Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 22

Yes, We Saw Polar Bears, Part 2

Polar Bears...  

...are at home in the water and on the land.   

This bear noticed us while he was swimming, and he took a leisurely paddle to shore. Then he shook off the water that was weighing him down and gracefully trotted off along the rocks. Thanks to Muriel Edmunds for having the right settings on her camera and for sharing the photos.        

Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 10

Yes, We Saw Polar Bears - Part 1

Polar Bears were something we wanted to see...  

...and they were everywhere we went.   

We were out in zodiacs on a day trip for fishing and a picnic, and we spotted this fellow in the water. He had spotted us first, of course, and he headed for the camoflage of the nearest island. He trotted up the rocks, gave us a few intense stares and a goodbye glance before he disappeared into a crevice.  Thanks to Muriel Edmunds for the photos, and for having her good zoom lens on her camera at the time.       

Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 09

Boats

Every day at the Base Camp we went out in boat...  

...the passenger boats, the speedboats or the zodiacs.   

The islands and bays of Saglek Fjord are easiest to explore by water - so for quick transport or for landing on shore we used the speedboats, or else the zodiacs, and for larger group trips we went out in the passenger boat Inuttatik, or the longliner Robert Bradford. Thanks to Muriel Edmunds for the photo of the zodiacs zipping along past the Inuttatik.

        

Torngats 11 - Students in the Speedboat

On Route to Hebron - 1  

On a calm warm morning, the students and almost everyone else in the Base Camp set out ...  

...to go by longliner for a trip along the coast to Hebron.    

Each summer, the Torngat Mountains Base Camp in northern Labrador, Canada, provides a home base for students from Nunatsiavut and Nunavik participating in the kANGIDLUASUk Student Program. This program is a non-profit organisation that provides, co-ordinates, facilitates and supports experiential learning and leadership development opportunities for Inuit youth in the inter-related fields of Inuit Culture, Arctic science, and outdoor adventure.