Wild Blue Kids Arctic
expedition home gallery team blog comics videos links store
Galleries
Click on Galley links on the left
Ice Day
Our day started loading the sledges with our gear. Our guides use snowmobiles to transport us across the ice to our final destination at Cape Martyr.
On the way we came across a huge iceberg. We stopped the caravan and explored the formation. Each year these giant ice mountains form and melt making them look a light blue.
Our guides brought guns to protect us from polar bears and maybe hunt a seal if we saw any.
Once we arrived at Cape Martyr, we set up our day camp and melted ice to make water for our cooking. Here we were able to take the snowmobiles up the hill and use toboggans to slide down the hill. We also had a cookout with hot dogs and snacks. All of us got to learn how to drive the snowmobiles, which are how everyone gets around up here.
On the way in from the ice, we stopped to visit some sled dogs. They live outside all the time and are fed mostly seal meat. It was also interesting to see boats next to the town. When the summer comes in a few months, the Inuits will trade in the snowmobiles for fishing boats.
On our way home we stopped by the iceberg again to take some more pictures. It looked totally different because the sun was lower and behind clouds.
After dinner we all got together to talk about what we learned. While we were talking, Richard Weber came in the back door of our meeting room. He just returned from a 90 kilometer trek on the ice, drilling holes to test the thickness of the ice. He is trying to transport machinery over the ocean to another island before the ice melts. Today his assistant Vincent saw a polar bear come within 100 yards of them.
Richard is one of the most famous polar explorers. He has walked to the North Pole 6 times, more than anyone in the world. He took some time to answer some questions and hang with us.
