Chris Burkard Instagram – 2019, Kuril Islands, Ushishir Despite exploring some of the most spectacular (and arguably some of the hardest to access) islands, hiking up sweeping Calderas, witnessing the tail end of a volcanic eruption & a pod of orcas, one of the most memorable moments of the expedition was this encounter with a fearless little arctic fox who came over to our camp & spent about an hour sniffing our bags and walking around us… maybe not his first human encounter but certainly he didn’t seem threatened. He seemed genuinely unbothered by our presence and we were happy to let him wander around so long as he didn’t eat any of our food. I was struck by his curiosity and willingness to walk right next to us… a reminder that it’s sometimes worth taking an hour or two in a place to pause and allow nature to resume around you. The small details are often as beautiful as the large ones… you just have to take a moment to notice them.