Follow acclaimed nature photographer Ian Shive on a daring expedition through one of the world’s most remote places—Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, in his latest documentary series The Last Unknown.

The Aleutian Islands, located between Siberia and Alaska, remain one of the most inaccessible and wild locations on the planet. Comprised of over 2,500 islands, most with no docks, trails, or resources, it’s a place few people have ever seen. In a new nature special, award-winning photographer Ian Shive takes viewers on his daring journey through the high seas to the Aleutian Islands. Along with Ian, joins a team of leading scientists with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to document their findings, share their stories, and learn first-hand about the ecosystems and species that make up the Aleutian Chain.

The islands are not only protected by remote isolation but also as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The Last Unknown gives viewers an up-close look at the Aleutian’s diverse array of wildlife and unique rugged landscape.

This isn’t your typical wildlife documentary, but a groundbreaking, wild adventure that intertwines the human experience of going where few people have ever been before, and the emotionally charged, life-changing moments that can only happen when you stand amidst some of the most spectacular wildlife spectacles on Earth,” Shive said.

The special traces some of the world’s most impressive marine mammals including pods of orca, humpback whales and one of the planet’s largest colony of northern fur seals that face off to protect their territory. Once hunted to the edge of extinction for their fur, northern fur seals have made a recent comeback, though still vulnerable, as a result of extensive conservation efforts focusing on protection of their breeding grounds.

The thousands of islands that make up the Aleutian Chain support millions of iconic seabirds, many of which are threatened by the presence of invasive rodents. The 2008 operation to remove invasive rats from Hawadax Island, formerly known as “Rat Island,” has shown the dramatic impact that this can have on birds and the intertidal marine ecosystem. Ecosystems and wildlife across the archipelago on islands such as Kiska, Attu, and Amchitka are expected to benefit greatly from the removal of invasive species—securing habitat and restoring natural systems. Cynthia Martinez, Chief of the National Wildlife refuge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes the abundance of life on these islands, saying:

Watching swirling clouds of tiny seabirds at Kiska Island is one of the most awe-inspiring wildlife spectacles I have ever seen…I’m excited that viewers will get to experience the beauty of the Aleutian Chain, the traditional homelands of the Unangax̂ people.”

As a photographer, author, film and television producer, conservationist, and educator, Ian’s work has been influential in spreading the vital message of conservation. In 2019, Ian led several expeditions to some of the world’s most remote coral atolls for the film, Hidden Pacific, which he directed and produced. Ian’s newest project, The Last Unknown airs Thursday, March 18 on Discovery+.