8-8-2019 08:45 local time (12:45 utc)
We have made it to Canada, yesterday evening we entered Pond Inlet, Tursukattak, between the North side of Baffin Island and the South of Bylot Island. We anchored close into shore and even met a fellow North West Passage attempter, who cleared in here yesterday.
While making our way in between the islands, we saw spouts out of the water and tried making our way to where they were. But the creatures were somewhat shy and dove deep when they heard our engine. So next time we saw the spouts, we reduced speed a long distance from them and they stayed surfaced a little longer. Just enough to see spots on their skin and no dorsal fin. Could it be, that the first sea life we see in Canada is a female Narwhal? We got excited, but the spouts had disappeared again. Waiting, eying the horizon, camera’s at the ready, it took a few minutes but we spotted the spouts again. Trying to make our way to them quietly, again we could only see the smooth spotted skin of the animal, smaller then a whale, bigger then a dolphin, just before it dove deep again. What a sight. Could it be?
Arriving at the settlement Pond Inlet, the words pittoresk were uttered, but that is most certainly not what it is. It is a settlement made for survival in a very harsh environment. There are shed like houses, wood on poles and somewhat newer apartments, some almost like a mountain hut, but the look is just one of expedition, wilderness and basic. We are well into the wilderness here. Our anchorage also has a view of Bylot Island, the sun set behind its mountains last night. Bylot is a nature reserve that lures the extreme outdoors lovers. It really does look amazing.
This morning we are just waiting for the clearance office to open and make ourselves official visitors of Canada. Depending on that speed, we set sail again and head closer to the ice ridge. Our friendly neighbour, a French American, was here last year as well. He and his yellow yacht and 4 headed crew attempted the North West Passage last year and he said it was out of this world with the amount of ice. It was a totally different world then the one we have arrived in yesterday. Our anchorage here and the whole way into Pond Inlet has been ice free. According to our neighbour, last year, this bay was filled with ice. We asked him where he was heading next, he answered Seattle. We were thinking a little closer by, as in where are you going tomorrow. But it was sort of comforting to hear him say, filled with confidence, that he was planning on making it through, and Seattle was his next port of call.
