Sailing South from Baffin Island, 9/5/2024, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Arctic
Every four hours on National Geographic Explorer there is a change in the officers that look after the bridge on the vessel. Each stands on the bridge alongside a colleague who is a watchman, with always two people on the bridge. A route will have been planned by our navigator Joanne and while she is off shift, the other officers will follow the tracks she has laid. This does not mean that things cannot change when she is not on board – ice and unseen rocks may appear in places that were unforeseen. Plans change, and then they may change again!
A day spent in any windy fjord is a tricky thing. Spotting wildlife at a 1km distance is hard even for the more experienced eyes of the crew. It is almost always the watchmen that find the wildlife before any of the expedition team and guests do. They spend their life watching, after all, and we are thankful to them for doing so.
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Thanks to fair winds and currents, we arrived at the community of Battle Harbour earlier than expected, and our hosts welcomed us ashore. This site focuses on the history of the Labrador cod fishery, and one of the buildings dates to the late 1700s. The last time anyone lived in this community year-round was 1968. It now runs as a small but vibrant summer community with guest accommodations and day trips. During our stay we hiked a gorgeous nature trail, visited numerous historic buildings, shopped in the little store, and listened to a local musician; we even sampled delectable cod cakes and homemade cheesecake with partridgeberry and cloudberry sauces.
The morning program for today began with relaxation. National Geographic Explorer needed to keep her itinerary, so we started the day at sea. This extra rest was much welcomed by most, as the evening prior was a fun-filled night of music and dancing, all hosted by the ship’s band the “Spice Boys and Girls. We enjoyed a leisurely brunch, followed by a variation in landscape as we sailed into a lower region of Canada. The towering fjords and mountain peaks were exchanged for low-lying glacier-swept rocky islands. The local forest of willow, birch, and alder grew slightly taller, and the temperature outside warmed in these lower latitudes. In the afternoon we approached our next landing in Mugford Tickle (nothing funny about it). However, the bridge spotted two polar bears on islands just north of our intended landing point. The expedition team headed out early to conduct a thorough scouting of the area before we came ashore. We departed the ship and headed to the island under slightly overcast skies. We were excited for an afternoon of walks in this archeologically and botanically rich location. The long walkers headed out at a brisk pace — but were quickly stopped by the abundance of ripe blueberries, bog cranberries, and cloudberries. We were not the only ones that enjoyed these wilderness fruits, as many signs of berry-eating bears were also found on our walks. After an hour of rewarding explorations, we headed back to the ship. The wind had picked up, so the ride back featured some splashy water that added to the adventure. Back on board, we found the chef and hotel director barbecuing on the back deck. We enjoyed the transit outside with a snack while we swapped stories about our day. Shortly it was time for recap and dinner. After yet another great meal, expedition guide and cultural specialist Jenny gave a talk in the lounge; it was a very educational presentation thoroughly enjoyed by all. We then headed off to bed, full from the day’s activities and ready for more.
We spent this beautiful day in North Arm, Saglek Fjord, with invigorating activities for the morning and afternoon: a scenic Zodiac cruise on the fjord and a hike to a beautiful waterfall. We were accompanied by Parks Canada Staff and local Bear Monitors, and they shared stories of the Nunatsiavut Inuit ways of life. We learned about setting up camp, collecting firewood, and picking berries on a calm summer day. We also learned how one could mark a route using Inuksuit (stacked rocks) to indicate various meanings, such as: lots of animals, no animals, graveyard, or hunting caribou. As an Inuk from Pond Inlet, Nunavut, experiencing this park and seeing how the Nunatsiavut Inuit help control it was especially interesting. They can show their culture in their own voice, on their own terms; it is an incredible sight to behold. To see the differences and similarities of the environment and the landscape made me really think about how, despite the distances between us, our culture is what connects us. We finished the day by dancing the night away with the Spice Boys and Girls, the crew band of National Geographic Explorer.
