Since the United States purchased Alaska from Russia, the Coast Guard has been a leader in the exploration of the Arctic region. On the first cruises in Alaskan waters, vessels of the United States Revenue Cutter Service carried geologists and surveyors who helped chart the new unexplored territory. Today, the Coast Guard continues to carry scientific teams to the North Pole aboard the Cutter Healy. Here, polar bears stand watch as the Healy breaks ice. The cutter is the nation’s largest and most technologically advanced icebreaker as well as the service’s largest vessel. The Healy is homeported in Seattle, Washington. US Coast Guard Art Program 2019 Collection, Ob ID# 201933, "Sharing the ice," Robert Tandecki, mixed media, 11 x 14
