At the Tundra's Edge June 22, 2008 by Ella Derbyshire

Nikon D80's

Here is a peek at the edge of the Arctic Tundra as it encounters Kotzebue Sound in the early days of summer. Protected valleys like this one still have snow, in this case, about a foot of it. But the sea is free of ice, and many local folks spent this beautiful day out fishing or hunting for seals. The tundra isn't green yet., but there are little white flowers blooming, and there is only a month or so to wait before the first of this season's Salmonberries are ready to pick.

The midnight sun circles the sky without dipping below the horizon. It's almost 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so you won't need your hat and mittens to explore. With the passing of the Summer Solstice, the sun is again approaching the horizon at night.

On the beaches south of Kotzebue, there are quite a few places where the frozen tundra is releasing dripping sheets of clay into the sea, and there are a few places like this one where warm, dry, clay banks will soon make cozy homes for the small swallows that come here every year.

Visitors are certainly welcome in Kotzebue, but few people seem to travel to places above the Arctic Circle. So please, have a look around this special place using the panoramas on this website.