July 8, 2008                                                                                        St. John’s, Newfoundland

We arrived at the Narrows B&B in time to do some banking and shopping.  Then we hiked to Quidi Vidi Lake & trail.  We saw lots of Yellow Warblers.  We carried on to Quidi Vidi Harbour, arriving just afer closing time at the brewery (darn!)  We watched the Arctic Terns and Herring Gulls for quite a while, then hiked back to town.  We ate at Velma’s, a recommended place for Newfoundland food.

July 9, 2008                                                                Bay Bulls & Witless Bay, Newfoundland

The family of our B&B host also runs O’Brien’s whale and puffin watching tours at Bay Bulls.  So Ann O’Brien shuttled us out in the morning – a 45 minute drive.  We had a marvellous tour – only 7 of us on board.  We had several Humpback whales come right up to the boat, including mothers with calves.  The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve did not disappoint either.  We got up close and personal with Atlantic Puffins, Common Murres, Razorbills and Black-legged Kittiwakes with chicks. High five!  We met Jonneke and Henry & Karen, who would be sailing on the Akademik Ioffe with us.

After lunch at O’Brien’s, we hiked out towrds the lighthouse at Bay Bulls.  The trail is part of the East Coast Trail.  We saw lots of Juncos and Black-backed Gulls.

Back in St. John’s, we ate at Get Stuffed, then walked out to the battery for some fine views of the harbour and the Akademik Ioffe at the dock.

July 10, 2008                                                                                      St. John’s, Newfoundland

"A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything."                                                               Laurence Sterne

We have arrived to St. John’s to meet the Akademik Ioffe and travel along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador to the Canadian Arctic.

All the crew and staff are excited to have you all aboard and to set sail to new adventures together.

Some of you have travelled with us before and some are new to our fleet, but we hope you all have found your accomodations confortable and are adapting to the slow movement of the vessel as we sail towards St. Anthony’s and L’anse aux meadows.

Here is our program for today!

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Spa-see-ba                  Thank-you

July 11, 2008                                                              St. Anthony’s & L’anse aux Meadows        

“I find the greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as is which direction we are moving. To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor”  - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Our first day at sea, and as always a very hectic time. After getting our cabins assigned and exploring the ship, most of us made our way to the top deck to watch our ship depart from the harbour. The beautiful city of St. John’s slowly faded away as we made our way through the Narrows. People were waving their good-byes to us as we sailed past and headed out into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The smell of the cool sea and the huge number of seabirds that flew around the ship was a treat as a lot of us kept busy identifing the different species of seabirds. Many of us spotted whale blows in all directions and a lucky few witnessed dolphins leaping out of the water as we passed them by.

Soon it was time for the lifeboat drill and the mandatory zodiac safety explanations. We are now set to embark from the ship and adventure in the zodiacs in search of wildlife and landing along the coast. We are all looking forward to meeting more Newfoundlanders on our excursions today.

After a scrumptous dinner some of us went out on the decks until darkness set, still searching for a whale, while the rest of us hit the sack in order to get ready for todays adventure.

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Priv-yet                       Hello

July 12, 2008                                                                          Red Bay & Battle Harbour  

“A journey is a person itself, no two are alike.  And all plans, safeguards, policies and coercion are fruitless.  We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.”

 –John Stienbeck

Wake up revealed blue skies and sunny, summer Newfoundland weather: a great way to start a day that would be packed with adventure.  The morning got off to an official start with the last of the mandatory briefings on the topic of Safe Operation in Polar Bear Country.  With such beautiful weather, the rest of the morning was devoted to sea watching and birding outside.  Multiple different birds of interest were seen well from the viewing decks throughout this time, including Northern Gannets, Thick-billed and Common Murres, Arctic Terns, Black-backed Gulls, Black Guillemots and Fulmars.  There was also much debate about the true identity of objects in the distance, obscured and reorganized by mirages – a testament to the temperature of the day we experienced and an interesting guessing game!

This afternoon provided the opportunity for the first excursion of our voyage.  Although the zodiac to St. Anthony was short, the stiff wind made for an exciting ride into the little village, nestled in its picturesque protected harbour.  Meeting buses at the dock, we headed off to L’Anse Aux Meadows, the National Historic Site preserving the remnants of eight, 11^th-century Norse buildings.  This small site on the coast is famous because it is the first known Viking site in North America, and provides the earliest evidence of Europeans in the western hemisphere.  After a guided walk and exploration of the Parks Canada site, we had the opportunity to further our understanding of this time period and the Viking people, by visiting Norstead, a re-created Viking Village and Port of Trade, with many “Vikings” in residence to answer questions and demonstrate different aspects of life in the year 1000.

The evening ended with tales of Arctic intrigue told by Blake in the bar, capturing our imaginations and enriching the historical focus of the day.

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Dob-raye oo-tra                      Good Morning

July 13, 2008                                                                                                  Labrador Coast         

"When I’m playful I use the meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude for a seine, and drag the Atlantic Ocean for whales."                                                                - Mark Twain

Waking up this morning we looked out our portholes to see nothing but a milky whiteness enshrouding the ship in the cool calm of dawn, the fog horn proudly trumpeting our presence for all to hear; Delight ensued when the fog lifted to reveal Red Bay right before our eyes.

Red Bay was the prior site of massive whaling by the Basques in the 1500s, coming all the way from Europe to profit from the abundant population of Right Whales in the area. Signs of old settlements littered the shore as we trekked across Saddle Island under the sunny sky as Antarctic Turns and Northern Fulmars circled above.

Lunch was full of excitement as we scrambled to the windows and desks to catch a look at the Humpback whales lazily making their way across the sea. As we sailed towards our next destination we were up on deck enjoying the fair weather to be greeted by a fantastic iceberg, dazzlingly white in the bright sunlight against the dark sea.

Down in the presentation room Kyle gave us insight on the most important aspect of photography composition, in addition we will be sharing our photos with the “best of”, all our best photos from the trip!

We arrived in Battle Harbour, a fantastic cod fishery that, contrary to the way it sounds is actually named after the Spanish word for boat. This settlement started in the 1560’s and supported productive fisheries by processing cod, salmon seals and herring. The settlement thrived until the decline of the fishing industry in the 1990’s after the sites occupants re-located. The settlement is now a historic site where previous locals showed us a glimpse into daily life; the church, stores and nautical history. As we departed, our “liquid sunshine” continued to pour as the light began to peak out from behind the clouds presenting us with the most perfect rainbow visible off the harbour, perfectly framing our warm home floating on the sea, the Akademik Ioffe.

Later in the bar Scott told us tales of the great Captain Bob Bartlett of Newfoundland.

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Ya nee pa-nee-may-oo                        I don’t understand

July 14, 2008                                                                                                              Hopedale       

"It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you see the ordinary."

David Bailey

We awoke to fair skies, calm seas, and Labrador looking much more enticing than “The Land God Gave to Cain”, as French explorer Samuel Champlain first described this coastline.  Our original intention was to spend the day at sea, and that is indeed how we passed the morning, keeping watch for passing wildlife, and enjoying the superb weather.  It was an opportune time for presentations, and Blake began with an introduction to Arctic flora, and how the plants adapt to the rigors of the polar climate.   This presentation was interrupted when a large congregation of Harp Seals swam past the ship, but the audience soon regrouped.   Later in the morning James provided a necessary (and sobering) description of the ongoing process of climate change, and how it is affecting the Arctic, perhaps more than any other area of the earth.  

At lunch we enjoyed the traditional Newfoundland “Jam-Jam” cookies with our luncheon dessert.

The morning was just the “warm-up” for the afternoon.  As we had sufficient time for an exploration, and given the continuing fair weather, Hayley stuck a pin in the map and we boarded the zodiacs for an investigation of the White Bear Islands, at the northern mouth of Hamilton Sound.  We found a suitable landing site, and most passengers chose to ascend the modest summit of South Island, a trek which offered stunning views, a variety of “belly-plants” to photograph (including the locally rare Mastodon Flower, Senecio congestus), the remains of former fishermen’s summer houses, and enticing stories portrayed in the rocks, the latter kindly interpreted by James.

Since these islands were a new destination for all the staff, as well as the passengers, it was fitting to celebrate with “enriched” hot chocolate on the Ioffe’s bow.

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Eez-vee-nee-tye           Excuse me

July 15, 2008                                                                                      Okak Bay & Cape Mugford

“My experience of ships is that on them one makes an interesting discovery about the world. One finds one can do without it completely. ”                                        Malcolm Bradbury (1932)

We were back to the 7.30 breakfast yesterday morning as we were due to arrive nice and early in the Inuit community of Hopedale. A grey, slightly misty scene greeted us as we cruised steadily through the islets towards our anchorage. Hopedale was established by Moravian Missionaries in the 1700s as an outpost of Christianity in Northern Labrador. We were met at our rocky landing point by our local guide, David. Whilst we were seated in the township’s church David told stories of the history of the town, who founded it, when and why. He also pointed out some of the oldest buildings in the town one of which, the storehouse, is the oldest building east of Quebec!

From the church we spread throughout the town. Some shopped, others photographed and were photographed by the local children and some simply sat and enjoyed the sun that had come out midway through the visit. Eventually we all made our way up the hill to the local schoolhouse where some of the townsfolk had local crafts for us to peruse. Some of the local children also entertained us with a demonstration of their local games and sports. Blake was even moved to join in.

Finally it was time to leave Hopedale and make our way further north. During lunch we raised the anchor and headed out on to the sun drenched sea.  As we traveled, Robin gave us an idea of blubbery creatures we may encounter, letting us know all about the whales and seals of the area.

Just before Hayley gave us her “Lets go to Nunavut” presentation we were surrounded by a number of large icebergs. Carved by wind, sea and sun they were a treat for all and most of us stopped to admire these uniquely beautiful sculptures.

During her “Let’s go” Hayley let us know where we’ve been and where we’re going, maybe. She also pointed out who the ‘real’ expedition leader is, Mother Nature.

As the afternoon was so gorgeous it was decided that Happy Hour would be held on the bow deck and Andy came up with a cocktail that reflected the almost tropical feel of the day.

A small number of guests forwent the bow for a red wine tasting party in the library with Duncan. For all accounts the wine was good but the company even better.

Our evening was rounded out with Blake in the bar with part one of his own ‘Arctic Adventure”.

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Pree-yet-nava apet-tee-ta       Enjoy your meal

July 16, 2008                                                                          Hebron & Torngat National Park                

"There are two kinds of men in the world, those that stay at home and those that do not.  Of the two, the latter are by far the most interesting."                                           - Rudyard Kipling

We awoke to a grimy cloudy day as Maggie called us all down for another delicious breakfast. But the adventure only began upon departure as a Golden Eagle was spotted gladding along the shore of Okak Bay.

Individual exploration was the name of the game as we all headed to different direction and at a definitely different speed! The chargers charged gaining altitude and views of the bay, encountering on their way a large and complete set of caribou antlers. The medium walkers spread out into the lush green tundra and walked their way to the Graveyard, finding on their way fresh droppings of black bear. But the real surprise was the contemplative group, the prostrate flower worshipers who ended up rock climbing in search of the barrenland beautiful flowers!

The kayakers had another fantastic paddle, starting against the wind paid off because on their way back they all enjoyed the company of three ringed seals before landing at Okak Bay.

Interest abounded in the afternoon as we cruised through complex geology, interesting cloud formation, glistening icebergs and green tundra with frolicking caribou. Another true adventure in Cape Mugford took as all cruising, enjoying the cliffs, the sun, the icebergs and the company of small flocks of black guillemots.

Slowly all cruisers came to set foot in such a stunning spot where evidence of the past generations of Inuit whom have known the beauty and abundance as we discovered the tent rings on the plateau.

We all had a chance to have a close look at the precious rock, the Ramah Chert, which was of such importance to the people of the past. A short walk at leisure on the tundra took us to the great water falls and lookouts of the bay.

Upon our return the lovely hotel team was ready to warm us up and feed us well and prepare our bodies, minds and souls for yet another great adventure to come!

The Program for Today

Russian Word of the Day                  Dob-raye dyen                         Good afternoon