Animalis –those animals who have survived the cold and made a permanent home this far north. The ones that learned to survive in Svalbard. Polar bears and Polar foxes that share their dna with breathern across the arctic as they migrate across the pack ice. Reindeer that have been isolated and have developed unique broad hoofs to navigate the long winters of snow covered landscape. Ring necked and Bearded seals, and walrus that rely on the land to rest and propagate, dependent on the ocean’s bounty for forage. The polar bear that patiently hunts across the frozen ice, standing to find the scent of seals, then silently swimming towards its prey. Suddenly emerging on to the ice with hopes for a meal. Or with luck, finding a smorgasbord of sperm whale beached.

Life that has been with us for a long time – evolving to endure the northern climate. Svalbard was not always this way. An ancient ammonite found on the beach, reveals a story of when all this land lay much further south in warm waters, hidden until the ocean bottoms were uplifted and the rocks exposed.

Life has a way of surviving. The Arctic fox kits, can playfully chase each other. They show inquisitiveness and discover a researcher’s pack, stealing a notebook. Not yet having experienced when the sun will leave them behind, they cavort with an innocence of the cold to come. They are able to survive and remind us of the fragility and fullness of life.