Walrus Island

Since I found out there was a chance I would be able to go on this expedition, I’ve been telling anyone who I could find about the special guest that would also be coming along. Don’t get me wrong, we have an amazing collection of staff scientists, educators and experts along with us on this incredible experience.

But this one is, as one of my fellow staff chaperones put it, “world class”. For the past few days, we’ve been privileged to have Peter Mansbridge, chief correspondent for the CBC and host of The National, sail with us along with his son Will. A couple of updates ago, I mentioned that I participated in a workshop that Peter held at Douglas Harbour on Journalism and Interviewing. It was a surreal moment that I invite you to read over, if you haven’t already.

Tonight, as we prepare to arrive at Cape Dorset tomorrow, we also prepared to say goodbye to the Mansbridges. Sadly, they have commitments back home that prevent them from coming along on the entire voyage with us, and so they will be disembarking while we are visiting this community famous for its Inuit artwork.

As a last hurrah before bidding farewell, Peter conducted one last presentation for the entire group tonight. Although billed as another talk about Journalism and the Media, Peter told the students to put their pens down and close their books. And for the next 90 minutes, we were treated to a personal and insightful look at one of the most famous faces on Canadian television.

Through a series of anecdotes, Peter took us on a journey of some of his more memorable experiences, from Sri Lanka after the tsunami, to the Netherlands on the 60^th anniversary of the Dutch liberation in WWII, to the Canadian forces bases in Afghanistan. It was one of those unique Students on Ice moments that will remain with the students (and the staff) for the rest of their lives.

Peter is truly a spokesperson for the Arctic. Since his start in Churchill, Manitoba, his passion and love for this region shows. And he was given quite a show today, as we visited Walrus Island, aptly named because it has, surprisingly, lots of walruses… or walrii… well, you know what I mean.

This hunk of a rock at the “top” of Hudson Bay is well-known for these chubby, awkward looking creatures that are so difficult to get close to that even our own Inuit elder, David Serkoak, had never seen them before. At least one thousand walrus lazed around in the mid-morning sunshine, or frolicked in the clear icy waters as we cruised silently by in zodiacs, the only sound coming from the dozens of cameras.

After that incredible sight, we returned to the ship for an atypically lax day for Students On Ice. There was a series of workshops, a couple of presentations, but much of the day was spent journaling, reading, soaking in the sun on deck, or resting.

Tomorrow, as mentioned, will take us to Cape Dorset on the south coast of Baffin Island. Because we are making good time, we might be able to stop at an archaeological site – guess what?... another first for SOI.

We might be saying goodbye to Peter Mansbridge, but the adventure for us, is just beginning.