Comparison of Arctic and Antarctic

The black Adventure Canada Ocean Endeavour...

and the blue voyage jacket.

The red GAdventure Expedition...

and the red voyage jacket.

In the north the animals...

were scarce and wary.

In the south the animals were curious...

and abundant.

We were mere curiosities.

An unfortunate chick whose feathers are not yet waterproof and who is obviously chilled through.

The rusting rotting whale processing station of Grytvikin.

The barren remote Elephant Island where Shackleton left 22 men who weren't sure he'd ever be able to return.

A model of the Cairn, the lifeboat that Shackleton and 5 others rowed for 1330 kilometres from Elephant to South Georgia Island.

Shackleton's grave on South Georgia, and our guide Skobie who'd spent several decades in the Antarctic region.

A map of Antarctica with the flags of all the countries who signed the treaty of 1959.

Comparison of the Arctic Voyage and the Antarctic Expedition.

GAdventure’s ‘Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica’ 
October 23rd – November 12^th, 2019.

Adventure Canada’s ‘Out of the Northwest Passage’
September 1-17, 2023.

John, Bruce and I have been lucky enough to travel to the north and the south and can now say we are ‘bipolar’. Both regions are obviously cold, remote, barren, bleak, and treeless, but they have their own natural beauty with the seemingly pristine environment, sea ice, glaciers, icebergs, snow covered mountains and incredible rock formations. I say seemingly pristine because of the unseen chemical pollutants and plastics that are migrating north. One of the attractions for people like me, is the remoteness, lack of traffic, congestion, and everything that comes with our civilization. In both places we were there in the ‘summer’ months and the temperatures were doable, as long as you wore layers and dressed appropriately. The Arctic is more accessible than the Antarctic. We were able to penetrate further north well into the Arctic Circle, whereas we never actually reached the Antarctic Circle. That is because the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land and the Antarctic is a continent that fills most of the Antarctic Circle and is surrounded by sea and ice. We were able to land at many different places in Nunavut and in Greenland, whereas we only really landed on one small part of the Antarctic continent. We did however land at many sites on the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island.

Both trips were on ships that were converted car ferries from the Baltic and had ice ratings for sailing into minor ice fields. Both trips were small group, in around 120-150 passengers, mostly of the retired, affluent variety who were accomplished world travellers in their own rights. Both trips had about a dozen zodiacs for transporting us from the ship to landing sites and both offered the option of sea kayaking, although we declined. It was both expensive, cold, and awkward for taking photos while paddling. Both trips had expedition staff with unbelievable experience and knowledge, most of whom led presentations on their fields of expertise ensuring that we had a solid grasp of the history, cultures, ecology, biology, geology, and human impact of the areas. I learned a ton on both trips.

In the Arctic you have to work hard to find wildlife and in Antarctica you have to work hard not to see wildlife. The animals of the north are wary because there are predators such as polar bears and human hunters, whereas in the south there are no land-based predators, the wildlife is protected and as a result the animals are not afraid of you. It was truly wonderful to wander around penguin colonies and be looked at with nothing but curiosity. If we stood still they would come up to us, or just walk past. In the south we were given guidelines about where we could or could not go on a landing but that was mostly to prevent us from infringing on the animal’s space and change there natural behaviour; whereas in the north we were not allowed to land in any wilderness area without a perimeter of rifle bearing bear-guards who remained vigilant during our landings. In a couple of places, we had our landings altered because either bears were sited or fog prevented sufficient visibility for the bear-guards.

During both voyages we learned a lot about the explorers of the 1800’s who discovered new lands and claimed them in the name of their colonial government regardless of the presence of aboriginal or native peoples. In the north we learned about the disastrous voyage of Sir John Franklin who lost two ships and 129 men while trying to find and navigate the Northwest Passage in an attempt to connect trade from the Atlantic to the Pacific. His ships, the Erebus and Terror, were recently found by Parks Canada. After a long search a breakthrough was made in September 2014 when an expedition located the wreck of HMS Erebus, 80 km south of King William Island in Nunavut. A second breakthrough happened in September 2016, when HMS Terror was found in the ironically named Terror Bay, a little further north. In the south we learned about Sir Ernest Shackelton’s failed expedition to first reach the south pole, and later to attempt the ‘Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition’ which was to be the first crossing of the continent of Antarctica. In the first voyage he got to 88 degrees south within 180 kilometres of the pole only to realize that he didn’t have enough supplies for him and his men to continue and then make it back alive. Therefore, he turned around short of his goal. In the second voyage he never set foot on the continent as his ship, the Endurance was trapped in the ice, drifted away from the continent, and then crushed and sunk by the ice in 1915. They endured a year and a half living on the ice before they had open water. Thereafter Shackleton and his 27 crew made a heroic trip, rowing in a lifeboats to first to Elephant Island where he left 22 men for 4 ½ months, who survived the cold by living under their overturned boat and eating penguins and fish. Shackleton and 5 others rowed 1330 kilometres in one lifeboat to South Georgia Island in order to contact whalers who came to the rescue of his entire crew. He lost no one. Truly an amazing story, but it’s ironic that what made him so famous was his remarkable survival after his ship sank. I have since read another book, ‘The Lost Men, The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party’ about the trials and tribulations of his other supply ship who were to seed the opposite side of Antarctica with supplies to ensure he had enough food to complete the crossing. That team also lost their ship and three men died, and the rest later learned that all of their efforts were for naught as Shackleton never made the crossing. It is very interesting and noteworthy that the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, was the first to complete the northwest passage through the Arctic from east to west, and the first to reach the actual south pole (beating Sir Robert Scott and his team of 4 who arrived 33 days later only to find the Norwegian flag already there, after which they all perished on the trip back). Yet, in school we learned about the heroic British explorers, although the two I’m referring to were both leaders of failed expeditions. Unlike Amundsen, the British in their superior and elitist way refused to learn from and adopt the Inuit methods of dog sledding and wearing the warmer animal skin clothing. As a result, they suffered and struggled unnecessarily.

In the Arctic we learned about the culture and history of the Inuit but in the south there never were any indigenous people. Antarctica is governed by a group of nations in a unique international partnership. The Antarctic Treaty, first signed on December 1, 1959, designates Antarctica as a continent devoted to peace and science. Many countries have scientific research stations there and people do overwinter, but they rotate in and out and there are no permanent residents. I met a young woman in Alaska who had worked as a labourer at McMurdo Station, the American research facility for a summer (when they have 24 hours of daylight) and was contemplating an offer to work there on a year long contract. She was waffling because of the thought of the long dark winter (when they have 24 hours of night) and the frigid temperatures. I told her as awful and hard as it might be, I’d still do it because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that very few people ever get the chance to experience. In the Antarctic we also learned about horrible history of whaling and the wholesale slaughter almost to the point of extinction of a number of species of whales. As a kid I knew about the blue whale, the sperm whale and the right whale, among others, but never understood that ‘right’ whale referred to it being the right whale to harpoon for its abundance of blubber and oil. European countries used whale oil for a number of things but importantly as a source of fuel to burn lights including street lights. They had over hunted the whales and seals in the Arctic and when early explorers went south they reported on the vast quantities of them in the southern oceans; hence the further exploration and exploitation of the area and its abundant wildlife.

Both poles are experiencing the effects of climate change more rapidly than any other parts of the planet. They are losing ice at an accelerating rate which is causing a whole range of problems from rising sea levels to less ice for phytoplankton to live under thus affecting the whole food chain, to less sea ice for polar bears who rely on the ice of the frozen sea for their habitat and where they are able to hunt for seals which rest on and give birth on the ice. They can catch seals at their breathing holes in the ice and narwal and beluga who swim in the leads (open cracks) of the ice. For the peoples of the north the warmer summers are causing the permafrost (the permanently frozen ground beneath the surface) to melt causing buildings to sink and roads to buckle and crack. Scientists are studying the wildlife of both regions and trying figure out who are adversely affected by the changes and who is benefitting. We all know that polar bears and penguins are being negatively affected, but in the Arctic, grizzly or brown bears and red foxes are making inroads to the north as it warms. This is causing brown and polar bears of cohabitate, compete and perhaps interbreed in the same area. There was recently a report of thousands of Emperor penguins (from ‘March of the Penguins’ fame) who died in 2022 because the sea ice beneath their colonies melted soaking the chicks who had yet to develop their waterproof feathers. The chicks either froze to death or drowned.

Which did I prefer? That’s a good question and one which Bruce answered for all three of us: the Arctic trip was 8 out of 10 and the Antarctic was 11. Both companies are exemplary and I'd happily travel again with either. Would I go back to either pole? Both trips are understandably expensive, but I think if given the chance I’d go back to the Antarctic later in the season to see the rearing of the Adele, Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins. If I went north again it would be to see the huge bird colonies that were mostly empty when we went later in the season. Speaking of birds, they were more abundant, larger and more interesting in the south with the albatross, giant petrels and all the different penguin species.

I have since bought a couple of books about the Shackleton expedition: in addition to ‘The Lost Men, The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party’ I purchased ‘The Ship Beneath the Ice’, about the discovery of Shackleton's sunken ship, the Endurance, found in the Weddell Sea of Antarctica in 2022.

A big thank you to our travel agent Denise, who booked John and my trip, flights and hotels on the Antarctic trip, where we met Bruce, and then our trip, flights and hotels for all three of us in the Arctic. When things like bushfires threaten the trip, it is very handy to have assistance from back home. (That in fact reminds me of my only real disappointment: since we could not fly to Yellowknife, I have not yet been to the Northwest Territories…). And a big shout out to my family, friends and you, who have read and/or followed my blog, especially John Mahaffy, who met me in Vancouver and started my North American journey is such great fashion and has made innumerable insightful comments on my posts. Thanks to All!

That completes all the posts for the North American trip, the question now is 'where to next?' Israel has been ruled out for now... perhaps Japan, Croatia... time will tell...

Summary of the Arctic and the Out of the Northwest Passage Expedition

The Arctic Circle and all the countries it passes through.

Our trip is drawn on too.

The intrepid James Raffan, in his words 

'the most famous Canadian author you have never heard of'.

The incomparable environmentalist, guide who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Our passionate geologist Dr. Marc St-Onge. 

Photos by Todd Mintz the ship's photographer.

Some of his fossil finds.

The film maker John Houston.

Some Inuit art displayed on the boat.

The muskox we hoped to see.

Joe...

and Susie, our Inuit guides.

Photo by Lorne Demoe

The history: last photo known of John Franklin.

Our route through the Northwest Passage.

And all the people we did it with... can you find us?

Photo by Todd Mintz.

Thank you gentlemen, the trip was even better because of you!

Photo by some woman we solicited.

Summary of the Arctic and the 'Out of the Northwest Passage Expedition

After three long years, several false starts and COVID delays, John, Bruce and I finally made it to the Arctic. The original plan was to travel with GAdventures to Svalbard north of Norway, the east coast of Greenland and Iceland, on the same ship, the Expedition, the same crew and staff and many of the same passengers that were on the trip to the Antarctic. However, COVID put a stop to that, and the trip was eventually cancelled outright. As a back up plan I had heard about the Adventure Canada ‘Out of the Northwest Passage’ expedition and proposed it as a great way to see Arctic Canada and the west coast of Greenland. John and Bruce were up for it, so we put down a deposit and waited two years. Finally, we had a firm date of September 1, 2023. So, in my usual way, I booked a cruise of the west side of British Columbia to Alaska, then overland through Alaska and the Yukon to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. All seemed good… but two things happened that almost threw a monkey wrench into the spokes: 1) wildfires in Yellowknife, but thankfully after some stress, Adventure Canada relocated the starting point to Edmonton; and 2) I got sick with laryngitis, a sinus infection and conjunctivitis in my eye. I was worried that perhaps I had COVID and I’d have to miss the trip and perhaps mess it up for John and Bruce too… but thankfully I tested negative and although I felt crappy for a few days, I was happily aboard the Ocean Endeavour and beginning our voyage on time.

This trip lived up to its advertised promise and provided us with an excellent glimpse into the landscapes, history, cultures and wildlife in the Arctic Circle. We landed at or visited a variety of sites that were either storied in history (Beechy Island), sites of great natural beauty (Ililussat Glacier), to view wildlife (Coningham Bay), to visit local towns (Jhoa Haven), or places to hike and explore (Disko Fjord). Where we landed to hike, we were always offered a couple of options of length and difficulty in order to accommodate everyone.

The weather on the trip was like late fall in Toronto. We had a mixture of sunny and cloudy days with temperatures of from -5 to +5. We had a bit of drizzle and one day of snow flurries. The provided beautiful blue Adventure Canada jacket was an excellent waterproof and wind barrier under which we could layer up if need be.

Because of the remote locations we were hoping to visit and the unpredictable nature of the weather and ice, the itinerary was not guaranteed. The captain and expedition crew had access to all the latest satellite, radar and GPS information to guide them through the passage, but sometimes weather or ice impact destinations in a negative way. We had two such disappointments. We had planned to go to Grise Fjord on Ellesmere Island where a few families of Inuit had been relocated in the 1950’s to help prove Canada’s sovereignty of the Arctic, but ice flowing from the pole down through Nares Strait, between Ellesmere Island and Greenland, threatened to either block off the entrance to the fjord or trap us there with no way to exit. So that visit was cancelled and instead the expedition leader Scott McDougall arranged for us to have a cruise by zodiac through the ice of Baffin Bay and a landing on a large piece of sea ice. The second day that had to be reorganized was an anticipated landing at Kap York, Greenland that had to be called off because of poor weather and fog which would not allow the crew to place bear guards to guarantee our safety. So, the landing was called off and we had a day of lectures and learning provided for us with The Greenland Film Festival where we learned about some of its history and culture, then a presentation by James Raffan who talked about his 3-year trip around the Arctic Circle and finally Dylan White who gave a presentation on carnivores of the Arctic region. After all of that we had a sampling of ‘country’ food that the Inuit have lived on for centuries.

That kind of flexibility of the itinerary and the available expertise of the adventure staff ensured that we had an excellent voyage and could learn as much or little as we chose. On board we had writers, adventurers, a biologist, a geologist, an ornithologist, a mammal expert, land claims and land rights experts and people who had lived and worked in the Arctic for years. There were daily talks about a wide variety of topics relevant to the far north. John, Bruce, and I have all traveled extensively but were humbled by the adventures, exploits and knowledge of the Adventure Canada staff. We heard stories of dogsledding solo from one end of Baffin Island to the other; about rowing across the Atlantic from Morocco to Barbados in a rowing catamaran; traversing the imaginary line of the Arctic Circle and visiting all of the countries that straddle it; photographing icebergs from beneath; being in possession of a piece of the oldest rock ever found… the list goes on.

I know the pictures have conveyed the beauty of the Arctic, but not sure my prose has adequately conveyed the awe and privilege I felt at having had the opportunity to visit these beautiful, pristine, and changing places. The wide-open vistas and panoramic views are incredibly breathtaking and beyond description or representation in most photographs. The fresh snow on some of the mountains and the fields of sea ice and massive icebergs that we passed gave an indication of the approach of the winter season with its long dark nights and frigid temperatures. It became possible to imagine the bleakness and isolation of places when we got to locations like Dawson Harbour (with its RCMP post) and several abandoned Hudson Bay trading posts. It was incredible to be in such remote areas and imagine the loneliness and isolation of anyone who would have been stationed in these places with no communication lines or fresh supplies from the freeze up to the summer thaw.

We learned a lot about the Inuit culture and history and gained a much better appreciation of their lifestyle and the challenges of living in the far north. Anyone interested in a very early documentary of Inuit life is encouraged to watch ‘Nanook of the North’ which provides an authentic peak at family life and hunting for a living. We had an Inuit couple on board who provided information about their history and villages where we landed. The Inuit migrated to the north thousands of years ago where there were no trees for shelter, construction or firewood and very little edible vegetable matter. They adapted and lived on animal flesh, which they frequently ate raw and which provided their nutrition and vitamins, and they wore animal skins.

We saw some wildlife but not as much as we would have liked. We were hoping to see at least one polar bear and were lucky enough to see over a dozen in one day at Conningham Bay, but never saw another. We saw an Arctic fox, some backs of beluga and narwal and one or two larger whales, some fulmars and other seabirds but not in the numbers we’d hoped as we arrived after the breeding season. I had hoped to see muskox but didn’t, and we were too far north for caribou. And I mustn’t forget that on the last day of a seven week trip to the north of North America, we finally saw the northern lights… the infamous aurora borealis.

John, Bruce and I had a great time with all of the activities and enjoyed meeting new people, including staff and crew. We had a wonderful chambermaid who even managed to find in our room one of my small hard drives that slipped between a bed and a dresser. The food was quite varied and palatable especially given the remoteness of where we were. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, and we had fun talking and interacting with them.

I picked up several books written by people aboard the ship or about things they did, or places we went. I read and thoroughly enjoyed James Raffan’s book Ice Walker, about the life of polar bears; Circling the Midnight Sun, about James Raffan’s three-year journey around the Arctic Circle; The Little Ship of Fools, about the rowing adventure across the Atlantic that Dylan White partook in; and Cold Edge of Heaven, about death in the RCMP camp at Dundas Harbour.

With all of the evidence of global warming and the thawing of the sea ice, it is now possible for companies like Adventure Canada to take a ship full of tourists through the Northwest Passage which 150 years ago was a frozen wasteland where explorers endured the ice and winter conditions as they attempted to find a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific over North America. Many of them perished in their attempt. While they struggled to survive on hardtack and preserved foods, we ate delicious meals prepared by a staff of chefs and waiters, that included fresh fruit and vegetables. It really makes you think how much the world has changed in that time in climate, technology, and communication. After seeing the passage for myself, I am very glad to have done it now with a great adventure company and two excellent travel companions in John and Bruce.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

John and the CN Tower

In the Aquarium.

The Toronto Skyline from Centre Island.

Hiding from a rain shower and enjoying a cool one.

Me and my son Danny.

At the Science Centre and brought back great memories of our Africa trip in 2010.

The reunion of the African shirts.

In the park with Shayna.

Having a beer in the airport concocting a next trip: 

possible road trip in England next summer.

I told John not to breathe on anyone on the flight and Bruce sent this to prove he took my advice.

Monday, September 18^th.

John, Bruce and I went for a tour of Toronto today. I took them to the Ontario Science Centre because John was interested, but it was closed on Mondays! So, plan B. I took them to the Aquarium. They both enjoyed that. Bruce went across the street to photograph the old trains at the Steamwhistle Brewery. Then we drove to the ferry docks, parked and took the Toronto Island Ferry across to Centre Island. They loved the 15 minute trip across the lake and the view of the city skyline. We had lunch with a couple of pitchers of beer on the island right by the ferry docks looking at the city. Then we walked across the island to the boardwalk on the south shore. As we were walking it started to rain so I took them to a restaurant there where we had a couple more pints waiting for the rain to stop. Then we continued our walk to the small village on Ward’s Island and to the docks there where we took the ferry back to the city. Next I drove them to the boardwalk at the beaches and we walked along that for a bit again enjoying the views of Lake Ontario. Next we went to my son Danny’s house, and they met him and his girlfriend Kristin but he was still working, so I took them to the Dogfish restaurant at Bluffer’s Park where we had fish tacos for dinner. Then we went back to Danny’s and he led us to a pub in his area and we had a nice visit with him while drinking more beer. Finally, we drove back to the Air b’n’b at 11. We had a thoroughly enjoyable long day in Toronto.

Tuesday, September 19^th.

We got up, packed up and drove to my parent’s house to leave all the luggage in their garage, so that there was room for us in the car! Then we drove to the Science Centre which was open today. It was an overwhelming place for all of us and a confusing place to find your way around. I asked a guide, and he told us the place was designed for people to get lost in science! After a couple of hours we went to the park to meet up with Shayna. We had a nice visit with her followed by a revisit with Mom and Dad to pick up their luggage and to say goodbye. I drove them to the airport. It was very sad for all of us to have to say goodbye. I drove back to the house to get my luggage and head down to Danny’s apartment where I’ll stay for a few days to protect mom and dad and Shayna and her upcoming cataract surgery from the possibility of me carrying COVID. I had to hang around for an hour or two waiting for Danny to meet me there. He gave me the key, cleaned up a bit and told me what to do and expect. Then he left and I was alone. The end to an amazing 6 or 7 weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it and especially John and Bruce’s company. Shortly after I got a text from them. They were having a beer at the airport and had concocted an idea for the next adventure: a road and camping trip with the three of us in John’s VW van through parts of England to be determined. So the dromomania continues…

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to Toronto

The final disembarkation...

Goodbye to our home away from home.

Our unmarked incognito charter.

Not sure who photo-bombed us.

Bruce being Bruce.

Let the testing begin...

I think most of us have had this pleasure...

Sorry Mom...

Sunday, September 17^th. Kangerlussuaq, Greenland  

Happy 90^th birthday Mom!

Alarm went off at 4am, quick breakfast, finish packing the backpack with camera, computer et al, then disembark in the zodiacs in the dark. A ten-minute ride to the dock where we had a dry landing. A fleet of buses were waiting to take us to the airport which was about 20-minute drive. On the way we saw two Arctic hares. Security at the airport was very slow. John, Bruce, and I just sat off to the side as we didn’t want to stand in line for 40 minutes. We were just going through security when the plane was supposed to depart. We boarded our unmarked white chartered plane and sat one behind each other in the middle seats and took off at 8:45. We got to Pearson by 11:30 local time (we passed through three time zones), got a van taxi and drove to Shayna’s to pick up my car. She came down and gave us COVID tests. I passed, Bruce passed, and John was positive. That ended any hope of us going to Mom’s 90^th birthday party. So, we went to the Air b’n’b I booked by Earl Haig High School. We checked in and got settled. We gave John the single room and Bruce and I took the shared room with me on the cot. Then I bought Poke Bowls, and we went to visit Shayna in the park so she could stay a safe distance and meet them. After that visit we drove up to the house to visit Mom and Dad. We were all well spaced out in the backyard. Shayna joined us in her own car, and we gave Mom her presents. I had brought her back a mug from Greenland as she was the only person I’d ever known who had been to Greenland (on a cruise of the north Atlantic). Then we went to Mezza Notte where the birthday party was to take place and stood outside as Chris, Megan, Denise, Anne, David, Eileen and Arlene all went in, as I wanted them to meet John and Bruce. Denise was very happy to meet them and vice versa, as she had booked the Adventure Canada trip for all three of us, their flights, and then rearranged them when the fires in Yellowknife necessitated a rerouting to Edmonton. Then back to the Airb’n’b for the night as we were all tired.

That ends the Adventure Canada portion of this trip, but John and Bruce were staying with me in Toronto for two more days. So, I will write that mini adventure up and then I intend to write two concluding posts, one a summary of the Northwest Passage expedition and another a compare/contrast of the north and south poles.

Sisimiut, Greenland

The very pretty town of Sisimiut.

A second taste of country food...

 

fish, muskox, roe, prawns, whale meat...

Sailing into the fjord 

The views with fresh snow were spectacular.

Our extra friend - Dr Ken from Montreal.

Finally! On the last night we see the Aurora Borealis!

What a great send off.

Saturday, September 16^th.  Sisimiut, Greenland

We were up early again as we only have the morning to spend in Sisimiut. For the first time on this voyage, we were tied up at a dock and were able to just walk off the ship onto a gangway. We had an organized tour of the town with a 20-year-old native Greenlander, who was born in a small village, then grew up in Sisimiut, was educated in Copenhagen and has returned home. He says he prefers living in this small town over the very the busy big city. This is a very pretty, picturesque town of 5600 inhabitants. He showed us the museum (closed on Saturdays-today), the schools, some of the shops and we ended at a local hotel where they had a Taste of Greenland. They gave us some pumpernickel bread with samples of lumpfish roe, dried cod, dried caplin, Greenlandic shrimp, snow crab, muskox, smoked whale meat and a muskox soup. I didn’t care for the dried fish bits but liked the muskox and smoked whale meat. Then John and I walked up to the church for a good view of the harbour before walking back down the hill to the ship. When we got back, we watched a man give a kayak rolling demonstration before lunch. We had lunch with Dylan White (he’s the guy who sat and talked to me on day one when I couldn’t talk) and had the chance to ask him about his 56-day rowing trip across the Atlantic from Morocco to Barbados with 16 guys. What an adventure. There is a book written about the trip by a writer who was on the trip, called The Little Ship of Fools, that I think I will try to find. After lunch we did the charter flight check-in and had a disembarkation briefing. Then I watched a movie of John Huston’s called No One Left Behind about the Inuit Co-ops in northern Quebec. They started the co-ops because the HBC was treating them so badly. Then we had our last dinner together while we began the transit into the long fjord leading towards the airport. A couple came up and said, “We started with you and we’re going to finish with you.” With that a couple from England had dinner with us. We rushed through dinner in order to get out on the deck and see the spectacular views as we sailed into the very long fjord that leads to Kangerlussuaq and the airport. After watching for a bit, I rushed back to the room to pack up my case and put it in the hall for a ten pm pickup. Later we sat in the Nautilus lounge and had a bit of wine with Ken, the doctor from Montreal, and the three people that Bruce spent some time socializing with, Louis, Cheri and Tom who were all listening to the expedition team band the Frosted Stromatilites (named after the ancient fossil life that we saw on our first landing). Then off to bed early in anticipation of an early morning. At 11 Bruce came into the room and woke us up by announcing that the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) were out! This is something we’d been hoping to see since the beginning. Scott came on and announced it over the PA and everyone dressed and charged or stumbled up to the 8^th deck. There they were… a luminescent green shimmer in the night sky. Absolutely amazing and mesmerizing. We spent about an hour on deck on a mild, windless night watching and trying to photograph them. Really a welcome sight and a wonderful sendoff on our last night aboard the Ocean Endeavour. Then back to bed well after midnight to get some sleep.