It has been a week or so since we returned from our Arctic safari with Cruise North, but my thoughts are still in the misty clouds of places visited.
It was a fantastic and unforgettable experience.
Every need was catered to on board the ship and the food was first rate.
A pastry chef and baker had recently been hired, so the desserts and breads were welcomed with delight.
The expedition staff kept us quite busy. There were lectures on the people, towns, and flora and fauna daily. Our daily adventures always started on the zodiacs. I got in and out with very enthusiastic camera buffs with what appeared to be entire camera shops around their necks. My photos were taken with a small digital Canon. After mastering the art of kneeling in the zodiac while it bounced and bobbed on the water, and learning how to zoom in and click at the opportune moment, I think I got some great shots.
The landscape was extraordinary. The ice, water, snow, rocks, the lightness of the sky even after the sun would set in a spectacular display of orange, yellow and red hues. I loved the fantastic stone formations most of all.
The highlight had to be the second day when the PA system called us to the starboard side announcing an iceberg in the distance. I couldn’t believe how exciting this was. The majestic formation of ice floating by was serious art in pure form. Changing color and shape as the sun shone or the waves slapped upon it. To top it off, there was a polar bear walking on top.
That was just the beginning. Everyday brought new adventures and photo ops.
We saw hundreds of walrus where we dropped anchor near an island named after these creatures. They were gathered, lying in lumpy brown piles, all over the island, basking in the sun after consuming their daily 3,000 clams. They rolled and flopped and sometimes uttered a loud gruff bark, letting us know they knew we weren’t far.
We saw musk ox from a distance, grazing high above the valleys with their offspring.
While kayaking in Douglas Harbour, a curious seal swam beside me, bobbing and diving as I paddled.
On Akpatok island there were thousands of thick billed murres soaring the cliffs or nestling with their little blue eggs, soon to be newborns.
We saw caribou, and many more seal, polar bears and icebergs in the remaining days.
There is so much open space and so little impingement on the raw majesty of the natural world. I’m sure it must have looked quite the same 5,000 years ago. We were privileged to be there.
Thank you so much,
Joyce from NDG
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
New Torngat Safari puts Labrador in reach
Cruise North has just launched an exciting land-based safari to explore the Torngat Mountains National Park!
With either 7-night or 4-night packages to choose from, this Safari gives you an up-close look into the life, culture and spectacular wilderness of Northern Labrador.
Enjoy a scenic charter flight through the Koroc River Valley. Embark on daily land and sea adventures with scientists, Inuit and Parks Canada wardens. Experience the region's culture, archaeology and wildlife, including polar bears, whales and caribou. At night, enjoy fine and traditional Inuit cuisine and relax in comfort at our secure safari-style tent camp.
For more details, images and contact information, please take a look at our newly launched site: http://www.torngatsafari.com
Best regards,
The Cruise North Team
With either 7-night or 4-night packages to choose from, this Safari gives you an up-close look into the life, culture and spectacular wilderness of Northern Labrador.
Enjoy a scenic charter flight through the Koroc River Valley. Embark on daily land and sea adventures with scientists, Inuit and Parks Canada wardens. Experience the region's culture, archaeology and wildlife, including polar bears, whales and caribou. At night, enjoy fine and traditional Inuit cuisine and relax in comfort at our secure safari-style tent camp.
For more details, images and contact information, please take a look at our newly launched site: http://www.torngatsafari.com
Best regards,
The Cruise North Team
Monday, September 14, 2009
Peeter and Carol
Blog entry
September 12, 2009
Peeter and Carol Vanker
Several Inuit family groupings from the community of Qikiqtarjuaq joined us on the ship for our barbeque. They were joined by the two RCMP officers assigned to the village. In appreciation they brought some raw narwhal whale skin and blubber for us to eat. It proved interesting and not as fish-tasting as we had anticipated.
A number of the crew, and some of the passengers jumped into the freshly filled ocean water pool on the ship for a “polar bear dip”, some even voluntarily.
We continued sailing along the east coast of Baffin Island and saw many towering icebergs and majestic cliffs. By the way, Baffin Island is the fifth largest island in the world!
At dinner time the sea was quite wavy and a rogue wave hit our ship causing some chairs and table settings to overturn.
We awoke at 4:45 AM to the sound of the anchor dropping. It was 3 degrees C. and snowing lightly in Sunneshine Fjord (spelled correctly).
Before breakfast some went on a challenging hike up a mountainside along the fjord and others hiked around the rocky shore. In the distance we saw the remnants of the DEW “line” (early warning system) established following World War II. We were fortunate that the sun began to shine again.
When we returned to the ship, the ship provided champagne to celebrate the crossing of the Arctic Circle. A huge brunch followed.
September 12, 2009
Peeter and Carol Vanker
Several Inuit family groupings from the community of Qikiqtarjuaq joined us on the ship for our barbeque. They were joined by the two RCMP officers assigned to the village. In appreciation they brought some raw narwhal whale skin and blubber for us to eat. It proved interesting and not as fish-tasting as we had anticipated.
A number of the crew, and some of the passengers jumped into the freshly filled ocean water pool on the ship for a “polar bear dip”, some even voluntarily.
We continued sailing along the east coast of Baffin Island and saw many towering icebergs and majestic cliffs. By the way, Baffin Island is the fifth largest island in the world!
At dinner time the sea was quite wavy and a rogue wave hit our ship causing some chairs and table settings to overturn.
We awoke at 4:45 AM to the sound of the anchor dropping. It was 3 degrees C. and snowing lightly in Sunneshine Fjord (spelled correctly).
Before breakfast some went on a challenging hike up a mountainside along the fjord and others hiked around the rocky shore. In the distance we saw the remnants of the DEW “line” (early warning system) established following World War II. We were fortunate that the sun began to shine again.
When we returned to the ship, the ship provided champagne to celebrate the crossing of the Arctic Circle. A huge brunch followed.
Peeter and Carol's Adventures
Sept. 11, 2009-09-11
Peeter and Carol Vanker
When we neared Alexander Harbour the weather deteriorated, the fog came in, the wind increased and it began to snow heavily. Whale watching was cancelled and we continued south. We had lectures, a movie and a demonstration of Inuit throat singing by one of our onboard Inuit guides.
We woke up to brilliant sunshine, temperature of about 6 degrees C., a bonus day in Qikiiakjuaq on Broughton Island off the east coast of Baffin Island, about 100 km. north of the Arctic Circle.
We landed in a small harbour by zodiac boats. We had a walking tour of this village of 500 persons. We visited one of the three hotels with 8 rooms at $ 225 per night. The nursing station is served by 3 nurses and a doctor who visits twice a month. They are building a senior citizens’
complex. The water is brought by tanker truck from a spring on a mountain side and is sold to the residents and $ 450 per tank full.
We were told that the polar bears become a nuisance in about a month’s time. The community has an “early warning” system of dogs on the periphery. Outside one of the homes was a recent walrus kill. Ours is apparently only the third cruise ship to visit this village this year.
Pond Inlet where we visited a few days ago had 8 ships visit this year, and 12 in 2008.
We visited the two local coop stores. Some sample prices were as
follows: 1.89 l. Tropicana juice: $11.39; 355 ml. single container of Tropicana juice: $9.69; a 4 litre bag of 2% milk: $12.49; Sarah Lee frozen apple pie: $22.89. P.S. Milk products are subsidized by the government.
We again had a throat singing demonstration in the community centre gym.
Outside a number of items were for sale, including seal skin mittens and slippers, sketchings, and an almost 8 foot long narwhal whale tusk (specially elongated tooth) priced at $4000.00. Unfortunately it was too long and heavy for our suitcase!
We’re off to a barbeque on the deck for our lunch. The food has been varied and plentiful.
Peeter and Carol Vanker
When we neared Alexander Harbour the weather deteriorated, the fog came in, the wind increased and it began to snow heavily. Whale watching was cancelled and we continued south. We had lectures, a movie and a demonstration of Inuit throat singing by one of our onboard Inuit guides.
We woke up to brilliant sunshine, temperature of about 6 degrees C., a bonus day in Qikiiakjuaq on Broughton Island off the east coast of Baffin Island, about 100 km. north of the Arctic Circle.
We landed in a small harbour by zodiac boats. We had a walking tour of this village of 500 persons. We visited one of the three hotels with 8 rooms at $ 225 per night. The nursing station is served by 3 nurses and a doctor who visits twice a month. They are building a senior citizens’
complex. The water is brought by tanker truck from a spring on a mountain side and is sold to the residents and $ 450 per tank full.
We were told that the polar bears become a nuisance in about a month’s time. The community has an “early warning” system of dogs on the periphery. Outside one of the homes was a recent walrus kill. Ours is apparently only the third cruise ship to visit this village this year.
Pond Inlet where we visited a few days ago had 8 ships visit this year, and 12 in 2008.
We visited the two local coop stores. Some sample prices were as
follows: 1.89 l. Tropicana juice: $11.39; 355 ml. single container of Tropicana juice: $9.69; a 4 litre bag of 2% milk: $12.49; Sarah Lee frozen apple pie: $22.89. P.S. Milk products are subsidized by the government.
We again had a throat singing demonstration in the community centre gym.
Outside a number of items were for sale, including seal skin mittens and slippers, sketchings, and an almost 8 foot long narwhal whale tusk (specially elongated tooth) priced at $4000.00. Unfortunately it was too long and heavy for our suitcase!
We’re off to a barbeque on the deck for our lunch. The food has been varied and plentiful.
Peeter and Carol Vanker
We are continuing our leisurely cruise in brilliant sunshine down the east coast of Baffin Island. There has been a constant stream of beautiful iceberg along the way.
We anchored at Monumental Island early this morning. We went by zodiac to a number of very small nearby rocky islands. We were thrilled to see one polar bear ambling along the rocky shoreline at a fairly close proximity. We saw another bear swimming near the shore and then join the second on the shore. They paced the rocks for some time. We then moved closer to a stunning iceberg in the zodiac during our 1 ? hour sail.
On another island we spotted five walruses lounging on the rocks. We watched them looking at us and moving their flippers up and down. One had lost one of its amazing tusks.
We are now sailing towards the entrance of Ungava Bay in northern Quebec in the Inuit territory of Nunavik. We hope to make another zodiac sail around Akpatok Island before continuing on to our final stop in Kuujjuaq from where we will fly to Montreal. We will only be dock at high tide.
This will be our last opportunity to blog our trip. The rest of our memories we will be able to share with you firsthand.
We are continuing our leisurely cruise in brilliant sunshine down the east coast of Baffin Island. There has been a constant stream of beautiful iceberg along the way.
We anchored at Monumental Island early this morning. We went by zodiac to a number of very small nearby rocky islands. We were thrilled to see one polar bear ambling along the rocky shoreline at a fairly close proximity. We saw another bear swimming near the shore and then join the second on the shore. They paced the rocks for some time. We then moved closer to a stunning iceberg in the zodiac during our 1 ? hour sail.
On another island we spotted five walruses lounging on the rocks. We watched them looking at us and moving their flippers up and down. One had lost one of its amazing tusks.
We are now sailing towards the entrance of Ungava Bay in northern Quebec in the Inuit territory of Nunavik. We hope to make another zodiac sail around Akpatok Island before continuing on to our final stop in Kuujjuaq from where we will fly to Montreal. We will only be dock at high tide.
This will be our last opportunity to blog our trip. The rest of our memories we will be able to share with you firsthand.
Peeter and Carol Vanker
Sept. 13, 2009
Peeter and Carol Vanker
We had just completed the first portion of our Christian worship service when the announcement was made to proceed to the decks immediately for a special surprise viewing. Eleven harp seals were splayed out on the smooth surface of a flat top iceberg. As someone noted, it was most appropriate that the seals were “harp” seals! As our ship passed by the seals slid into the ocean, popping their heads up to watch us pass. We haven’t been interrupted at worship in such a memorable way before. What a privilege this entire trip has been with its many exciting surprises.
Peeter and Carol Vanker
We had just completed the first portion of our Christian worship service when the announcement was made to proceed to the decks immediately for a special surprise viewing. Eleven harp seals were splayed out on the smooth surface of a flat top iceberg. As someone noted, it was most appropriate that the seals were “harp” seals! As our ship passed by the seals slid into the ocean, popping their heads up to watch us pass. We haven’t been interrupted at worship in such a memorable way before. What a privilege this entire trip has been with its many exciting surprises.
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