Eastern Baffin Island, Polar Bear sightings, and more Icebergs

Peeter and Carol Vanker

We are continuing to cruise along the eastern shore of Baffin Island. We saw many beautiful large icebergs calved in Greenland. The currents take them first north and then south towards Newfoundland in what is called “iceberg alley”. Since 90% of each iceberg is below the waterline, their movement is affected more by current than by wind.

This morning breakfast was at 6 AM. We lowered the anchor in “Refuge Harbour” in the Gibbs Fjord. It is a beautiful, sheltered harbour, surrounded by high peaked rock mountains. Many glaciers spill down the steep mountain sides which rise directly from the water.

On top of one of the ridges surrounding the harbour we saw three polar bears, a mom and her two cubs heading away over the ridge. This reminded us to be especially cautious when on shore.

We hiked on the Arctic tundra. It was very spongy, sometimes dry, sometimes boggy and wet, including many moss covered rocks. We picked Arctic blueberries, hiding in their crimson red miniature foliage. The autumn tundra colours were magnificent shades of yellows, golds, reds, greens, browns, off-whites and grays. We saw four large white Arctic hares on the mountain side, weighing about 5 or more kilograms. Our groups got within 7 metres of one, but the hare never moved. We saw many lemming holes and their scat in the spongy tundra. The tundra consisted of Arctic willow hugging the ground, spongy mosses and lichens.

We are spending the afternoon sailing through a magnificent, steep-sided fjord. Three polar bears have just been sighted and we are off to see them.