Saturday 17 August 2013

Rough Seas Today!


BLOG, DAY 4

We are in very rough seas. 5 meter waves;  people taking Dramamine and looking very greay…. Crossing the Davis Strait/ yep we do NOT HAVE, “fair winds and following seas”!  Reminiscent of the infamous Drake Passage during Antarctic expeditions!

A little more about how small the world is! (apologies that some of this is from the last blog post, just more information!

A person on board knows Glen Wolgemth (I went to high school with Glen) in Deep River. Lynda Triviers would be interested.

Also Rick Irvin, on board, was told by one of Linda’s friends Lorna Doubt) from Rankin Inlet that I would be on board.
  
Atout Shouldice from Rankin Inlet is on board as a zodiac driver, and an Inuit historian; wondered if Linda knew him.  He is a supervisor for watersystems across the Kivilik Region.

I am honoured that there is a couple on board who remember me from the Antarctic South Georgia/Falkland Island trip 2006, in this very same ship, the Akademik IOFFE!

I must run, there is a staff meeting to attend and passengers to care for.

Sheila

2 comments:

  1. Hi Sheila. Looks like a fantastic trip thus far. How do you compare this experience to Antarctic explorations? Finally favourable weather here with lots of sun. T. & B.

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  2. Greetings Terry and Beth;
    (in an attempt to answer your request for a comparison of Antarctic/Arctic
    adventure expeditions....)
    Each has its perk. If you enjoy being relatively up close and comfortable
    with polar bear, you'll likely get it here. If the ice caps, glacial
    moraine, historical stories of melting and ice movement, capture your
    interest, then this is the place to be. Also Greenlandic communities such
    as Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Qeqertarsuaq and Kangerlussuaq, deep in the heart of
    the fjords are steeped in Danish and native culture, reminiscent of the
    past. The trip across the Davis Strait for us, this journey, was turbulent,
    reminding me of many of the Drake Passage crossings to Antarctica. Then
    there is the entire encounter with the native communities such as
    Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Victory Point (King William's Island), Fort Ross )a
    former Hudson's Bay Co. trading post) and the Bellot strait.

    Antarctica, especially if you take the Falkland Is. and South Georgia
    option, offers gigantic bergs, a plethora of ocean mammals and sea birds
    beyond your imagination. I still have memories of the pods of humpback
    whales just a bit ahead of our sea kayaks. South Georgia, home of over
    200.000 king penguins is truly unbelievable. The humungous elephant seals
    of the Falklands, with their burping and farting is so entertaining.
    Historically both have perks: the Arcic with tales of Knud Ramassun,
    Franklin, Amundsen, Scott, etc... as well as recent explorers, which are
    related through our highly qualified staff who have authored several books,
    or are descendants from the explorers bring our past to life. Visiting
    Beachy Island, gravesite of some of Franklin's men, the ill-fated expedition
    of 1845.

    Then the Antarctic, with Shakleton's tales (and all other explorer's tales
    as well), visiting his gravesite in Gritviken (I forget how to spell, and no
    'google' out here), an old whaling station (only on South Georgia trip)...
    etc... I could go on ... over tea one day!

    If you google Sir Wally Herbert, it will give you a scope of the calibre of
    speakers on board.. his daughter, Kari Herbert, is with us (also an author)
    and last night gave a presentation about her mom and dad, and life
    experiences. Wally was an exceptional artist as well; died in 2007; that's
    only one of our 7 presenters on board each of similar exciting backgrounds.
    Cheers.
    sheila

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