The Polar Sea - Season 1

Richard Tegnér and his companions begin their journey to traverse the Arctic Ocean's Northwest Passage after embarking from Reykjavik, Iceland.

With the Northwest Passage still frozen in late July, the crew prepares for the journey in a small village in Greenland while awaiting the sea's thaw.

The crew crosses Baffin Bay to uppermost Canada, where the Inuit village of Pond Inlet has a burgeoning tourist trade, thanks to global warming.

The ship heads to Lancaster Sound, an area so filled with wildlife that scientists look to it to understand the biological effects of climate change.

The grueling journey is halfway through, but even with the ice now melting, the experience proves too much for some of the group.

Along the Northwest Passage, a small coastal village proves that encroaching modern civilization and government domination don't always work.

By late August, the team is at the halfway point of its journey at Cambridge Bay, an ancient crossing place undiscovered until the 20th century.

Along the melting coastline, Tegnér and his crew see increased evidence of the effects of climate change when they observe the Arctic turning green.

As the vessel enters Alaska, the wild quality of the terrain changes: Oil rigs and minerals illustrate the stark contrast between commerce and nature.

Tegnér and his crew exit the Bering Strait to complete their journey, which has one last climate change surprise: a community sinking into the sea.