The tranquility of the Arctic was shattered on April 19, 2004 when the American fast-attack submarine USS Hampton and the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless surfaced at the "top of the world".
The bitter Atlantic winter weather can bring harsh challenges for ships navigating on the east coast of Canada. Two metre thick ice and six metre high ridges are common off the north-east coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
A personal account: "As I stood alone on the top deck in the 10pm summer daylight of northern Russia, it occurred to me that although Ihad done a few interesting things in my life, being on a nuclear icebreaker as it headed for the North Pole definitely qualified as the most unreal thing I had ever done."
"It's wet! There's water! WE'RE SINKING!" Kevin kept a firm grip on the side of the boat, and took another look. "No! We're not sinking! The water just - splashed in!"