Day 17 - Ottawa to Winnipeg

I’m home! After hundreds of hugs and teary goodbyes were said and done, I finally arrived back in Winnipeg safe and sound. It was quite the emotional day saying our farewells. It’s amazing how quickly this group of students bonded in such a short time, and it wasn’t easy to watch these new-found friends depart. With luck, Facebook and other social networking sites will allow everyone to keep in touch for a long time, but the reality is that this may be the last time many of them see each other.

Luckily, we all have our shared experience together that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. In retrospect, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do with this adventure, as I hope all the students did. For 12 days, we explored the Arctic like few other people in this world have had the chance to do. Rather than reading about the effects of climate change on the poles through second-hand websites, magazines and books, we got to see and hear about it first-hand.

From Inuit elders to Arctic Circle hikes to zodiac trips around sea ice, evidence of global warming was all around us. And while there is no doubt that a portion of it is natural, much of it is man-made. The community of Pangnirtung felt it when the permafrost exposed by heavy rains last year, flooding the town and washing out bridges two summers ago.

Students On Ice founder Geoff Green labels the students who participate in the expedition and others their age “Generation G” for generosity, graciousness and other positive g-words. And although each of these students is committed to doing what they can to educate and counteract climate change, it’s everyone that has to make some changes in the way they live. Otherwise, places like the Arctic will continue to be drastically affected. And that would be a shame.

“O lands! O all so dear to me – what you are, I become part of that, whatever it is,” said Walt Whitman. It’s safe to say that I now have “ice in my veins”, as the saying goes. Having been to this beautiful and fascinating part of our planet, I feel like I’m a part of it now, and it a part of me. I can’t wait to go back.

But as much as the Arctic became a part of me, it was the people that I experienced it with that had the greatest effect on me. From the fantastic staff, scientists and fellow educators to the amazing students, I will miss each and every one of them. In some cases, like the staff, I hope our paths will cross again, perhaps on future SOI expeditions.

As for the students, I hope to see some again in the future. Already, I’ve planned to make some joint presentations with my fellow Winnipegger, student Susan Nanthasit. But in most cases, I expect I will hear more about them as a result of their successes in life, which I know will be plentiful.

To any of the students reading this, please know this. You were the most talented, dedicated, diverse, exhausting, interesting and funny group of young adults I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with. Although I was supposed to be an educator on this trip, it was you who educated me and I thank you for it.

I urge you to never lose that enthusiasm and passion that you all exhibited on this adventure. As you go through life, build upon what you have gained from the experience and continue to make the world a better place. I know my world is a better place having gone through this experience with you all.

And so this brings to an end my blog for this amazing Arctic expedition. Thank you to all who read it. It’s tempting to end with a quote about the voyage having come to an end, but really it hasn’t. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing,” according to Helen Keller. So let the adventure… continue!

Day 17 - Ottawa to Winnipeg

I’m home! After hundreds of hugs and teary goodbyes were said and done, I finally arrived back in Winnipeg safe and sound. It was quite the emotional day saying our farewells. It’s amazing how quickly this group of students bonded in such a short time, and it wasn’t easy to watch these new-found friends depart. With luck, Facebook and other social networking sites will allow everyone to keep in touch for a long time, but the reality is that this may be the last time many of them see each other.

Luckily, we all have our shared experience together that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. In retrospect, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do with this adventure, as I hope all the students did. For 12 days, we explored the Arctic like few other people in this world have had the chance to do. Rather than reading about the effects of climate change on the poles through second-hand websites, magazines and books, we got to see and hear about it first-hand.

From Inuit elders to Arctic Circle hikes to zodiac trips around sea ice, evidence of global warming was all around us. And while there is no doubt that a portion of it is natural, much of it is man-made. The community of Pangnirtung felt it when the permafrost exposed by heavy rains last year, flooding the town and washing out bridges two summers ago.

Students On Ice founder Geoff Green labels the students who participate in the expedition and others their age “Generation G” for generosity, graciousness and other positive g-words. And although each of these students is committed to doing what they can to educate and counteract climate change, it’s everyone that has to make some changes in the way they live. Otherwise, places like the Arctic will continue to be drastically affected. And that would be a shame.

“O lands! O all so dear to me – what you are, I become part of that, whatever it is,” said Walt Whitman. It’s safe to say that I now have “ice in my veins”, as the saying goes. Having been to this beautiful and fascinating part of our planet, I feel like I’m a part of it now, and it a part of me. I can’t wait to go back.

But as much as the Arctic became a part of me, it was the people that I experienced it with that had the greatest effect on me. From the fantastic staff, scientists and fellow educators to the amazing students, I will miss each and every one of them. In some cases, like the staff, I hope our paths will cross again, perhaps on future SOI expeditions.

As for the students, I hope to see some again in the future. Already, I’ve planned to make some joint presentations with my fellow Winnipegger, student Susan Nanthasit. But in most cases, I expect I will hear more about them as a result of their successes in life, which I know will be plentiful.

To any of the students reading this, please know this. You were the most talented, dedicated, diverse, exhausting, interesting and funny group of young adults I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with. Although I was supposed to be an educator on this trip, it was you who educated me and I thank you for it.

I urge you to never lose that enthusiasm and passion that you all exhibited on this adventure. As you go through life, build upon what you have gained from the experience and continue to make the world a better place. I know my world is a better place having gone through this experience with you all.

And so this brings to an end my blog for this amazing Arctic expedition. Thank you to all who read it. It’s tempting to end with a quote about the voyage having come to an end, but really it hasn’t. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing,” according to Helen Keller. So let the adventure… continue!

Days 15 and 16 Nannuk Harbour, Iqaluit and Ottawa

First off, apologies for not sending a report for yesterday. I’ll recap it (and today) in a minute, but it was simply so packed with activities, there was no time. Where to start… ah yes, Nannuk Harbour. Our last landing of the adventure was a nice little spot on the south coast of Baffin Island. It was easy to feel a bit of a “been there, done that” attitude – same plants, same rocks, same landscape.

But luckily, there was none of that going on. First off, there were polar bears everywhere. Reports were at least eight of them including a cub were either walking or sleeping in the near vicinity. So, we did some group activities until our intrepid armed watchers gave us the all clear for a hike. Yes, I said hike. Because the Geoff Green Center for Weight Loss doesn’t stop just because it’s our last landing.

The hike was good, although the crisp wind meant the layers stayed on. Which meant some serious sweating was going on in my case. But that’s ok… I can’t wait to get home to a scale to see if this did any good for me.

We ended up at a geographical survey marker placed on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Hudson Strait. There we pretty much did one big huge group hug in one different form or another. It was a special moment for everyone and a lot of fun. There’s a lot I will miss about the Arctic tundra – the ever-changing terrain, the surprising palette of colours and the overall feeling that we are someplace special that needs to be taken care of by all of us.

The afternoon and evening was spent packing and celebrating our last evening on the ship. It was filled with activities like thank yous for the crew of the Orlova, games, awards, a talent show, slide show and a special appearance by the “rock” band Geoff and the G.G.’s. Ah, you had to be there. There was laughter and there were tears; and overall it was a truly special time that I will remember for the rest of my life.

This morning, we were up early (ugh) to disembark and head to Iqaluit, the modern and modest capital of Nunavut. It was weird to be back to civilization as my cell phone announced a text message for the first time in two weeks. Arriving on shore, it took some time to re-acclimate to paved roads, car alarms and debit cards (what’s my PIN?!)

Iqaluit was charming and we got a tour of the Legislative Assembly courtesy of Her Honour, Ann Hanson, the Commissioner of Nunavut. Madame Hanson was supposed to accompany us on the voyage, but we never made it to the port where she was to join us. But she quickly regaled us with stories and descriptions of her life. Then it was off to the visitor center, local museum and finally to a BBQ lunch.

And then it was time to say goodbye to some of our friends as we arrived at the airport. Many of our northern students and staff were flying out of Iqaluit, instead of going all the way back to Ottawa. It was a heavily emotional time for all, with hardly a dry eye around, and I imagine it will be a fraction of the emotions that will come out Thursday morning as we all separate for the final time.

Tonight is some informal time back at Carleton University in Ottawa before our flights, trains, busses and car rides home tomorrow. I hope to do one more entry for this blog before signing off, so stay tuned.

John Keats said, “Much have I traveled in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen…” I have seen many goodly states and kingdoms over the past two weeks. Now all that’s left are the memories, and for one more night, the people I have shared them with. I’ve gotta a feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a good good night…

Day 12 - Off the coast of Monumental Island

The name of the island we’ve been traveling past today says it all – it’s been one monumental day. After a beautiful night’s sleep anchored in the harbour of our temporarily-named Students On Ice Fjord, we set sail in the search of some more wildlife.

Since we weren’t expected to see much of anything all morning, it was workshop time for all students. As we settled into what was sure to be a dynamic session on Climate Change skepticism, the call came over the intercom – a bowhead whale had surfaced just a few feet off our bow. Out we raced, with the hopes of getting another close-up glance of these so-far elusive creatures.

Unfortunately, it was not to be, as the whale quickly disappeared. But our disappointment was short-lived as we spotted another of wildlife checklist that we had yet to see – walrus. Most were fairly skittish and slid off into the ice as we approached, but those lucky enough to have binoculars or zoom lenses caught some good glimpses. There were also reports of polar bears and seals in the area.

As we headed back in to complete the workshops, our session leader, Eric, announced that the remainder of the workshop was cancelled. It didn’t take us long to figure out why… Eric is also one of our zodiac drivers – we were off to play in the ice!

I’ve quickly come to the conclusion that this is one of my favorite activities on this expedition. Landings are great, and so are ship-board activities and community visits – but nothing gets me going as much as the chance to slalom through the sea ice. As excited as I was, I had no idea what was about to happen.

We were the second group out this time (we alternate each trip) and as the other group came back, we heard whispers of a polar bear eating a seal or walrus. Excitedly, we clambored aboard zodiacs to see if we could catch this rare event.

And catch it we did.

Our driver, Benoit, was the first to have spotted it in the early group. He headed straight back towards the site, with bergy bits flying past us mere inches away from our zodiac. And there it was. A beautiful three or four year old male munching away on what was left of a seal carcass. We rafted three boats together and silently moved in for a closer look. The bear looked our way a few times, his face blood red from having savoured his catch for quite a while, but otherwise seemed unaffected by our presence.

For almost 20 minutes, we basked in the glory of this graphic yet natural scene. Silence settled over us, save for the lapping of waves, the cool breeze… and the clicks of dozens of cameras snapping thousands of photographs. This was the Britney Spears of polar bears and he was working the camera like a contestant on Canada’s Next Top Model.

He pranced back and forth along the ice, carrying his prize like a trophy, and sniffing the air (probably searching for dessert!). There were gentle “awww”s from our boats as he sat to clean out his paws after his feast was done. As were quietly slipped away to let him finish his meal in peace, we silently thanked our bear for giving us one of the most unforgettable moments of our adventure.

It was simply amazing.

After that, we headed off to find some walruses, but no luck. Benoit made every attempt to get close, but ice and shy walrus kept us from getting close. Time flew, and before we knew it, we were late and far from the ship. But there was no worry with Benoit at the helm as he deftly guided us through the thick sea ice.

Unexpectedly, we came across a polar bear swimming in the ocean, and quickly realized it was our friend from earlier. Not wanting to unnecessarily spook him, we let him be, but instead went back to his dining spot to get some close-up looks at his leftovers, which were being picked at by gulls.

Once back onboard, we had one more moment of note – later in the afternoon, we came across dozens of walrus lounging on the sea ice, many not afraid of our ship. Finally, we had captured the elusive walrus!

Tomorrow we are off to Hantzch Island, which ironically was supposed to be our first stop on our expedition. Hopefully the weather will allow us to see these famous bird cliffs we have heard so much about.

Couldn’t really find a quote suitable for today, so I thought I’d through a random one in for fun…”Tip the world on its side, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles,” said Frank Lloyd Wright. I’d like to see what a loose polar bear would do on the streets of L.A….

Day 10 - Amongst the sea ice at Cape Mercy

Waking up to the sound of loud crashes against the hull of your ship isn’t always the most pleasant thing. As it is, I’m in a forward port cabin, so the noises were especially evident. Turns out it was the sea ice that we’d been warned about, or “bergy bits” – comparatively small chunks of ice broken off from larger chunks that the ship was trying to be avoid. We were heading for some open water off the coast of Cape Mercy and as we got closer, the ice got thicker. As we piled out onto the bow, there were times where we had to brace ourselves as the ship’s bow plowed into gradually increasing bergy bits.

But we made it through, and before we knew it, we were loading into the zodiacs to go “play in the ice”. As we maneuvered carefully through the ice, some people commented on how we finally felt like we were truly in the Arctic. I guess I agree. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been well aware of where I’ve been for the past few days. But seeing the thick ice, feeling the cold wind chill – that’s how everyone imagines the Arctic.

And today, we truly became Students On Ice as our zodiacs slid up to a particularly flat ‘berg and we clamored out onto the floating ice. Sadly, within seconds of doing so, we were ordered back onto the zodiacs as word came that the narrow passes we had used to enter the ice pack were rapidly closing and we had to move fast, lest we become students permanently on ice. That meant no actual pictures of me exist standing on an iceberg, except what’s burned into my memory. Hopefully, we’ll get another chance before the adventure is over.

After the zodiac trips, we headed out into the Davis Strait to look for some polar bears along the expected thick sea ice that was supposed to be there. Unfortunately, the thick sea ice didn’t exist, but with the open waters, what did exist were the rolling swells and the return of the Horizontal Club. Since most of the evening was spent seasick, I doubt this journal entry will get out in time for the daily update. If so, I apologize.

Despite the ill feelings, I was able to conduct my first astronomy workshop in combination with Colin Jagoe, a high school teacher from Ontario who’s taught astronomy and physics. We had a pretty good turn out, although it was held in the same lounge where the Horizontal Club meets to suffer through seasickness in unity, so I’m not sure how many were there because they really wanted to. Either way, it was a successful workshop, and I think we’re doing one for tomorrow.

Sadly, no quote for today, as laying prone trying not to vomit doesn’t make me feel adventurous. Hopefully we’ll get back to near the coast so the spirit of exploration will return soon…

Day 9 - Kingnait Fjord

I have a feeling this might be a short entry. Not because we didn’t see or do anything of note today, but because I’m soooo tired, I’m falling asleep as I type this. Where to begin… ah, yes, the exhaustion. Everyone was feeling it – breakfast looked like a room filled with sleepy zombies as we staggered around muttering “good morning” to one another with as much zeal as we could muster. Attempts were made at entertainment – workshops, pod team meetings, a lecture on Arctic mammals. But through them all were various bobbing heads, drooping eyes and slumped postures.

Once again, weather has changed our plans as high winds sent us on to our second destination of the day first – Kingnait Fjord. As mentioned, this was a first for Students On Ice, and in fact was uncharted until our ship swooped on in with its depth equipment blaring. And upon entering the mouth of the fjord – success. A quick announcement from expedition leader Geoff Green sent previously sleepy students (and staff) dashing to the decks to peer over the bow. Whales. Bowhead whales to be exact.

And not just one or two. A few dozen of these majestic beasts put on a show for us over the course of the late morning and early afternoon. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed checking out the plants, birds and insects (except the mosquitoes) that have dotted the landscape at our various destinations. But to see these bowhead whales rising to the surface, blowing plumes of water and air and lifting their mighty flukes out of the water was simply breathtaking. It took everything to pull me away.

From there we headed deeper into the fjord. Kingnait Harbour was the site of a scientific station for the first International Polar Year back in I believe 1882. Since then, it has been relatively untouched by humans, except for a sparse set of hunting shacks along the beach. It was announced we would make a landing and to my dreaded ears came the word “hike”.

Having not fully recovered from yesterday’s strain to my personal limit of exhaustion, I did not look well upon the thought of doing another, albeit shorter one, today. But I valiantly threw on the layers and headed out into the zodiac for another run. We landed on a beach with the weirdest set of boulders I had ever seen. It’s like they were fitted together and then smoothed out over time. Turns out, that’s not so far of the scientific truth.

And off we went on another hike. For me, it was another grueling, muscle-straining walk, where I was shedding layers faster than an Arctic hare. Didn’t really know where I was going, but I heard it before I saw it – one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. Of course, by the time I got there, most of the other students had arrived, and they had all decided to go off on their own for some personal reflection time. Some wrote in journals, others sketched. Many went off on their own to have a nap or just stare and contemplate this wondrous place we had lucked upon.

I decided to join them, so to speak, and found myself a place along the edge of the rapids where it dropped off meters away into the frothy waters. And there I sat. It was the first time I had had time to really think on this adventure. And I realized it had been a week since I had worried about work or stressed over whether I could pay my bills.

To some it might seem very lonely to sit there by one’s self for a long period of time. Yet as alone as I was, I wasn’t by myself. All around me were dozens of students and fellow staff that in one week’s time have become close friends and family. We were individually apart, but bonded together by this common experience.

At the same time, my thoughts turned to home. My adventure is now half over and in a week’s time I’ll be saying goodbye to these new friends and returning back home. To my job, my pets, my friends and my family that I truly love but often never take the time to really appreciate them. But I do and I hope they know that. Most especially my Julie, who I hope is reading this and knows how much I miss her and love her.

And now we’re off sailing down through Cumberland Sound heading for who knows what. Even Geoff doesn’t really know. He’s promised us some ice and polar bears. It will be tough to beat out today’s whales, but if anything can, it will be polar bears. “Admiral, there be whales here!” said and excited Montgomery Scott in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. There be whales here, too, Scotty. And who knows what else. Can’t wait to find out…

Day 8 - Auyuittuq National Park

What a physically exhausting day! As mentioned previously, today our Students On Ice team was split up into those who were going on a 25 km long hike to the Arctic Circle through Auyuittuq National Park while the other half were left to take a shorter hike from the entrance of the park.

I had originally felt very guilty about not asking to go on the longer hike – I had promised myself that I wouldn’t skip out on anything offered on this trip no matter the effort. But two things swayed my decision. One was knowing my limitations. I don’t even know if I can walk 25 km on flat prairie pavement, let alone the same distance on uneven, rapidly changing terrain. The second was remembering that this trip is for the students, not me. And a lot of students wanted to go. So off they went, with the minimum number of able-bodied adults to help them.

And that left me with the “short” hike. Which I was thinking would be a couple of kilometers along a beautifully groomed trail through gorgeous scenery. Well, the last part was right. First of all, it was 10k. And the “trail” was at best a 6-inch wide trampled path through rocks and boulders, spongy moss, sand and water. It was simply the most physically exhausting hike I’ve ever been on. It’s probably the only hike I’ve been on.

We walked all the way to a waterfall in the shadow of the glaciers just south of the Arctic Circle. It was absolutely breathtaking. And by the time I stumbled back into the zodiac, I was soaking wet, covered in dirt and every part of me ached. But I had done it. It wasn’t the Arctic Circle, but it was a success for me.

Of course, then all the long hikers came back and raved about how amazing their excursion was…

Describing my hike wouldn’t be complete without thanking one of the students – John “Jack” Krantz, one of our American students from upstate New York. Jack is one of the nicest guys you could meet and could easily have done the long hike, if he had chosen to do so. But Jack chose to not go, simply because he has already done something similar – he’s one of our bi-polar students, having already gone to Antarctica with Students On Ice. And I’m thankful he came along on the short hike.

As we were climbing up the boulders along the ravine by the waterfall, Jack took the time to make sure I made it without injury. He recommended safe paths, helped me out in rough spots and generally kept me motivated most of the time. Jack is one of the older students and one of the few to actually pay for the excursion on his own, rather than through scholarships or sponsors. Not to belittle the accomplishment of those who did achieve this experience through those methods, but Jack worked three jobs for a year and a half to pay for half the trip. Once he did, his parents chipped in the rest. And considering the costs, that’s an amazing accomplishment from an impressive young man.

Tomorrow, we’re cruising back through Cumberland Sound towards two spots where we are expected to see some whales up close for the first time – first some belugas and then some bowheads in Kingait Fjord. Both are new destinations for Students On Ice, the thick sea ice forcing us to improvise our plans. In fact, the second destination is so uncharted, we’ll need to be led by a zodiac with a depth finder to make sure we make it in safely. “It is not down in any map; true places never are,” said Herman Melville. We are truly going where there is no map…

Day 7 Kekerten Island and Pangnirtung

I still can’t help but feel a little disappointed about the effect the thick ice is having on our travel plans. Today we recorded a video for the folks up in Clyde River. Since it’s highly doubtful that we can make it up there due to the ice, we did a video message congratulating them on the success of declaring nearby Isabella Bay (one of our planned destinations) a protected natural site. Although it was fun to record, there was a ripple of sadness that we probably won’t make it there to see it in person.

Despite the disappointment, we carried on with our current plans to travel into Cumberland Sound towards Pangnirtung. Along the way, we stopped at an historic whaling station known as Kekerten Island. This was our first landing on our expedition and it was a great start. Upon exiting the zodiacs, you are immediately greeted with a vast panorama of life including tiny little plants and grasses, birds swooping overhead and (apparently) the threat of a polar bear. I say apparently because we saw neither hide nor hair of it the entire time. And even if we did, we had a crew of watchers with guns all around us to deter said bear from coming anywhere near us. Still it provided an element of danger that made the landing even more exciting.

On the island, we were treated to an in-depth history of whaling in the area. All throughout the area we were exploring, there were remnants of this part of history, including a bowhead whale skull and various bits of whaling equipment. But perhaps the most somber of all the remnants were two Inuit graves we came across. Because of the permanently frozen ground, these graves were above ground and had weathered away so much, the bones were visible through the rotting wood. It was a moving sight, with the wind whistling over the hills.

Another highlight of Kekerten was the grassy vegetation. Walking on it is like nothing I’ve ever felt in my life. Despite being thick with grasses and plants, the entire ground was spongy, to the point my feet were sinking INTO the vegetation. And it saps the energy out of each step, meaning you are doing twice the work to traverse this rough terrain. It was definitely an experience to remember.

After Kekerten, we headed to the town of Pangnirtung. This community is home to two of our students, Danny and Jesse, and they promised us a warm welcome. We weren’t let down. We were greeted by some Students On Ice alumni, who toured us through various tourist spots. While they were all very nice, my favorite part was when I noticed an airplane about to take off from the airstrip, which quite frankly looks like a ramp. One of the other students, Allen, who was familiar with Pang, offered to get us front row seats and before long a few students and I were off through the streets of Pang to the fence along the airstrip where we treated to a close-up view of the take-off.

Back we went to the community center where the students got their first taste of how climate change has affected this friendly community. Two elders talked in length about the changes they have seen in their time, and answered questions from our group. Pang itself has felt the effect greatly as last year it was inundated with a flood that took out a bridge. What flooded them out? The permafrost that had dictated the way of life for these people for as long as they can remember had melted. It was a sober reminder of why we were on this expedition.

After some traditional Inuit games, throat singing and square dancing, it was back to the ship for dinner and a briefing of tomorrow’s activities. We are heading up a fiord to Auyuittuq National Park, where half the staff and students are participating in a 25km hike to the Arctic Circle. Sadly, I don’t think I can do that, despite all my desire to do so. Maybe next time…

In the meantime, I will be participating in some shorter hikes and activities near the coast. All of this is still part of the planned itinerary, but soon it will come time to decide where to go if the ice prevents us from going north. Our illustrious leader, Geoff Green, assures us there’s plenty to see so I’m going to sleep soundly knowing that. “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey,” said Babs Hoffman. And no matter where we go, I know I will enjoy this journey…

Day 6 - Traveling to Cumberland Sound

The sea ice has affected our travel plans greatly. The plan for today was to sweep into Cumberland Sound and the community of Pangnirtung. But the dense ice has forced us to move a bit east past Frobisher Bay and try to find a thin passage between the ice into Pang. With luck, that will be tomorrow.

In the meantime, our education continues into what’s being called Polar Fundamentals. Already we’ve learned about oceanography, Arctic birds and this morning we learned about Arctic plants with Dr. Julian Starr of the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. These sessions give everyone an overview of what to expect as we make landing in some of the remote locations and communities.

My seasickness has diminished for the most part. I still feel the occasional twinge, but not nearly as bad as yesterday. I’m not sure if that’s a result of the calmer seas, or if my body is getting acclimated to the yaw and pitch of the ship. Either way, I’m grateful.

Today was also the first day of our Pod teams. These are groups of 7 or 8 students with 2 or 3 staff with the intention of creating more intimate group discussion, activities and interaction. I’ve got a great group of 7 students including Tara, Laurissa, Bryan, Eden, Bilaal, Collin and Chelsea. Already we’ve chosen our name – the Arctic Amuqaqs (Wolves). I anticipate lots of fun with this group.

Although this was an unanticipated day at sea, it was not without its wonders. We saw our first iceberg close up today, and for the very first time since arriving, we saw the Sun. It caused a lot of excitement, bringing almost everyone out on deck for some midday warmth. And even though a fog rolled in during the afternoon, it managed to clear in time to give us a beautiful sunset, a gorgeous orange moon and even Jupiter. Got a chance to do some astronomy.

As mentioned, the plan for tomorrow is to slip into Cumberland Sound. With a bit of a luck, we’ll check out Kekerten Island, an historic whaling station, before our much-anticipated visit to Pangnirtung. But after that, the news seems disappointing. The ice is so thick along the eastern Baffin coast that it is unlikely we will make it farther north to Clyde River and Isabella Bay. As unfortunate as that seems, I’m reminded of a quote by Henry Miller: “One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things.” I wonder how I will look at our next destination, wherever that should be…

Day 3 - Ottawa to Kuujjuaq and the Ungava Bay

Hello from the Lyubov Orlova, our Students On Ice Polar Ambassador ship!! We are underway across Ungava Bay north of the province of Quebec, headed for our first Arctic destination. The Orlova is our lab, classroom, dining room, social gathering place and home for the next two weeks… but more on that later.

The day started out with an early wake-up call and a trip to the airport to board our charter to the town of Kuujjuaq, Quebec. It was a balmy 10 degrees Celsius and raining when we arrived, but the reception couldn’t have been warmer. We were treated as VIPs by the townspeople, including tours by members of the youth council, a speech from the mayor and a great BBQ lunch.

The tour was a real eye-opener for the non-Inuit students in our group. Conditions here, while far from primitive, were certainly different from what they are used to. One student commented that under any other circumstances they would consider the community to be somewhat dirty, but the warm reception makes everything look “home”-ier.

For many of our Inuit students, this was their hometown and they took the time to show us things. Most alarming to me was the price of gas. While I expected it to be higher, I didn’t expect it to be as high as you see in the picture. I was told that all gas is brought to the community by barge once a year, and the price is set based on that arrival. The last delivery was during the large increases in gas prices, and for the folks of Kuujjuaq, it hasn’t gone down since. Just to give you an idea of other costs – a 4 litre jug of milk is $8, and a return flight to Montreal costs $2400!

By mid-afternoon, we were off to the docks for our zodiac trip out to the ship. For most students, this was their first trip in a zodiac, although many took to it like fish in water. In the second picture you see Susan Nanthasit, Bryan Kimiksana and Allen Jr. Pigalak. (Forgive the bad quality of the photo, it’s not easy taking a picture while in a bouncing zodiac with one hand clenching a rope line.) Susan is my fellow Manitoban on the trip and a talented, well-spoken young woman who plans on proposing a plan for an outdoor classroom at her high school upon completion of the trip.

We arrived on the Orlova minutes later, and before long we were exploring our new home. First task was to get things moving, and to commemorate the occasion, about half the students posed for a photo on the top deck. It’s amazing how quickly these young adults have bonded with one another, and I’ve surprised myself with how quickly I’ve grown attached to them. They are a unique and engaging group of future leaders, scientists and human beings, and I’m privileged to get to work with them.

I read a quote once that said, “I travel a lot. I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” Saturday we are off to Hantzch Island and a zodiac cruise by its famous bird nesting cliffs. Doesn’t sound routine to me…