Little is known about the polar bears, walrus and whales of Russia’s Kara Sea. This spring, WWF sponsored an expedition to this remote Arctic sea, for a preliminary survey (read part 1 here). Dmitry Ryabov of WWF-Russia reports:
We load into two helicopters – next stop, latitude 80.
![Helicopter used in Kara Sea expedition © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia](http://wwf.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/4-refuel-600x400.jpg)
But first, we attach a GoPro!
![Attaching GoPro to the helicopter © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia](http://wwf.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/4-gopro-600x400.jpg)
Before we say goodbye to the land and head out to sea, we land in the middle of the tundra for refueling. Drums of fuel mar the view – a legacy of the Soviet era.
![Drums of fuel on the Russian tundra © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia](http://wwf.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/4-drums-600x400.jpg)
The locals tell us these dogs have been here all winter, on their own. What they ate remains a mystery, but we suspect they hunted Arctic foxes, which are found in these parts. Dogs are a constant presence at Arctic stations, so no doubt we’ll meet more furry friends on this trip.
![Dogs at a refueling station near the Kara Sea, Russia. © Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia](http://wwf.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/4-dogs-600x400.jpg)
Fueled up, we head out to the Kara Sea. Even for us, people who have spent much of our lives in the Arctic, the vast ice desert is mesmerizing.