Arctic treasure quest as the sea ice retreats

For centuries, intrepid explorers went in search of Arctic treasure — but pursued only a mirage. From the time of Marco Polo, numerous expeditions were made to map a mythical Northwest Passage between east and west, but many ended in tragedy and a viable route was never found. Others vainly scoured neighbouring lands for fabulous gems. Martin Frobisher, for example, sailed there in 1577 to find gold but returned only with worthless iron pyrite — infuriating Queen Elizabeth, who lost a large investment.

Today, however, hopes are raised that climate change could at last make such dreams a reality. Many scientists are convinced that, as the ice retreats, the region can soon be properly explored and vast natural resources exploited. And there is speculation that before long the Northwest Passage and Russia’s Northern Sea Route could offer cargo ships a shortcut to the Far East, bypassing the Suez and Panama canals.