Tuesday 23 August 2016

ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

We are steadily heading north and expect to pass Port Barrow around 10 p.m. and expect to encounter our first sea ice at that time. Port Barrow is the most northerly point of the USA and well above the Arctic Circle. This morning we had breakfast in the room so we could join some of the expedition staff on deck to watch for birds and marine mammals. It was very windy and only one degree Celsius - brrrrrr - thank heavens we were provided with parkas. Saw some very distant gulls. After that we went to a mandatory safety briefing. If you didn't attend it, you wouldn't be allowed off the ship until the ship left Greenland. Once back at the room, I fell asleep until Trivia. We were terrible only getting three correct answers. After lunch, we have another art class followed by preparations for dinner. My stomach still isn't right and I am frightened of a repeat occurrence so am being very careful about what I eat and drink.

We had our first bit of excitement after lunch. We saw our first sea ice (and maybe our only). The colours of the ice and the water were a beautiful blue. The only gulls we saw were Glaucous. Wildlife is few and far between. The temperature is now below Zero with strong winds from the north which makes walking on deck less than pleasant. Unfortunately, while on deck viewing the ice, a gentleman with a smelly cigar insisted on puffing the whole time. We could even smell it in the elevator lobby.

No comments:

Post a Comment