Calving in Croker Bay

Here’s your latest bit of trivia, if you want to stump your friends…

What’s the largest uninhabited island in the world?

That would be Devon Island- located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, Canada.

It’s waaaayyyyy up there, peeps, 74.7 degrees North.

And if you are looking for high arctic scenery, you can find no place better.

It’s even more fun if you are up close and personal in a zodiac.

This was our second “unexpected adventure”…and it was worth getting all geared up.

Serenity's been pretty mauled up by the ice.....

We kept our distance as stated by law….and that afternoon witnessed the wisdom of those laws in action.  But first, just some stunning scenery.

Yes, there was a hot chocolate break...

And, after about 75 minutes of bone-chilling cold (I had several layers on my upperbody, but only 3 on my lower.  And the cold just seeped its way upwards as the minutes ensued)...we were greeted once again by our deck crew to help us safely aboard.

Bejeezus, it was cold.  Once I got my legs working and de-layered, it was time for an Irish coffee.

And then - much excitement.  Just as everyone was aboard and accounted for, and as the zodiacs were heading back to the Shackleton, the glacier calved.

It's definitely not NASA Shot of the Day worthy, but here's a side-by-side of a photo I took at lunchtime, and a photo just after the ice broke away from the glacier.  Hopefully the arrows help orient you.

Pretty darn spectacular- we missed the initial break and fall, but the wave and the floating debris we got to see first hand- and it was impressive.

Croker Bay alone would be enough to encourage me for a second Northwest Passage.  And there's still more to come.

Beechey Island

Beechey Island holds part of the story of John Franklin and his men, who wintered there during the winter of 1846-1846 whilst attempting  to find a Northwest Passage. *

It is vast. It is stark.  It is cold.  It is hauntingly beautiful.

Three of Franklin’s men are buried here-John Torrington and William Hartnell, who were sailors, and William Braine, a Royal Marine.

At a grave sightly set apart from the others lies Thomas Morgan, who sailed with the McClure expedition of 1850.

Ruins of Franklin’s buildings remain- visible by binocular, and only accessible by zodiac during special tides.

Two message cairns-visited and increased by ships today.

A memorial cairn to Joseph-Rene Bellot,  who searched  for Franklin's expedition.  He was lost when he fell through ice in Wellington Channel in 1853.

We had along two rifle-toting guards on the lookout for polar bears.

My usual quirky photos...

This tickled me.  Someone brought along some extras- camera, glove liners, scarf- in a Crystal Shop's bag.  The high-end slick paper tote with the signature satin ribbon just struck me a so out of place in this world of greys and rock and snow.

The Master Diver and Underwater videographer Natalie went for a little dip....

(brrrrrrrrrr)

SNOW!

Thanks to friend Hayley for the proof I was here!

*A site marker reads

"Sir John Franklin of the Royal Navy and his crew of 129 men entered the waters of Lancaster Sound in search of the Northwest Passage in July 1945.  Although they were never seen again by Europeans, Franklin's party was the largest and best equipped sent by the British Admiralty to the Arctic Archipelago in quest of a navigable northern route to the Far East.  The Admiralty's search for the missing expedition began two years later and continued until 1880.  The expedition's progress has been traced from it's first over-wintering harbour on Beechey Island to Starvation Cove on the mainland where the last survivors perished.

After exploring Wellington channel to 77 North Latitude, the crew passed the first winter at this camp."

A Walk on a Winter's Day

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang...

-Willie S. Sonnet 73*

I thought I'd take a quick lap around "my personal garden" aka Norton's yesterday....

9:45am  and I had the place almost entirely to myself...

Which I loved in a way- but was also saddened that more of us aren't using this glorious asset in our 

community.

Ok..no soapbox today.  Just enjoy the photos I took.  And yes, peeps- with my iPhone.  Norton's

allows iPhone photography.

* Sonnet 73

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou see'st the twilight of such day

As after sunset fadeth in the west,

Which by and by black night doth take away,

Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire

That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

As the death-bed whereon it must expire,

Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.

This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

-William Shakespeare