Waypoints Global Spring 2018 - 7

O h W h e re , O h W h e re a re
th e P o la r B e a rs

9

It fe lt im p o rta n t to c ro ss o ff m y
A rc tic 's B ig F iv e (p o la r b e a r, h u m p b a c k w h a le , A rc tic h a re , m u sk o x a n d
b e lu g a ) a n d c o m p a re it to m y
A fric a 's B ig F iv e (w h ic h I a c c o m p lish e d in 2 0 0 9 ). T h e re w e re h ig h
e x p e c ta tio n s o f se e in g a p o la r b e a r,
b u t th e y w e re fe w a n d fa r b e tw e e n ,
h o w e v e r in th e e n d , w e d id sp o t 1 2 ,
m o stly fro m a fa r. C h e c k !
T h is trip a lso o ffe re d sig h tin g s o f
se v e ra l o th e r m a m m a ls in c lu d in g
m in k e w h a le s, h a rb o u r se a ls a n d a sin g le le m m in g . B ird -lo v e rs o n b o a rd
sp o tte d n e a rly 4 0 sp e c ie s fro m A rc tic
te rn s to T h a y e r's g u lls. C h e c k , c h e c k !

G e m s fro m o u r P a s t.
H o p e fo r th e F u tu re

w ith n o ra d io c o n ta c t a n d a y e a rly
d e liv e ry o f p ro v isio n s. T o d a y , th e
d ila p ita te d b u ild in g re m a in s sta n d in g
a lo n g w ith th re e g ra v e s.
B e e c h e y Isla n d w a s liv in g p ro o f
o f F ra n k lin 's d e m ise . T h e fo u r g ra v e s
th e re b ro u g h t a n u n c o m m o n sile n c e
a m o n g u s th a t w a s th a n k fu lly b ro k e n b y th e v o ic e o f K e n M c G o o g a n
re g a lin g h is o w n sto ry o f th e N o rth w e st P a ssa g e .
A fte r a ra th e r so m b re w a lk th ro u g h
sn o w fla k e s a n d a b itte r b re e z e , w e re lo a d e d o u rse lv e s in to th e Z o d ia c s,
re a d y to g o h o m e . R e e B re n n in -H o u sto n h a d a n o th e r id e a . H e a d in g a w a y
fro m th e sh ip (w h e re w a rm th , a c u p
o f h o t te a a n d b isc u its w e re w a itin g ),
m a n y o f u s fo u n d o u rse lv e s su rro u n d e d b y a flo te o f b e lu g a w h a le s,
d isg u ise d so w e ll a s to b e c o n fu se d
w ith th e lo w -ly in g ic e b e rg s a ro u n d
th e m . A t o n e p o in t, w e c o u n te d 1 3 .
F o rt R o ss w a s h o m e to th e la st
H u d so n 's B a y T ra d in g P o st b u ilt in
th e A rc tic . A fte r 1 1 y e a rs, it w a s
c lo se d d u e to ic e re stric tin g tra v e l
a n d tra d e . T h e m a in b u ild in g still
sta n d s a n d is so m e tim e s u se d a s a
b a se c a m p fo r re se a rc h sc ie n tists a n d
so m e v e ry b ra v e sa ilo rs.

E v e ry d a y , g e o lo g ists, z o o lo g ists,
n a tu ra lists, h isto ria n s, p h o to g ra p h e rs, d o c u m e n ta ria n s, a u th o rs, b io lo g ists, a n d sc ie n tists w o u ld te a c h
u s w ith im m e a su ra b le p a ssio n a b o u t
th e re g io n w e w e re so v e ry b le sse d
to e x p lo re .
A le a d e r a n d p o litic a l a c tiv ist, a
c u ltu ra list, a n e d u c a to r, a m u sic ia n ,
a n d tw o a rc h a e o lo g ic a l m e n te e s, a ll
fro m N u n a v it w e re a lso p re se n t to
sh a re th e ir sto rie s a n d te a c h u s m o re
a b o u t th e w a y o f life a s it is to d a y a t
7 0 d e g re e s n o rth o f th e e q u a to r.
T h e ir sto rie s c a m e to life d u rin g d a y

v isits to U q su q tu u q (G jø a H a v e n )
a n d C a m b rid g e B a y .
O u r 1 7 -d a y itin e ra ry w a s d e sig n e d
to m a x im iz e o u r A rc tic e x p e rie n c e ,
ja m -p a c k e d w ith k n o w le d g e -sh a rin g ,
sto ry -te llin g a n d e n te rta in m e n t. T h is
jo u rn e y is n o t fo r th e fa in t o f h e a rt,
h o w e v e r fo r a n y o n e w h o c a re s to
d a re , it w ill e x p a n d y o u r h o riz o n s,
w a rm y o u r h e a rt a n d le a v e a la stin g
im p a c t o n N u n a v it a n d o n y o u .
Q a k u g u tta u q .
w w w .a d v e n t u r e c a n a d a .c o m

10

w w w .w a y p o in t s g lo b a l.c o m

7
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Waypoints Global Spring 2018
