Duality: Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora Winner. Although it’s not the country’s best-known destination, Norway’s Senja Island is quickly growing in popularity. One mountain in particular is largely responsible for that fame. Towering nearly 650 meters (2,100 feet) above the sea, Segla is a peak that epitomizes the ruggedness and wildness of northern Norway. Here, reindeer still roam the tundra while humpback whales, orcas, and sea eagles pursue herring along narrow fjords. Until recently, these ecosystems, which provide sustenance and safe haven for wildlife as well as livelihoods for many Norwegians, were at risk from a fossil fuel industry seeking another kind of bounty. Then, in April of this year, Norway’s Labour Party, the country’s parliamentary majority, surprised many by committing to permanently protect Senja and nearby islands and waterways in the Norwegian Arctic from oil drilling and exploration—a move that promises to keep these wild places wild for generations to come.
Photo : Armand Sarlangue / BigPicture Photography Competition
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2019/05/winners-2019-bigpicture-natural-world-photography-competition/588796/
