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Snugged up against the research boat.
This saved a challenging clamber up the sheet pile wall at low tide! |
We arrived in Pond Inlet in the early hours of broad daylight and rafted up against a fisheries research boat. With the wharf being of solid sheet pile and a tidal range of several metres, our 'floating pontoon' with its between-decks ladder was a welcome way on and off the boat. The weather has been and continues to be, glorious with turquoise seas and blue skies. Pond Inlet was inaccessible due to ice a couple of weeks ago so it was surprising to see open water with the odd iceberg floating around.
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| We had a few growlers floating around in the harbour |
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) came down to the wharf to check us in. They are stationed in Pond Inlet over the summer to manage the cruise ships. They welcomed us 'home' and even stamped our Canadian passports so we had a stamp from Pond Inlet!
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| CBSA do not normally stamp Canadian passports but they do in Pond Inlet! |
Pond Inlet is a small, remote community of around 1,500 people. If it can be accessed, it is a popular stop for those attempting the NW Passage. During our stay, we met four other boats. The locals are very friendly and we were offered tours around the hamlet and advice on sourcing fuel.
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| Sooo close, but the signpost did not include the North Pole. |
The town itself is a ramshackle of buildings and dusty, dirt roads. The building are all elevated a metre or so off the ground. There is not a garden nor a tree to be found. This is not surprising as Pond Inlet enjoys a polar arctic climate and the average temperature from December to March is below -25°C. In the height of summer, the average temperatures reach a whopping +10°C. Yikes.
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| The Catholic Church |
The town is ice-free for just a few short months and the sun does not peep over the horizon at all from mid-November until early January. And when it does rise, it is only for a few minutes a day. Fresh food is flown in twice a week from Montreal so it is expensive. It is not an option to grow things locally as the plants do not thrive in the 24-hour sunlight OR darkness and the costs to maintain a greenhouse at growing temperatures are prohibitive. The locals do practice traditional hunting and gathering to supplement their diets.
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Pond Inlet is in the territory of Nunavut.
Sean has now visited every Canadian province and territory.
Kate has PEI and New Brunswick to go! |
Pond Inlet sits on Eclipse Bay at the north of Baffin Island and looks across the strait to Bylot Island. The scenery is absolutely stunning with towering mountains and huge glaciers. And plenty of icebergs floating around the bay.
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| Northern Fulmar |
The bay is teeming with wildlife, we saw narwhals, bowhead (or right) whales and lots of seals. Birdlife includes thick-billed murres, northern fulmars, black-legged kittiwakes, little auks, snow geese, loons, ravens and arctic terns.
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| The view from the rubbish dump - one of the best in town. |
Most of Bylot Island is part of the Sirmilik National Park. It is an important migratory bird sanctuary with towering bird cliffs that are nesting places for the kittiwake and murres. We attended a Parks Canada course on the National Park which was required for us to obtain a permit to anchor in Tay Bay, which is off the western side of the island. We were warned to be aware that polar bears ride the icebergs - how cool will it be to see a polar bear hitchhiking on an iceberg? We will be sure to get a photograph of that!
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| Cottongrass is a common sight at this time of year |
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| Oh Canada! On a flagpole, right by the harbour. |
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| The grave yard. Pond Inlet is not without its issues and some of the ages on the crosses are tragic. |
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Qamutilk or sledge. These are a common sight around Pond Inlet. They are dragged behind a snowmobile and are still used for hunting. The cabin can be used as an emergency
shelter if the hunter gets caught out by the weather. |
With the other boats in town, our time in Pond Inlet was very social. The local hotel served a fabulous three-course set menu so we enjoyed some onshore comfort food. We did a few short hikes and one of us even got the nerve to have a quick splash at the beach.
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The hike up the hill was well worth it. We could watch the whales in the bay below.
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| Bravely enjoying a dip at the beach... It's not too bad once you are in: goes the Great Canadian Lie! |
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| Arctic poppies manage to find a foothold amongst the rocks and willows. |
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| Inuktitut is widely spoken in Pond Inlet. |
And check out Marisa and Adriano's video @our_tern on Instagram:Chapter 91 - Pond Inlet
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