Arctic Journey: Butterfly Bay, Monumental Island, Lower Savage Islands

Butterfly Bay
August 9th began with a sunny visit to Butterfly Bay, on the Hall Peninsula of Baffin Island.

Soon after landing I took this photo, which covers only a small portion of the view. Numerous small streams, originating in the melting snow, cross a rocky plain.

After our group had worked its way forward across streams and rocky humps, this was the view looking back towards the ship.

As we tramped further away, the ship grew smaller, and the stone hillocks grew taller.

We reached a high point and gazed around.

In this video from the top, you'll see that arctic bugs were out today. These didn't bite but they could end up in your ears, eyes, or nose. I wore a net over my hat.

Just outside the bay, there were plenty of icebergs to admire.

We returned to the shore, and both staff and guests worked to clear the beach of several sacks' worth of man-made debris, including plastic shards, plastic fishing floats, plastic fishing nets, and such.

On our return to the ship I took this photo of a map showing our course from the start of this second leg of our journey at Kangerlussuaq to here, at Butterfly Bay (click to enlarge).

Monumental Island
Then the Explorer sailed for Monumental Island, named indirectly for Sir John Franklin, leader of a famous doomed 1845 expedition. Just north is Lady Franklin Island, named for Sir John's wife, Jane Griffin, who sponsored seven expeditions to find her husband, her husband's remains, or, in the final 1875 expedition, any documentation that may have been left behind.

The Explorer was here particularly because walrus sometimes haul out in the area. Joan and I were in the second shift of zodiac tours around Monumental Island -- there are sufficient zodiacs to take half of a full ship. The island was still well illuminated when the first shift set out.

Mist was settling over the island when we set out.

This photo looks back at the ship, and it's rapidly disappearing.

The first shift had spotted a polar bear, a notion substantiated by photographs, but at the reported position, he had either moved on or was cloaked by mist:

Our zodiac became the unofficial leader of a flotilla.

As we continued the circumnavigation we reached a sunnier spot with an intriguing channel.

We were still being followed.

When we emerged from the channel the Explorer was playing peek-a-boo with us.

By now we had at least four following zodiacs, if you assume that each person standing up is a zodiac driver.

We nosed into a small cleft in the rock face, and each of us had a chance to touch Monumental Island.

This zodiac found its own spot to investigate.

The water was exquisitely clear, and sometimes, in this narrow channel, shallow.

There were no walrus, but it was still an enjoyable outing. As we waited our turn to reboard the Explorer, we circled this fabulous iceberg. Chunks have broken off this face.

The far side is entirely different, and has two distinct components; clearly this berg has flipped its orientation several times.

Our return to the Explorer was followed by a late dinner.

Lower Savage Islands
The Lower Savage Islands, just off the southeastern tip of Baffin Island, were our first destination the next day, August 10th.

In the morning we had zodiac cruises around the island in a cold drizzle. Dressed properly, with warm layers covered by waterproof layers, I found that an hour's ride was in the zone in-between "comfortable" and "bearable." I didn't, however, try to sneak aboard a zodiac for a repeat ride. Due to the rain and wind I didn't take any photos. My point-and-shoot, capable as it is, doesn't have a protective lens hood, while my fingers are the body part that suffers most from the cold. And the trigger button is difficult to press completely with a gloved hand.

The first zodiac saw a polar bear, but we didn't. For me, the geology of the island was its main attraction. To quote from Tom Ritchie's Daily Expedition Report,

The islands appear to be either granitic or gneissitic in nature. They may actually be a combination of both, meaning some areas are simply exposed intrusive igneous material, i.e. granite, and other areas are exposed metamorphosed material, perhaps granite that has been changed into gneiss through the effects of intense heat and pressure. There is some obvious banding or foliation typical of metamorphism, but there is also much evidence of exfoliation, a process by which relatively thin layers of rock peel off from granite surfaces that occur from pressure release when the overlying burden is eroded away and the surface expands. 

Hydrothermal vents must have been active here in the distant past, judging by the impressive coatings of rust and sulfur compounds that seem to have emanated from many of the cracks. The geology has also been affected by glacial carving, judging from the smooth, rounded surfaces in the lower areas. Jagged, angular rocks in the upper regions give evidence of having been severely fractured and broken up by freeze-thaw effects.

On returning to the ship, I took this picture of the bridge.

On the bridge a whiteboard keeps a count of polar bear spottings, breaking them down by whether the initial spotter was ship's crew, staff, or passenger. All spottings, however, must be confirmed by a passenger. Polar bear cubs are a special subcategory.

In the afternoon the Explorer turned into Frobisher Bay, heading towards Iqaluit, where we would disembark tomorrow. It was time to pack, but once that was done, Joan and I were back on the bridge. Occasional glaciers drooped down the mountainous edges of the bay.

As if to bid us goodbye, a pod of bowhead whales appeared.

Then it was time to dress for the Captain's Farewell Cocktail Party, and dinner.