Happy summer solstice!
June 21 was indeed the longest day of the year. I spent it at 58 degrees North therefore the sun was shining strong and steady even at 11.30pm at night. I wouldn’t even say that it went dark at any stage during the night, perhaps just a dull dark blue shaded the night sky.
I am in Churchill Manitoba.
Those of you who are following my blog, will likely think along the same lines as my family.
"Its hard to keep track of your travels Hayls."
"You’re all over the place Hayls, not sure where to find you next."
Fulltime work re-appeared for me in Churchill and I couldn’t refuse the offer. Kevin, owner of Maple Leaf Adventures was kind enough to support my decision and he made another naturalist very happy when he offered them the 5 week guiding contract which I could no longer fulfill.
Dean was delighted to have me join him in Churchill and once the decision was made I choreographed a flight and a 2 day train trip to get me into Churchill right on time.
I arrived on a perfectly sunny day, however the wind come from the Hudson Bay was a chilly one. Although there was open water which stretched far out into the Bay, the shoreline of the Churchill River and Bay was choked with ice. The wind will dictate the movements of the ice and I’m sure we will be fooled a few times this summer, thinking that the ice has finally gone. A North wind will bring it back again and change this summer scene into one of winter again, simply overnight.
I have been here a week and in that time I’ve painted a few walls in Deans Kitchen, helped unload provision and cleaned the Tundra Inn dining room. Wearing my other hat I gone through the training for zodiac driver with Sea North Tours Mark, switched out an old Honda outboard engine with a Evinrude ETEC and sanded and varnished Teak railings on the big passenger boat. I’ve spent at least an hour or two with Beluga whales in the Hudson Bay and delighted in the wildflowers which are turning the Tundra into a feast of color and pure delicacy.
Now the Belugas are something else. At the moment there is over two hundred whales which have arrived in the vicinity and as the days go by more and more will show up, filling the entire mouth of the Churchill River with their unique white bodies. We’ve had most of our whale encounters slightly up river where the water is warmer than the Hudson Bay. At this time of year they are calving and going through their annual molt. Warmer water is most welcomed. Large white males, smaller females and the distinctive gray colored young, especially newborn calves have all approached us with what seems to be natural curiosity. They literally surround our zodiacs, at times following close by the stern, diving and swimming beneath our hull. With a hydrophone lowered into the water we can also delight in the lively chirpy chatter which fills the water and the air. Whistles, squeaks, a high-pitched shrill and echolocation clicks are only a handful of unusual sounds that can be heard from these magnificent creatures.
It looks like my summer will be chocker full of new experiences. For the first time I will be working in a commercial kitchen, acting as sous chef for Dean. I will be spending days on the water with Beluga whales and guiding nature tours on the tundra with Frontiers North. One of these trips will take me to Foxe Basin in the Canadian High Arctic. Muskox, Walrus and Polar Bear will be on our wish list, as well as the many bird species which across the Arctic Circle to nest throughout the summer.
It feels wonderful to be here and once again I am forever grateful for these opportunities. Photos to follow soon….I promise.
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