Polar Bear Skull

While at the Thule sites we also came across this very old bear skull close to one of the dwellings.

Netting Arctic Char

So many char were caught the net had to be hauled back in before being fully deployed.  The fish were huge.

Timoon hauling in some Arctic Char from the net.

Seal of Approval

At various times during our adventure we would see the lone seal checking us out.  They didn't come very close but we weren't looking for lunch anyway.  They were very curious.

Not the best photo but with my long zoom lens broken this is as good as it gets.

Whale Bone

It looked like a rock but it's actually a large whale bone.  Could easily be from the 18th century.

Duck Waddle

During our tour we came upon a pond that was low on water and in the drying mud we seen the print of some ducks.  Look close and you will see the little tracks left by the baby ducks.

Supper

Guess what's for supper!

Tellik Serpent

You've heard it here first!!  The Serpent of Tellik Inlet has finally been photographed by yours truly.

It looks suspiciously like my photo of the three whales but on further review a head can clearly be seen on this new photo.

You be the judge!

Special thanks to the West Baffin Eskimo Co-op Print shop for alerting me to this photo I overlooked.

Bug Bug & Bug

Don't know what kind of bug they are.  Found these under a rock I had kicked over.

Bozo the Seagull

I forgot this photo on the last post.  This particular Seagull was the only one that showed no fear of me at all and would eat alone and turn it's back on me.  The seagull would always be standing with it's two legs crossed and one wing hanging down.  It didn't have any trouble walking or flying so it wasn't injured.  Made for an entertaining few minutes. 

Every time I giggled this is how it would look at me.

Dump Turkey

Back on the east cost we always called Seagulls "Dump Turkey's" because they were very common and always at the dump.  Never did find out if they tasted like turkeys.  Although they are common south, in Nunavut they are one of the first signs the brief summer is starting. 

I had left a bag of bread on the counter and one or more of the cats tore the bag and destroyed the bread inside.  So instead of throwing it in the garbage I figured it was a good excuse to bait some birds for photos.  The best of the results are below.

My favourite photo of the evening.  I originally passed it off as a failed photo but after looking at it again the eye kept drawing me in.  Taken just as the seagull was taking off.

The bait.  I had to stand outside for about an hour before they would start going for the food.  Luckily the last couple of days have been sunny and warm.  Today it's 2C but feels liks 20C.

The first investigator on the scene.  Didn't care for me being so close to the bait.

Was a failed photo until I noticed this shadow.

Fighting over a prime spot.

A rare moment in the summer.  A raven and a seagull in the same place. 

My second favourite photo of the evening.

This would have been my favourite if it had been in focus and the other seagull wasn't in the photo.  But a friend at work liked it the best and wanted to see it on the blog.  So blame him not me.

Arctic Hares

Not the best photos but the conditions were bad.  10:30 pm and the sun had just gone below the hoizon, strong wind and the tempeture was -8C without the wind and the snow won't hold my weight anymore.  After the initial photo below they took off and I decided to chase them though the knee deep snow.  In the end it was all worth it.

A bit blurry but I had the big zoom out and was hand holding it.

They had run (hopped?) up one of the steep hills at the park and gave me some time to set up the tripod and catch my breath.  The wind was blowing hard enough that I had to hold on to the tripod or it would blow over.

Neither one ever turned their back on me even though I was a long way off at this point.

Too cute.

Doggies

Dog Team on the ice.

The Whales and News

The Nunatsiaq News published one of my photos on their website.  Don't know if that means it will be in the actual paper but still cool.  First time one of my photos made it to a paper.  Of course it's only the first time I've sent photos in to a paper.  Go check it out.

Apparently it isn't up at the moment.  All you can see is a description of the photo and my name but it was up earlier so it should be up again later.   Or you can just go down the blog to an earlier post and the same photo is there.

Below are some photos taken Sunday from the beach.  Not much left of the whale now.

The skull is being cleaned so the Hamlet can display it.  The skull is laying on its side and the upper jaw is attached.

Half of the lower jaw.

The area is getting smelly.  Reminded me of the ranch house when my parents had foxes.  I was at the site today and the carcass is down to just bone.  The hunters were still carving this portion on Sunday.

A hunter cleaning a piece of the baleen.

Cape Dorset Whale Hunt

After a two week hunt in Cape Dorset the local hunters finally got a Bowhead Whale.  It was caught at noon on Tuesday and was at the beach by 9:30 pm the same day.  Butchering started immediately because even with a couple of loaders and a dozer they couldn't drag the 50 ton animal to the high water mark.  Once the tide came in butchering was abandoned until low tide the next day.  The photos below are from Wednesday.

My first look at the whale.

Most of the Muktuk has been stripped of the whale.

The tale is huge and a delicacy.

View of the head.  The hairy stuff is the baleen.  The white you see inside the mouth is the tongue.

Ummm, ahhhhh.  You figure it out.

The fin is coming off.  The black part is all head.

Kids playing in the mouth.

The whale is a big event in the community.  Here is a bus unloading kids to see the whale.

My favourite shot.

Bowhead Whale The Story

It started with the phone ringing.

Then Michele hollering to get the camera there's a whale in the Inlet. Less then two minutes later we were in the car and heading to the shore. I always keep my camera and gear ready to go because there usually isn't much time to react and plan for events like this.

Once we got there I noticed my battery indicator was showing low battery. No need to panic I always have two fully charged extra batteries with me. With a somewhat smug smile on my face I reached into the camera bag for one of the extra batteries and put it in the camera. I got about 20 feet from the vehicle and was getting the focus set and checking the settings when the battery indicator light started showing low battery again. Now my gut clenches and the smug smile disappears so quick it may never had been there. With a feeling of dread I get the other battery and put it in the camera. Ah utopia this battery is full. Luckily this was the only scary event of the evening.

When arriving at the shore we were met by several others to wait with anticipation for the appearance of the whale. Across the Inlet a rippling in the water and the dark, sleek back of the whale breaks the surface of the water with a spray of exhaled air. The surprise and shouts of wonder came next as a second smaller version broke the surface beside the first. A mother whale with her calf.

The whales sank down and everyone was speculating on where they would surface again. One older Inuk said they would be circling and heading back out of the Inlet. Sure enough both showed again just down the shore from us. The boats gave a nice contrast on how big the whales are. The same Inuk told me to be patient they always surface at least three times before going under for a long period of time. He was correct rewarding us with more photo opportunities.

Some were speculating the reason they came into the Inlet was to escape the harassment of a pod of Orcas (Killer Whales). Even though the mother whale is too big for them the baby would be fair game. They would tire the couple out and when the calf could go no further they would use their bodies to force the calf down to drown it. There may be truth to this theory because the two whales were staying very close to shore and were following the line of the island on their way back to the Davis Straight before going on to the Fox Basin. Lets hope the Orcas didn't catch them. I kind of hoped they were just chasing food.

After the whales went under everyone returned to what they were doing before the word went out. Michele and I figured if they were going back out then they have to go by the Park to exit. Back in the vehicle in a tear to get to the park. The whales don't seem to move very fast but after watching them circle the Inlet we knew they would be at the park soon. It was at the park in our ankle breaking pace down the rocks to get closer to the shore that we viewed them on the surface again. This is were I also got the photos of the mother whale with her tail above the water. This was the only time they did it and Michele and I were alone to witness it.

The next time the two surfaced was right in front of us. I had to wait for them to swim off a bit before I could take clear photos. They were so close that I couldn't get my telephoto lens focused on them. What an experience to hear the snorting whoosh of the exhaled breath and the splashing of the water as they surfaced and dove. I even manged to get a photo of the calf blowing air. Not easy given how dark it was getting by now.

Our screams of delight must have been heard back in the Hamlet because soon after a couple of trucks showed up disgorging people everywhere. They arrived just in time to see the whales just as they came across the island still following the shore. It was the last time they surfaced within sight. I certainly hope to have this opportunity again.

What a wonderful evening.

Bowhead Whale

It's been a magical night.

More over the next couple of days as I go through the 150 photos that I've taken. I couldn't wait that long and had to post at least one photo before going to bed.

Seagull

This past weekend we were out and seen some seals in the water. Of course I didn't have my camera with me and by the time we got back out with it they had gone. So instead I got a couple of photos of a seagull. I must look bad because I can't get birds to look in my direction when I have a camera. Is there a type of whistle or gesture I can use to get them to look back at me?

I'm getting better at the manual focus.

Arctic Wolf Spider Revisited

When it rains it pours. After trying to get good shots of the Arctic Wolf Spider for a couple of years, in the space of a week I've managed to get several good shots. The first photo below is a shot from above and in front of the spider but the second one is the cool one.

I originally thought I had a bunch of ruined photos. I got to excited when the spider came over the rim of a small pit and he stopped making for a great photo. But due to my excitement and the swarms of harassing mosquito's I didn't notice the grass in front of the spider. Ever photo has a purplish V in front of the spider. I was just closing the last photo when I noticed how clear the front of the Wolf spider was and after zooming and cropping I got the shot below.

Just look at the two big eyes and four little eyes below and the two grabbing and tearing mandibles. No doubt about it now this is an Arctic Wolf Spider.

Arctic Wolf Spider

Over the last three years I've seen this type of spider several times but I either don't have a camera or they run off to quick for me to get a photo. I finally got lucky a couple of days ago and got one in a photogenic mood. I believe it is an Arctic Wolf Spider but please correct me if I'm wrong. This was the best photo I got before the spider disappeared. I think Michele thought me wrong in the head when all she could see was me taking photos of pebbles and then me yelling out in excitement. The spider is about the size of a Canadian nickle. Wish I could have got a shot from the front.

Duck Eggs

Michele had the opportunity to go boating with friends and she came back with some duck eggs. Mom used some of them to make donuts and after several taste tests they do taste different than using eggs from the store. But in a good way. An Inuk friend told Michele to try eating a couple after they have been frozen. Apparently it is like eating ice cream.