Pristine Wilderness

August 20, 2008

Flexibility is the key concept! Of four days at sea we have had two beautiful days with calm waters in sheltered bays or fjords that permitted us to leave the ship in zodiacs. At Cape Mercy we had a short walk to a lake admiring the mosses, lichens and arctic fireweed en route. The second outing was a zodiac trip to the face, or toe, of a glacier in the national park on the east side of Baffin Island. The sun was shining, the water calm so we could enjoy the variety of shapes and coloration of the ice.

Early in the day, we were treated to a sighting of bowhead whales on both sides of the ship, causing quite a rush of excitement for those who missed witnessing the polar bear swimming on Monday. Unfortunately, the most we saw of the whales were the backs, when they came up to spout. Nonetheless, it was a sight to behold and a highlight of the day for many people, and even better for the people who were lucky enough to capture the elusive whales in a picture.

When the seas made the ship pitch and roll there were some of us who would have been hesitant about boarding the zodiacs but management spared us having to appear as cowards. Safety is understandably a main concern.

We were treated to a colourful sunset this evening that invited many photographers to the various decks. It was a sight to see, lighting the whole horizon, as if set afire my mighty flames that swept across the sky. It was enchanting beauty in the fact that there was nothing else, just the land, and us. I almost felt that I was intruding on the peaceful desolation of the land, and that it was somehow wrong that we were in the picture.

Icebergs come in lovely shapes enhanced by sunlight shining on them.

Sometimes, our eyes deceived us, and the light played tricks on us making us believe that the icebergs were green, or blue, or even floating in the sky.

We see miles of shoreline with no trees, no wildlife, and no human habitation. We are seeing awesome desolation.

Betsy, Ben