Day 11 & 12; - Croker Bay Glacier & Dundas
Harbour
August 27 & 28, 2018
Day Eleven, after crossing Lancaster Sound we sail into Croker Bay on Devon Island.
We board our zodiacs for a cruise through the ice.
These bergs have calved off of the Croker Bay Glacier
We approach the Croker Bay Glacier.
The ice is awsome but we do not go too close, if a piece of ice calves off it will cause a tsunami and possibly swamp the zodiac.
A bearded seal checks out what we are doing in his territory.
Adventure Canada provided kayaks for some of the more adventurous.
The ship moves west along the coast and we disembark at Dundas Harbour.
At first glance the landscape seems quite desolate.
But when you look closer you will be pleasantly surprised.
This is
Nodding Lychis or Melandrium apetalum
Our native guide explains that this was a fox trap.
I believe this is an Arctic Poppy.
Every time we disembarked we were preceded but a group of 'Bear Monitors' equiped with binoculars and rifles. See picture below.
Mushrooms on the Tundra.
Remnants of a sod house in what was at one time a walrus hunting camp.
Pretty yellow mushrooms
Dundas Harbour was a RCMP post established by the Canadian Government in the early 1920's to establish a presence in the Arctic. The post was abandoned in 1951.
Parks Canada's attempt to provide a Public Convenience in the Arctic ?
The cemetery is still maintained by the RCMP.
I actually saw a mother leading these two cubs but wasn't quick enough with the camera as the mother disappeared behind the rocks on the left.
Day Twelve we disembark at Maxwell Bay.
We spot polar bear tracks
Musk ox tracks and scat.
More Nodding Lychis
Some snow geese.
Lovely ice sculptures along the shore
Colourful kelp washed up along the shore
And today Rob and I and 36 others took a polar dip in arctic waters.