National Geographic News reported on March 30 that, based on satellite imagery taken in September 2005, Arctic ice "was at its lowest level in some 50 years of observation." That, supposedly, serves as incontrovertible evidence that global warming is a real threat. "The dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice in recent years is the result of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions," National Geographic worriedly reported.

While global warming advocates are eager to point to ice loss that occurred, naturally enough, after months of summer weather, they don't seem overly eager to draw attention to the extent of polar ice after months of winter weather. In fact, after months of Arctic cold, naturally enough, sea ice off the coast of Alaska dips far to the south.

Illustrating that fact is the recent plight of several ships just off the coast of St. Paul Island, an island in the Pribilof chain of islands some 250 to 300 miles north of the Aleutians. Familiar to fans of the Discovery Channel program "Deadliest Catch," St. Paul is a frequent port of call for the boats of Alaska's crab fishing fleet. Ironically enough, just one day after National Geographic worried about the loss of Arctic ice, the Anchorage Daily News was reporting that several crab boats were icebound not far from St. Paul. According to the report, "Three Bering Sea crab boats and two ships were stuck in sea ice late Wednesday, and nervous crews were hoping the wind and tide would soon shift the ice pack and free the vessels."

Even though St. Paul island lies far south of the usual location of the ice pack, one of the icebound captains indicated that it is not uncommon for the ice to descend nearly all the way to the island. According to the Anchorage paper, "Ian Pitzman [Captain of one of the icebound boats] said boats getting hung in the ice outside St. Paul harbor, which often ices up in winter, is hardly unprecedented."

It's one thing to hear about winter in the Bering Sea, but another thing to experience it. Since that's something most people in the lower 48 states and Hawaii don't normally have the opportunity to do, a pair of young Coast Guard sailors have thoughtfully posted a video depicting their recent cruise through Bering's icy waters.

The video, entitled Bering Sea Ice Age was filmed on March 6. The short film will not be mistaken for the latest Hollywood blockbuster and it features a bit of salty language (it was produced by sailors after all), but it amply illustrates the fact that, global warming or not, the Arctic is cold!