH: A Bird’s-Eye View Of The Arctic

by Find Your Adventure
Last updated:: 9:00 AM ET, Mon February 8, 2016

PHOTO: Beluga whales shot from above with drone technology (Courtesy Quark Expeditions)

Quark Expeditions knows there's no shortage of opportunities to experience incredible marine and land flora and fauna in the area around Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge from different perspectives. And now, seasoned wildlife photographer and Arctic Watch guide Nansen Weber has given the world an entirely new perspective, thanks to new drone technology.

His video Drone Art: Arctic Wildlife & Landscapes, featured by National Geographic as its "Video of the Week" - provides a bird's eye view of the picturesque Cunningham Inlet area of Somerset Island and its surrounding waters.

Using a drone-mounted camera over a period of four months, Weber captured stunning video of the area and its wildlife, including 100s of beluga whales frolicking in the Cunningham Delta, and a polar bear skirting icebergs on a deep water swim.

The video guides viewers down the path of a river, mere meters above the water and in the shade of towering, jagged cliffs, before propelling the vantage point sharply upward to see the rolling hills of the tundra above. Massive waterfalls streaming over steep rock walls are captured from bottom to top, thanks to the drone's unique ability to travel vertically.

Weber explained to National Geographic his motivation for creating the piece: "As Canadians, the Arctic is our backyard - one that so few know about; a hidden gem. I believe all Canadians should know more about this unique environment."

A CBC article about the video was shared over 7,000 times in social channels.