Monthly Archives: July 2012

Visit to Savissivik

From the field, General, ,

Students on Ice / WWF-Canon


After more than 24 hours Melville Bay, where the Arctic Tern was accompanied only by guillemots and icebergs, we started to see land in the morning. And in the afternoon we landed by Savissivik, a small community of 74 people on the edge of the Melville Bay. We anchored by the settlement and put the zodiac in the water, carrying Sascha and I to the village to talk with the local hunters and Tim and Thorsten to check out a potential salt marsh site.
Sascha and I went to the local Pillersuisoq, where groceries can be bought. We met a hunter from the community, who told us that they just recently had their first supplies of goods and that a second ship was to arrive in September. These supplies were to last them all winter and well into the summer next year.

Students on Ice / WWF


But Savissivik is a hunters’ community and most people here live on what they hunt themselves. Hides of polar bears were hanging outside to dry and seal blubber was let on the stones for the dogs. On a warm summer day the dogs looked anything but pleased with the long wait for snow and sea ice.
We were told that hunting of seal, narwhal and beluga whales as well as polar bear is the predominant activity. Quotas for hunting of many species are set by the Greenland Government, and the hunter explained that the season for hunting of polar bear is short – often the 18 bears harvested locally are taken within the first few months of the season. While the communities further south seemed to live off both hunting and fishery, there is no fishery here yet. Changes in climate may however lead to the introduction of Greenland Halibut fishery here too.
By the harbor we met another hunter, who told us about life in the settlement. He explained that there are currently 74 people living in the settlement. We saw a number of abandoned houses so this community must have been bigger not so many years ago. The hunter also explained how they would harvest Little Auks from the cliffs behind the settlement by waving nets in the air.
Two kids were playing with dogs outside a house. We asked them about their school, and they explained how the local school ends after the 7th grade. Children must then move to Qaanaaq for further schooling.
We met up with our hunter again, building a new kayak. He explained how everything was made from wood and skin, and how he tied the pieces together using string. This makes the kayak flexible and easy to repair during hunting.

Visit to Kullorsuaq

From the field, General, ,

Students on Ice / WWF-Canon


Last night we arrived in a small bay where we found an anchorage protected from both wind and ice. But as there was a risk of the exit being blocked by huge icebergs, the captain decided to introduce the first anchor watches. This gave each of us an hour to sit on the deck of the boat and look at the ice and our anchor while thinking about the past days. We are all settling into a routine here onboard the Arctic Tern and the small quarters are starting to feel a bit like home.
This morning we all slept in after yesterday’s long sailing in bad weather with waves making the ship roll from one side to another. We are all tired – some from the 18 hours of sailing and watches out in the wind, others from the first encounter with sea sickness.
Getting up this morning we saw the sun beating from a clear sky. We went on shore for a short hike, looking for new salt marshes and climbing a little hill, which gave us a good view of the bay and the Arctic Tern. And Tim jumped in the water to become the first polar swimmer of this leg. I plan to join the club, but preferably from the beach in Siorapaluk – the northernmost settlement of Greenland.
We all decided to visit the community of Kullorsuaq this afternoon, Sascha and I to speak to the population there about their experience with climate change and the rest of the crew to have a walk around town. Kullorsuaq is a growing community, which had only 9 houses when our first contact in town, Mathias, was a young man. Mathias told us how the community today has approx. 500 inhabitants.
Mathias told us that he goes hunting for narwhal and beluga in Melville Bay. He travels there by boat, but uses his home made kayak and harpoon to hunt the whales the traditional way. He took us to his house on the top of the hill to show us how he could make his own kayak in only 24 hours and we explained to us that he makes arrows for the harpoons of both bones and recycled iron and aluminum, which he also sells to other hunters. We got an arrow that Mathias had carved from reindeer antlers and will give this to the crew of the Arctic Tern for safe sailings for the remainder of the Sailing to Siku voyage.
Mathias explained how hunting is decreasing in Kullorsuaq. In earlier days he was able to hunt for more narwhal and belugas, but since then the Greenland Government has introduced qoutas based on biological advice, reducing harvest of a number of mammals to sustainable levels. Instead he explained that more and more villagers were fishing for Greenland Halibut like we saw in Tasiusaq further south.
We asked for his advice on polar bears. This morning when we went on shore we brought a rifle to scare polar bears off, but Mathias explained that it was primarily in the winter that they saw polar bears close to the community. He said that most likely a polar bear would walk away rather than attack us. But knowing that we are entering polar bear habitat now we would rather be safe than sorry, bringing along a rifle when on shore.

Twin Islands Marsh

From the field, General,

Researcher Tim Dowson and Mette Frost from WWF-Denmark collect data on Greenland's salt marshes. © Students on Ice / WWF-Canon


Dr. Tim Dowson joined the Sailing to Siku expedition to research salt marsh development in high latitude Greenland, in the Disko Bugt area. Salt marshes are important archives of information on changes in relative sea level from the Holocene period, as a result of their position at the interface between land and sea, their development controlled by biological, marine and climatic factors. Read full bio here.
Looking at the detailed maps available, I thought I had found an area close to our planned route north where there was a good chance of finding a salt marsh. I was optimistic although no marshes have been reported this far north, as I had seen some salt marsh plants at Tasiusaq where we spent our third night.  So as it was warm enough for a marsh to grow, it was just a question of protection from large waves and ice damage.
Reaching the area took extra time, including a slow crossing of the aptly-named Giesecke Ice fiord, where the question was constantly which ice floes were safe to bump into – OK if the size of a vacuum cleaner, preferably not those the size of a fridge.  But when we reached the site, all we found we found was a small round bay with a few small bergs bobbing about, enough to destroy any marsh starting to form.   But at least I saw some more of the grass-like plants that I wanted, in the splash zone above the high tide line.  A bit disappointed, under thickening cloud on our way on to a potential mooring point for the night, I had a 2-second glimpse through a crack in the edge of an island of just what I was after – plants below the high tide line.  In less than an hour, with the help of Mette and Valentine, I had a few samples from the most important zones of this new marsh, each one ‘leveled’ to give a position in relation to the today’s sea level – crucial to interpreting the lab findings when I am back at Durham University.

Salt marshes and splash marshes

From the field, General,

Dr. Tim Dowson joined the Sailing to Siku expedition to research salt marsh development in high latitude Greenland, in the Disko Bugt area. Salt marshes are important archives of information on changes in relative sea level from the Holocene period, as a result of their position at the interface between land and sea, their development controlled by biological, marine and climatic factors. Read full bio here.
I am now on the last leg of my own journey to meet the Arctic Tern at Upernavik, some 200 km north of here. I had a chance to have a look at the coast near to the airport here at Ilulissat yesterday, and while there are lots of salt marsh plants to be found in small clumps, there is little genuine salt marsh as such. This is a ‘high energy’ coastline, both because of the ‘fetch’ – Disko Bay and Baffin Bay beyond it meaning large storms, or even just waves, can batter the coast – and also the hundreds icebergs, large and small, that make Ilulissat so special, can erode away any salt marsh that starts to form, or when rolling over can send big waves which can do the same. So what I’ve found is really ‘splash marsh’ rather than salt marsh proper. I hope to have a chance to look in another, more sheltered bay slightly further away shortly, before my plane leaves – anything I find here will be a bonus but will help build a picture of how sea level has varied in West Greenland over the recent centuries. I’m really excited by this chance to extend our sea level research further north up the coast – as well as to the journey, places and people I will meet, in their own right.
I was told yesterday that it was the first day of autumn here – the weather a bit cooler, with some cold rain at midnight, and fog preventing planes from flying. Certainly a contrast to the 2 weeks of hot weather I had recently further west in Disko Bay, a stark contrast to the torrential rain that stranded my wife across the city from our home in Newcastle, England recently. Unseasonable weather in both places, with the loss of a major bridge at Kangerlussuaq, an important airline hub in Greenland, not because of heavy rain but through hot weather meaning more ice sheet melting has taken place than normal, and the river filling up much more than in the past. These events strike an ominous chord alongside a scientific report I have heard about this morning apparently predicting the loss of all summer ice in just 4 years. This will have dire consequences for local people, wildlife, and also for the world in general.

Setting sail from Upernavik

From the field, General,

Finally the day has come for kicking off the first leg of Sailing to Siku – our voyage to the Last Ice Area.
The crew for the first leg – nature photographer Thorsten Milse, researcher Tim Dowson, biology student and interpreter Sascha Schioett and myself, Greenland Policy Officer with WWF Denmark, travelled to Upernavik, Greenland for our first meeting with the Arctic Tern and its crew, already onboard.
Sunny and calm weather with temperatures around 8 C gave us a very pleasant introduction to Upernavik.  From the airstrip overshadowing the town from the island’s central hilltop, we saw the harbor and the Arctic Tern, our home for the next 16 days.
With all our gear onboard Grant, Pascale and Valentine, the Students on Ice boat crew, gave us an introduction to life onboard a sailing boat – how to deal with a ‘man overboard’ emergency, how to fight a fire onboard and or to evacuate the boat if necessary. More importantly we learned that life on board the Arctic Tern includes good coffee and snacks and that a very nice dinner can be prepared with Greenland Halibut, a tad of white wine, a few fresh carrots and potatoes and lots of spices.
We discussed the days ahead and decided to start with only 3 miles on the first day, taking us to the north-east shore of  Upernavik island. Here Tim had was excited to have identified an inlet containing a salt marsh, early this morning – with the help of the midnight sun.

Shopping in Greenland

From the field, General,

Students on Ice / WWF-Canon


Since our arrival in this country, we’ve discovered a new culture and a new language – because few people speak English, we’ve learned some useful words, like how to say hello and thank you in Greenlandic. I practice my ‘thank you’ whenever it is needed: qujanaq, pronounced ‘Kru-Ya-Nak’. Half the time, it makes the locals laugh out loud! But I don’t despair. We always make ourselves understood for the important things (fueling, getting water, finding a grocery store, shower, etc..). People here are very friendly and smiling, and the assistance is appreciated in these isolated villages halfway around the world. Everyone takes the time to answer our questions in half-English, half-Greenlandic, half-sign language.
The biggest challenge for the crew takes place at the supermarket: stalls full of meat and fish all look equally delicious. Fishing is an important part of the country’s economy. The only problem: we have no idea what’s what! ‘Allatooq’, ‘eqaluk pujuugaq’ or ‘Tuttu’, the choice is yours! (based on our understanding, those translate to ‘seal’, ‘Muskox’ and the name of a delicious smoked fish that still eludes us to date). The crew is divided: Pascale has a soft spot for seal meat, Grant and I definitely vote for muskox. Note also that it is very easy to find whale on the menu here.
We return to the boat, get a few hours of sleep and it’s off to the north via the east side of Disko Island. A superb second day with full sun and a slalom between the icebergs. The coast of Disko Island is beautiful, we see even the Greenland ice cap. Heading out of the bay, we have a small setback: head wind and fog. So we make a last stop before Upernavik, in Arfertuassuk, a fjord that offers a quiet shelter for the night.

Ice in Ilulissat, Greenland

From the field, General,

Students on Ice / WWF-Canon


The next day we decide to circle Disko Island to the east to see the mythical Ilulissat glacier. It’s the source of nearly 10% of Greenland’s icebergs, and is often considered one of the most productive in the northern hemisphere. We are not disappointed.
The villaqe of Ilulissat is already active, with many people in the streets (in proportion to the village’s size, of course!). A few stores open (even though today is Sunday), and a few restaurants. It is after all the third largest municipality in the area, with about 4,500 inhabitants.
Our captain is already here. He guides us for a short hike (the crew was initially divided on which direction to follow – women on one side and Grant on the other – the reader will have to guess who won) and we finally made it to the Jakobhavn glacier and an unforgettable view! Icebergs, bergy bits, small ice cubes, whites, blue, transparencies and so on, an ice field so compact, no doubt, this is the right place!

Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland

From the field, General, ,

Students on Ice / WWF-Canon


Being a little ahead of schedule, the crew takes the opportunity to make a few useful, but enjoyable, stops. Names like ‘Arfertuassuk’ or ‘Nugssuaq’ are unpronounceable at first but we have no choice, the map is full of them! So we become apprentices in Greenlandic. And believe me, it’s worth it. All crew members attempt to pronounce the same word, and we all say it differently!
Each stop we make reveals a different face of this incredible country: Qeqertarsuaq (formerly Godhavn) is primarily a landlocked harbour well south of Disko Island. Arriving at night, we’re struck by the tranquility of this place. The people live to the rhythm of humpback whales and icebergs coming from the Jakobhavn glacier and rejoining the sea.

Sisimiut, Greenland

From the field, General,

Our stop in Sisimiut allowed us to complete some routine maintenance, stock up on a few fresh supplies, and indulge in much needed hot showers for all! Shopping missions in town proved to be the most entertaining (for us and the locals) as none of us aboard speak Greenlandic or Danish. Despite our best efforts to learn, sign language naturally becomes the international language of choice in these situations, leading on one occasion to Pascale and Valentine imitating various wild animals, including Seals and Musk Ox, in an effort to purchase some meat at the fish market! Sorry, no pictures were taken of these animal antics.
After a couple of days in Sisimiut we all feel well fed, watered and rested. It’s now time to continue our journey North to Upernavik. Fair weather, sunshine, calm seas, and a light northerly breeze great us as we leave the harbor. Our “at sea” routine naturally recommences, although we will be making relatively short hops along the coast from now, stopping to anchor at night at a couple of spots before arriving in Upernavik.
By the way, no sign of Bob since our arrival, despite the crew continuing to call him day and night. We suspect he jumped ship, or hopefully made his own way ashore.

Tracking narwhals – July 2012

From the field, General,

Visit the WWF narwhal tracker
The 7 main radios fitted in N Baffin Island back in August have added significant new data and a better sample size for this globally significant summering concentration of narwhal.
Basically the tagged animals remained in the fjords and channels around N Baffin until sea-ice started to form in October. Then they generally headed south and east along the Canadian shelf of Baffin Bay, to wintering areas off Cape Dyer, eastern Baffin Island.
Although the satellite images showed seemingly solid, 100% ice cover in these wintering areas, the currents in Baffin Bay kept the ice moving, and the narrow leads/cracks between sheets of annual sea-ice were clearly enough to provide narwhal with adequate breathing opportunity – between those dives down to sometimes 5000 ft, and the Greenland Halibut stocks down on the sea floor.
These areas, and some of the movement corridors that seem to be used by the narwhal between summering and wintering areas, are currently under various plans and applications for exploratory oil and gas drilling and seismic exploration, in the seemingly relentless search for more oil and gas resources. Having this information on timing of narwhal use of key areas is crucial for effective marine spatial planning in this region – taking care of what key wildlife species need, and not just racing to extract all available resources at whatever cost to the environment.
Over the fall, winter and spring, sea ice conditions were not significantly different in Baffin Bay compared to the average since about 1980. In fact the winter was relatively cold up in Baffin Island. But the overall trend remains one of increasing retreat of sea-ice, as the mean temperatures of both air and sea surface waters steadily increase.
WWF will again partner with local Inuit, and academic and government scientists this fall, and complete a final year of satellite tagging work on narwhal in this Tremblay Sound region. We plan to bring more information and some local stories to this wetracker page, to help convey the facts and figures for this mystical and still rather poorly understood arctic whale.