In the documentary, the award-winning photographer from Steigen literally takes us on a deep dive into the world of arctic animals. – In such environments and under such conditions, you feel very much alive and in touch with nature. This is how the internationally renowned nature photographer, Audun Rikardsen, describes what it is like to be in the surroundings you see in the documentary. While he admits that it sounds like a cliché, he describes a deep fascination with feeling part of “the big whole”. Audun Rikardsen from Steigen is a nature photographer and professor of arctic and marine biology at UiT, the Arctic University of Norway Photo: Audun Rikardsen No thanks to the BBC and National Geographic The BBC and National Geographic have repeatedly tried to work with Rikardsen, but time constraints have that he had to decline. – It’s fun to be involved. But that limits the time you can spend on your own research activities, says Rikardsen. He is also a biologist and professor of Arctic and marine biology at UiT, Norway’s Arctic University. Together with the BBC, Rikardsen literally takes a deep dive into the Arctic world. Photo: Audun Rikardsen After a pandemic and a lot of planning, he finally found time to be involved. He describes that as a great honor. Rikardsen says that the series is a great way to convey the knowledge of what he is researching. – Not least, it’s good Norwegian advertising, because it’s a series that deals a lot with the Nordic region. – You feel the nature around you, you are in an open boat and in the water, you see things underwater, feel the wind and the cold. Growing up in Steigen and with a grandfather and uncle who took him whaling at an early age, Rikardsen laid the foundations for an enormous interest in animals in the sea. Photo: Audun Rikardsen – Yes, because it looks terribly cold, but maybe you’re used to that? There is no doubt that you must have a dry suit and good clothes, and Rikardsen adds that it is something you get used to. – But it was perhaps part of the film team who thought it got a little cold after a while, he chuckles. – It is important to bring out the seriousness of man-made climate change Tone Kristin Reiertsen is a seabird researcher at NINA Tromsø, and is also in the documentary. Reiertsen has known Rikardsen for a long time and says she got to test her limits in the new documentary. Photo: Tone Kristin Reiertsen / Private – It was very fun and educational. My job partly consists of communicating seabird research. They shed light on a number of issues that are important, such as climate change. Reiertsen believes it was important to contribute knowledge about puffins as a species, bird rock and how climate and environment play a role. – Why is the documentary important? – There are several aspects to it, but seabirds are the animal group that has declined the most. Puffin is a character bird that represents more than its species. Reiertsen says that it is important to bring out the causes of man-made climate change, and how serious they are. In Norway, the puffin nests from Western Norway and northwards along the entire coast. Photo: Tone Kristin Reiertsen / NINA For most people, bird cliffs are not that accessible. Reiertsen therefore believes it is important that they are shown in documentaries. – They represent a part of a nature that is threatened. – Do you think this documentary makes a difference? – The more you convey it, the greater the chance that it will go through. Important dissemination of knowledge Silje Kristiansen researches climate communication and attitudes at the Center for Climate and Energy Transition at the University of Bergen. Silje Kristiansen believes that such documentaries can contribute to increasing the chance that individuals will live more environmentally and climate-friendly. Photo: Eivind Senneset She says that media research shows that media coverage and documentaries can help influence which topics people think about. – Documentaries can increase people’s willingness to make changes in personal lifestyle, or increase support for nature conservation organisations. – It can also lead to positive attitudes and possibly make political actions more likely, says Kristiansen. At the same time, the link between what people do and the information they receive is complex and uncertain, she explains. – Does it matter if these animals are cute? The climate scientist believes that the knowledge about animals and climate change conveyed in the documentary is important. Photo: Audun Rikardsen – Pictures or depictions of animals can have an effect on people’s feelings. Whether the fact that the animals are cute can lead to behavioral change in viewers is more complex, says Kristiansen. – How important is such dissemination of knowledge? – Personally, I think it is important, but we know from research that knowledge alone rarely leads to changed habits. Despite that, she emphasizes that spreading knowledge about species and climate challenges is a step in the right direction. A bustling herring buffet is served where tropical currents collide with the Arctic Ocean. But where sea meets land, only the toughest make it.
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Audun Rikardsen is in a new BBC documentary about “The Wild North” – news Nordland
