Reflecting on the semi-circumnavigation of the Arctic

Last Friday morning before we left the ship to fly to Anadyr, I stood above the bow of the Kapitan Khlebnikov, looking out over the sea to the distant snow-capped mountains of Russia’s Far East. This amazing icebreaker with 90 passengers, its Russian Captain and crew, the Quark crew led by Cheli Larsen and all the “hotel” support staff had just completed a full circumnavigation of the Arctic.

I had travelled across half of the Arctic, from Kangerlussuaq in lower west Greenland, up the west coast, stopping at Sisimiut, Illulisat, Uummanaaq and Qaanaaq. We then sailed across to the high arctic of Canada where we travelled through sea ice to reach the polar deserts that were almost devoid of animal life. From there we came south towards Resolute, through more sea ice and clear water, enjoying a most beautiful day of fresh powder snow at Caswell Rock in Radstock Bay. Once we “changed over” passengers at Resolute, we went through the Northwest Passage, and then west to Russia.

Over 4,000nm (7,400km) the Khlebnikov had taken us through majestic fjords, into small and large towns, through miles and miles of sea-ice, passed glaciers and icebergs, in sunshine, fog, blizzards and even some rain, and across smooth seas and bumpy ones whipped up by strong winds and tides. We had traversed the fabled Northwest Passage via Prince of Wales Strait, a route that only 16 other ships had taken – ever!

We made history as the first passenger ship to take this route. And while we were doing this, photos of Sir John Franklin’s ship, the HMS Terror, were being beamed around the world. It, together with the HMS Erebus, had tried to find their way through the Northwest Passage in 1845 – both ships and all crew were lost. In September 2014 the Erebus was found – now, two years later, the Terror was found not all that far from where we were.

On our journey we had used zodiacs, the ship’s Russian helicopters and the fun Canadian helicopters. We had walked across rocks, ice, snow, sand, mud (frozen and not so frozen) and tundra, and had landed on islands (wet landings) and at villages (mostly dry landings).

The helicopters took us to otherwise unreachable sites and views, including to parts of the Arctic that might never have been seen this way. I was privileged to have landed, ever so briefly, on a small island in a river behind Canada’s Smoking Hills – it’s likely that David (the pilot) and I were the first humans to ever land in this place!

The two helicopters flew us high and low over glaciers looking closely from above into deep crevasses, and in front of the massive structures that will ultimately break-off into the sea, forming icebergs of all shapes, sizes, colours and textures that will travel for hundreds, maybe thousands of kilometres. From the helicopters we watched the Khlebnikov using her power to break through the sea-ice, and at other times glide silently through the still waters of the fjords and gentle open water.

Winter was approaching – small snowfalls scattered white across the mountains making the jagged rock formations stand out even more against the vast skylines. We saw and walked on enormous areas of exposed rock indicating how much the glaciers have retreated in the Arctic – the impact of changing climate was “front and centre.”

But this trip was not just about the geography, although the vastness and starkness of the landscapes was unlike anything I’d seen before. It was also about people who live in this region – Inuit in Greenland, Canada and Russia, the scientists at Eureka Weather Station, and nomadic Russian reindeer herders – and of course the animals that make this harsh part of the world their home.

The Inuit live off the land, hunting where possible – but this is getting harder as bays that used to ice over for many months now remain open. They increasingly rely on supply ships and planes for additional food, clothing, technology and medical supplies. The internet is everywhere, education is important, and children in Greenland are encouraged to travel to Denmark and more widely when they’ve finished high school. Some return – others continue to travel the world, settling in countries far from home.

Animals are not nearly as abundant in the Arctic as they are in the Antarctic. Across Greenland and Canada marine animals were often not visible, having learned to run away from ships and small boats that carry hunters. We were so lucky to see five polar bears over the four weeks, two quite close by – it was impossible to wipe the smile of my face while I watched and photographed these predators. And the three humpback whales that we saw on our first zodiac cruise near Illulisat kept us going for several weeks.

There are many, many birds across the Arctic, although they decreased in number as we travelled north to the polar deserts of Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands. By the time we reached 81.5°N, flowers had become dormant, the ground-hugging willows had lost their leaves and the autumn colours of lower latitude tundra had disappeared. Only a few musk-ox were seen, an occasional lemming and geese flying south in formation, honking along the way.

As we sailed south through Prince of Wales Strait, the autumn colours returned to the land with swathes of burned orange visible in the distance. Closer to Russia cormorants, puffins and gulls were once again flying around the ship or, the case of puffins, trying to get off the surface of the water, their bellies filled with fish!

Sailing near Russia we were again treated to blows, tail slaps and breaches from whales – mostly humpback, but also bowhead and grey whales. And we saw walrus hauled out on the beaches of Big Diomede, their tusks looking like toothpicks on large pinkish-brown marshmallows!

The tiny piece of Russia that we saw was a joy – beautiful fjords, mountains capped by low clouds and some snow. And reindeer – light and dark, with their antlers still intact. There are huge national parks in this area – lots to explore another time.

This has been an amazing adventure – travelling across this distance provided the opportunity to see changing landscape from the mountains and glaciers of Greenland and Canada’s High Arctic islands to the flatter areas and rocky islands around Radstock Bay, Beechey Island, Banks Island and the north coast of Canada’s mainland. Even seasons changed from late summer to autumn to early winter over 4 weeks.

And all along the way we learned so much from the Quark crew – each and every one a specialist in their field, willing to teach, guide and support us. Before we left Canada, we had to farewell David, Pat & Pascal, the Canadian helicopter pilots & engineer, who gave us so much pleasure, and enjoyed flying across areas that they’d not been to before either – what fun it was to explore alongside them.

And of course there was the fun of having Col Chris Hadfield, his son Evan and their Generator group with us in the Canadian High Arctic. They came with a refreshing perspective that I found infectious. And of course Chris spoke about his passion for science, and sang for us too – that was wonderful! (For those in and around Toronto in November, you might want to attend the show at Massey Hall - LINK).

Overall, a wonderful adventure with many fellow passengers who had the same passion for exploring this region that I did – it’s always fun to meet people on these trips, and it will be great keeping in touch!

The journey did not end when we arrived in Anchorage. With John’s help, five of us took a half day trip along the Seward Road out of Anchorage following the Turnagain Arm, a beautifully picturesque waterway. At one stop I finally saw and photographed a Beluga whale! We then took the tram up Mt Alyeska, and later spent time at a wildlife refuge where I saw my first moose. Quite a day – and a very relaxing way to end such a wonderful journey.

Meanwhile the Khlebnikov has been sold to the Russian Government and we are told that there are negotiations for a circumnavigation of the Antarctic in 2018. My name is on the list!!