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This morning’s Journal Postings have arrived and been added to the bottom of June 22nd ...
(Posted 10:00 am EST)
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June 23, 2004 (9:30am)
Geoff
The floe edge came to life yesterday! The strong winds blew our all the loose pack ice and opened up the sea. However the winds continued to blow hard, whipping up the waves, and making the wildlife sighting difficult. But our good kharma was working, because as we were heading back to camp along the along the floe edge in the Komatics we spotted Narwhals!! What a sight. About 30 or more whales very close to the edge. I don't have time to say more right now, but yesterday was a great day. We even got out into the kayaks along the floe edge. Wow…
This morning is another magic day. Sunshine, blue skies and not a breath of wind. We've just had our French toast for breakfast and a lecture by David about Arctic wildlife. He showed the students his incredible collection of specimens he has collected over the last 40 years. We're now packing up to head back out to the Floe Edge where we'll spend the day searching for whales, seals, seabirds and bears. It is also going to be just a great day for everyone to soak in this incredible place and try to digest just where we are. The students have learned a lot this last week, and it will take a long time for it all to sink in. This expedition is really just the beginning. Sometimes you just need to stop and think about where you are and what you're doing. So that will be encouraged today as we stand on top of the Arctic Ocean.
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UPDATE (Posted 1:45 pm EST)
Geoff, Rachell, Teddy - by phone
Hello everyone, we are well and calling while standing on about 4 feet of thick Ocean ice right next to the floe edge. We are waiting to spot some more Narwhales or a polar bear ... all the while - we have a seal and some thick-billed Murres to entertain us. We’ve been investigating some jellyfish ... clear, orange flecked ... that, thankfully, did not sting us!
It is a spectacular day --- no wind, sunny, gorgeous - we even woke to it being ‘hot’ in our tents.
This is such an awsome expereince ... everyone is still really ‘pumped’ --- such a good feeling to be learning so much while having such fun, forming friendships and new perspectives on culture and the enviroment.
This afternoon we will (try posting up some more images, sorry they are not all getting through!) be going kayaking again ... and we will be doing some hiking over to Bylot Island. Then it’s back to base camp for our last night of camping at the floe edge. (Tomorrow afternoon we will be heading back to Pond Inlet - where we will spend the entire day friday, with a whole slate of activities planned.)
Teddy said he was feeing some apprehension about leaving this awesome experience. And Rachell ssaid to say “Hi mom”!
Check in later or first thing tomorrow for photos and some of this evenings Journal Entries.
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JOURNAL ENTRIES
June 23rd (Posted Thur. June 24th, 11:15 am EST)
Geoff
Where to start?! It was another incredible day. In all honesty today was one of those rare days where you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Of course our "good kharma" helped. Blue skies, sunshine, not a single cloud and not a breath of wind. It is difficult to put a day like today into words but here goes…
We started the day with our morning routine of breakfast, followed by a lecture. It was David Gray's turn to talk about Land and Sea Mammals and their uses. It was complete with a "show and tell" of items that David has collected over his years working in the Arctic. It was such a gorgeous morning that we moved the chairs out of the tent and set-up the outdoor classroom on ice. So cool to see our motto "the greatest classroom on earth" in action!
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After David's talk we packed up and hopped into the Komatics to head out to the Floe Edge. We arrived to find an Arctic Ocean that was calm as a pond and for the rest of the day Mother Nature put on a show! Off on the horizon it was virtually impossible to distinguish where the sea ended and the sky began. I have rarely seen the Arctic Ocean so peaceful and calm. The surrounding mountains of Baffin and Bylot Islands looked soft and surreal and would have made the Group of Seven rush for their brushes. In every direction there was a magical vista. With the sun beating down on us it almost felt like a day at the beach! The sunscreen was flowing at the floe… For the next five hours we just stayed at the floe edge and soaked it in. The thick-billed Murres entertained us as they swam under the edge of the floe edge in search of food. The water was so clear that we could look over the edge and see the birds flying under water. The sounds of the birds and the silence was wonderful and peaceful. We used the hydrophones to listen to the sounds of the seals and whales. We played soccer and Ultimate on the biggest playing field you could possibly imagine! The students took turns driving the snowmobiles. We did some Plankton tows and collected some wild looking jellyfish! A delicious lunch was served and then we all took time to sit in silence on our own soaking it in. It is amazing to think that we are standing on four feet of sea ice with hundreds of fathoms of ocean beneath us.
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After our group photo at the floe we loaded up the Komatics and traveled back to camp. En route was an epic snowball fight between the Komatics that last over 4-5 miles! A quick turn around in camp and then we took off again to do some more kayaking and hiking. We returned to camp for a well-deserved dinner at about 8:00pm. Then after dinner there was quite a bit of commotion outside the camp. One of our Inuk guides had gone out hunting for a seal with Lily and they were successful. It was a ringed seal, Lily's first, and quite an exciting moment for her. It was interesting to witness the mixed feelings and emotions in our group upon seeing the seal and processing their thoughts about the hunt. The overwhelming consensus was that this is big part of the Inuit culture and traditional knowledge. It is also a sustainable hunt and I was proud of our group for showing a respect and understanding for this land and its people. The experience for our group was a valuable lesson and served as another example of how disconnected we have become back home from our natural world. We stood in awe as Thomas cleaned the seal and the skin with precision and skill of an elder hunter. Our Inuk guides and even some of our students and staff sampled some raw seal meat. Every part of the seal will be used and nothing will be wasted over the next few days.
The days are definitely long here, and at 10:00pm we had a great presentation about Climate Change by Ingrid. Afterwards Geoff talked about the One-Tonne Challenge and how we can all take action to help stop Climate Change, and in general protect our environment. Being here in the Arctic has given our group a unique perspective as to the importance taking action. We've seen how important the ice is for the wildlife and people of the Arctic. We've witnessed how the entire food web is interconnected and how it relies so heavily on the sea ice. We've thought about our over-consumptive and unsustainable our lives are back home. I think the students have realized how much our actions in the South have an impact here in the North. Before we left Ottawa, the students were given a presentation about the One-Tonne Challenge, and now you can see just how inspired they are to make a difference. The OTC shows so many easy things people can be doing to reduce their greenhouse gases. The question is, "Why aren't we all doing it?" In the next few days, we've decided to produce a document that explains our feelings and ideas on taking action. And this isn't just about trying to slow down Climate Change. It is also about living in a more sustainable way and protecting the ecosystems (clean air and water) that we all need to survive. Once finished we'll post up on our website.
One initiative that Students on Ice has taken the last two years is a carbon-offset program with the Tree Canada Foundation. During our Arctic Expedition, we will calculate all the fossil fuels we burned (airplanes, cars, snowmobiles, generator). Then using the TCF carbon calculator, we'll find out the equivalent number of trees that will need to be planted to offset the carbon burned. These trees will then be planted on behalf of our SOI group by the Tree Canada Foundation. This is not a solution, but it is an example of how we can be creative to lessen our ecological footprint in what we do.
Well, after all that, believe it or not, our day was not over. At 11:00pm we headed off on a "Midnight Sun" hike up the valley behind our camp. We some more old Thule sites, Bowhead whale bones, Snow Geese, beautiful Arctic flowers, a glacial stream, and a view to knock your hiking boots off! It was a great way to wrap up an amazing day.
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Teddy
So today is our last full day on the floe edge, which is a discomforting thought. C'est la vie. Yesterday we saw a very large pod of narwhal at the floe edge, which has made my entire trip, so that is an accentuated positive. There were approximately thirty whales, one of which was the apparent male as he had the large tusk that we could see, as well there was a baby swimming with it's mother. The real magic was that the whales were feeding up against the ice edge so they were only about ten feet away at the closest. It was really a great experience. Our fearless arctic explorer Geoff told us that we were truly fortunate as they are very skittish whales (as they are prey animals) whereas I have only been privy to the experience of the fearless Orca in the Antarctic. They really seemed to take no notice of us, which was neat as the Orca showed a keen interest in investigating the SOI team in the Zodiacs. It's an amazing experience to see these great animals in the flesh, free and untainted by the smothering backdrop of civilization and aquariums.
The past two days have been lovely, blue skies and warm days. Both yesterday and today some of us hiked to the top of the hills overlooking Pond Inlet, a truly mesmerizing sight. We spent our last hours at the floe edge- which has become significantly closer over our days here, starting at four kilometers away, and now just under one kilometer - with an entire day spent there, just sponging it all in, but also playing lots of games on the ice. We went kayaking both yesterday and today, which was a lovely way to find solitude in this place, which is so alive, a moment just to reflect and introspect. No polar bear yet, but there is always the hope that I'll be attacked in my sleep and everyone will get some great pictures! Currently I am sitting in the dining tent with a happy tummy and wearing very holy holey socks. Till next time,
P.S. happy belated father's day, luv you Daddy.
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Rachell Ellerbeck
Today was a bittersweet moment for everyone. It was the last full day on the ever growing flow edge and although its nice to go home our camp has become second home to us. We spent this last full day doing all are favorite arctic activities such as whale watching, plankton tows, listening to the sounds of seals and whales, hiking our beloved hill behind our camp and even kayaking. The day has been jam packed with activities but we also had the chance to step back from all the action and reflect. I myself took this time to reflect on all the information I had learned and what purpose it will serve me in the future. The best answer I could come up with is although this information probably have a distinct affect on my studies, but perhaps have more affect on my personal self; The quiet moments, the laughs, and the chance to discuss issues with peers and with mentors has aloud me to collect and organize some of my thoughts.
Some of my thoughts of course are reflecting to how I got to this point in my life my family friends and everyone that has helped me to learn are the main reasons for this. Certainly for this trip I think to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society that have sponsored me to come on this trip. Its definitely a privilege because well I am celebrating a landscape that is fresh out of a national geographic magazine they are celebrating there 75 anniversary. Together we are celebrating the same thing; We are celebrating the promotion of the environment and learning about different places and there culture. I give my congratulations to the society and give them my thanks for helping me to celebrate their anniversary in style.
Well must go eat my supper. Keep on smiling. |
