whale jello trampoline

It's a jello trampoline, a jello trampoline, a jello trampoline (sung in the tune of "Yellow Submarine"). Bet you never knew there was a rhyme for yellow submarine! But there is! And it's for when you're jumping on a rotting whale carcass! It's like a jello trampoline.
Things to be grateful for: cold weather when investigating decomposing sea mammals.

So that was a big highlight of the day. Getting to see a washed up bowhead whale carcass. Also exciting was realizing that the grease from the whale moved away from the site in a definite, recognizable pattern of polar bear tracks. Further investigation revealed where said whale had been scratched and gnawed on. Just a little though. Maybe not quite rotten enough for the bears yet? Nevertheless, he/she sure greased up her paws and made some tracks! I'm not sure how long it will take before it really sinks in my brain that there are polar bears around. Like around me. Potentially at any time--especially away from town---which is where I was. Not to worry though, we approached the quintessential polar bear feasting site on foot while leaving the shotgun in the truck. You gotta have a little spice in life. I guess. Anyway, no polar bears spotted so it was all good.

The second big adventure was returning to what was either a cabin or large rock. On the way out to the cache sites where locals bury walrus meat to ferment and cure or whatever---honestly, I don't know what the meat is doing under the piles of rock---but that's neither here nor there. The point is, on the way out to these sites, my partner noted that, "oh wow! Is that a cabin or a huge rock over there?" while pointing some distance to the horizon. I couldn't tell. It was resolved that we'd have to check it out on the way back because it was imperative to know if that was the biggest rock on the island. One must know these things you see. During our return drive, we stopped as close as we could get and began the walk to determine the size of this rock. It was NOT the biggest rock on the island and thus deemed, "a big waste of time" which I took to mean, had it actually been the largest rock on the island, our time would have been well spent.

I also saw a rarely sighted gyrfalcon and the less uncommon peregrine falcon. Saw an all white arctic fox as well. Mind you, I would not have known these species had I not been told. I am useless in such situations.

The location of the caches and the washed up whale carcass are "out of town" along the island's tip. I passed by the dump to get there which looked like a big ole smorgasbord of odds, ends, metal, and lumber that potentially could be very useful! Duly noted... Folks like to get "out of town" and go to their cabins. Town gets a bit stuffy and cramped. I will agree that the landscape is much more beautiful without staring at water tanks and broken bikes and trash strewn in ditches and the other usual detritus of humans living as we all do. However, what I found amusing was that near one set of caches there were about 5-8 cabins within slingshot distance from each other. So much for privacy on the land! lol.Read more