This morning, we were awakened by the loud sound of ice being crushed against our hull as we slowly entered and maneuvered through the icefield, comprising older ice pushed together by currents and newly forming ice.
The reflections of the sunrise on the ice and waters that our mighty ship had cleared was awesome to behold.
Our robust and reliable ship ploughed through the ice, accompanied by a crackling symphony of popping and banging sounds.
Having successfully navigated the North West Passage, I am now reflecting on the experience. It was wonderful….. and a picturesque sunset provided a fitting conclusion.
While the experience was great, it was somewhat disappointing wrt to ice coverage and wildlife.
However, our Captain has just informed us, in a rather assertive tone, that we will not be visiting Herschel Island or Smoking Hills due to being behind schedule and the presence of ice ahead.
This development has generated considerable excitement amongst the guests..
Ice maps would indicate that the Captain is accurate and there is ice ahead.
Cultural Performance on Board, Ulukhaktok, Nunavut, Arctic Canada.
Well, what a fun early evening! Many of the locals came on board to give us a great performance of their traditions, lots of dancing and singing. Plenty characters!
Many people watched on very happily, including guests, the crew and guides. Some guests got carried away and started dancing with the performers.
Then we had some young local athletic performers and a lead guide, Thorstain, whose dance routine was quite unique…
The remainder of our journey (6 nights) will take us through more open waters along Alaska’s Northern coast, traversing the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Bering Strait and Sea, culminating in our disembarkation in Nome, Alaska.
We arrived close to Ulukhaktok early this morning.
Cabins litter the shore, each with their unique color and flavor. It looked pretty desolate early today as the mist was low and thick. In the afternoon there was a hint of sun and things perked up a bit. Mebbies its glorious in full sun..
Some hardy golfers are off to the golf course. However, the locals have warned that they have no balls; the crew have offered to provide wee rocks – inventive as ever.
The Anglican and Catholic Churches were in great disrepair – shame on Canterbury and The Vatican for not supplying monies to these communities to rebuild their houses of worship.
Interesting road name was observed….can think of a few people who should live on that road…
A short climb up a hill rendered views of the town and graveyard as well as a lovely, sandy windswept bay.
I’ve checked the ice conditions for the rest of our route through to Nome. It looks like we might have some more ice although I would doubt it will be as dense as this morning.
Murray Island, next to Edinburgh Island, is a small, uninhabited island, home to Arctic hare and the remains of caribou and fox.
The stone cliffs were fragmented by constant seasonal freezing and thawing, resulting in a unique, cuboidal coastline reminiscent of Fingle’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa, Scotland, and the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland.
Crushed rock cliff
Our group’s kayaking excursion was a highly anticipated event, and we were thrilled to embark on this adventure in such an extraordinary location.
We disembarked from the ship on zodiacs, launching our kayaks from the mother ship and towing them behind our zodiacs, much like goslings following their mother goose.
The sea conditions were favorable, with waves reaching approximately 0.7 meters (2-3 feet) in height, allowing us to cruise comfortably close to the rocks.
I teamed up with Jonas from Sweden who proved to be an excellent Captain of our kayak, Kal-El The Kayak.
My Captain, Jonas, in rear
We paddled for ~ 3-4 km (2.5 miles)..
Guide Clarisa
We did not see any wildlife other than a large jelly fish but hidden in the depths below us would have been Kelpies, Jörmungandr and Hafgufa.
Later in the day, we smelt woodsmoke and the pleasant but unusual smell grew as we cruised West. This was apparently due to wild fires in the NE Territories – which are around 1000 km away ( 625 miles).
This woodsmoke combined with a local mist, resulting in a slightly yellow fog…
– Cruising Findlayson Islands to Murray Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada
Well what a lovely surprise!
After a beautiful sunset, the stars – 1000’s of them, carpeting the sky in a banner of jewels – were revealed.
And then! A major sun storm delivers to us the Northern Lights, while looking South! Quite delightful…..the colors dancing upon the horizon, changing and moving in a fallen curtain….
Suddenly, an Arctic Plunge of Death was announced by our Captain!
Sea temperature of 4°C / 39°F.
No problem for a Scotty used to swimming off the West Coast of Scotland with Summer temps of 11°C / 52°F. Bring it on!
And no problem for a traveler like me with two Antártica plunges already in their pants…
OK, it was going to be as friggin cold as a West Coast preacher’s ass but that would not stop us….
First, a proclamation!
And then two angles of the main event, thanks to my camera crew…
Then it was back to the zodiac and ship. The water was so clear and fresh, mixed with the after effects of the plunge it took us to the edge of tears, but we did not succumb!
And then the day ended with the beauty of a thousand sunsets…
Ungahitak Island, Findlayson Islands, Nunavut, Arctic Canada
The Captain has taken us to the uninhabited island of Ungahitak in the Finlayson Islands, a surprising detour.
Basking in sunlight, the island’s rocky shores are a sight to behold. We launched the zodiacs and went forth into the unknown – the spirit of Scotland leading our hearts and minds.
We ascended to a high point and were rewarded with breathtaking views.
The island offered us abundant ground life – sunburst lichen and others – as well as skeletons and antlers from eons ago; a treasure trove of Arctic delights.
I had anticipated our departure from Cambridge Bay last night, but this was not the case.
Apparently, we were awaiting the arrival of supplies by air, which landed around 10 am. These essential supplies, including fresh bananas, were subsequently transferred to our ship via zodiac.
Meanwhile, we embarked on zodiacs to visit the renowned Maud Memorial in Cambridge Bay. The Maud, formerly commanded by explorer Roald Amundsen, set sail from Kristiana, now Oslo, in July 1918, bound for the North Pole via the Northwest Passage. Amundsen successfully led the first expedition to navigate the Northwest Passage. However, the Maud never reached the North Pole under Amundsen’s command. Due to financial difficulties, he sold the vessel to the Hudson Bay Company in 1920, which utilized it as a floating warehouse until it sank in 1930.
The photograph depicts the wreck of the Maud as it appeared in the waters off Cambridge Bay in 2015.
Credit: Unknown
In 2016, a team of four Norwegians launched the ‘Maud Returns Home’ initiative, rescuing the Maud from the shallow coastal waters of Cambridge Bay. The Maud successfully arrived in Farsund, Norway, in August 2018.
Credit: Unknown
A stone cairn in Cambridge Bay commemorates the Maud.
As an aside, it reminds me of the cairn to commemorate the Battle of Culloden on Culloden Moor, Scotland, my birthplace.
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