Jenny Lind Island & Gjoa Haven (20/8)

We are currently in the part of the Northwest Passage where there is less wildlife as there’s less access to open water ie the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean. Also, due to centuries of hunting, the wildlife that is here tends to be very cautious of humans ie run the other way. So it seems that every other landing is a nature one to look at Arctic tundra.
Tuesday 19th - Jenny Lind Island. Named after the Swedish opera singer. As you can see it’s very flat and treeless. The lack of trees is due to the permafrost and the high winds that sweep across the island. The expedition team offered a bonus 8-10 kilometre walk for up to 32 guests but they had to be fit enough to do the hike at pace in the boots. As Brendon said “once we go beyond the polar bear firing line, there’s no turning back “. This is because, when the guests land on these islands, the crew have set up a perimeter of team members with rifles just in case a polar bear is nearby. The excursion was in the morning and guest went on a short hike to see aspect of tundra ie lichen. I knew I wouldn’t be doing these hikes but was surprised by the number of other people who also stayed on board. After lunch we were back sailing- the sea has been so calm that sometimes you’re not actually sure if we are moving. Lectures in the afternoon and evening focused on Roald Amundsen and Inuit culture.
Wednesday 20th - Gjoa Haven. I lost most of this day. Started last night - not well. I needed to be close to a bathroom from then on until around 3pm ish today. I did have some lunch which was okay so decided I could venture out up to deck 10. The visit to Gjoa Haven finished at 3 pm and the captain moved the ship out a little further as they were having a polar plunge at 4 pm. Gjoa Haven is famous as the place Roald Amundsen stayed for 2 years taking scientific readings and learning from the local Inuit community.
The sun was out and relatively warm so sitting outside on deck 10 felt good. Just before the polar plunge I found a good position on deck 6 to watch it. As so many people were looking for a good vantage point I just took a few photos and went back to deck 10. They were serving Norwegian Explorer Stew and bread (tasters) with this alcoholic concoction of anise, gin and vodka. Not sure what it was, but felt much better afterwards. I have become quite friendly with Joyce from Edinburgh. She was an educator in the TAFE system in Sydney before returning to Scotland and doing something similar there. We seem to find each other in the afternoons for a chat and in the evenings after dinner. She joined me for a while so we enjoyed the sunshine. After dinner one of the cultural ambassadors on board, Clinton, showed us a clip of Inuit square dancing. This seems to be a mixture of Scottish country dancing, American square dancing and endurance training. The set he showed us went for 14 minutes- it was tiring just watching. He then invited members of the audience to try some steps- many did try but they were more enthusiastic than accurate.Читать далее