Arctic from Above

Liz Bonnin journeys to one of the planet’s remaining vast wildernesses in Svalbard. There she comes face‑to‑face with the caribou herd, rappels down a sheer cliff to study the elusive gyrfalcons and joins local teams in hauling in seals in the remote Arctic landscape of Svalbard.

The episode is a nature programme fronted by Liz Bonnin, taking viewers into one of the planet’s remaining vast wilderness areas. In this installment she journeys to a remote Arctic region, offering a close‑up look at the environment that still feels largely untouched. The setting provides a backdrop for her investigations into the wildlife that thrives there. During her visit, Bonnin comes directly into contact with a herd of caribou, observing their behaviour in the open tundra. She then descends a sheer cliff face by abseiling, a technique that lets her get within range of gyrfalcons nesting high above. The presenter also lends a hand in the traditional practice of catching seals, working alongside locals in Svalbard to understand how the animals are harvested. The episode strings these experiences together, highlighting the rugged beauty of Svalbard’s landscape and the species that depend on it. By combining wildlife observation with hands‑on activities, the programme gives a practical sense of how people interact with the Arctic environment. Throughout, Bonnin’s on‑screen presence ties the various segments into a coherent glimpse of life in one of Earth’s last great wildernesses. Viewers get a sense of the daily rhythms that shape life up north, from the migration of caribou to the precarious cliff‑side nests of gyrfalcons and the seal‑catching routines that sustain local communities.