Whales!
I have just seen HUNDREDS of beluga whales swimming past the ice edge! Sorry I didn't get picture - was trying to film them. The lead (channel of water) is much much bigger now and you can see it as a dark wiggly line in the sky. They can tell if big ice is coming and about to hit the ice they're on by watching the sky too.
The whales make a 'phooo', 'phooo' noise every time they come up to breathe. This morning a HUGE bowhead whale passed by about 20 metres away. Apparently there are giant more than 100 year old ones which sound like a motor and make the ice vibrate. They are trying to catch a small bowhead. This evening it was politely suggested I come back to Barrow and have a shower. Ha ha. Was very nice to wash hair. Going back now with more propane. Barrow is melting and going all brown and slushy. I have been helping to cut bits off the ice and have to get water by hitting the mountains of multiyear ice with a pick axe and melting it in a pot. See below. Arms really hurt but it's loads of fun.
They are all being fantastically caring and keep asking me if I have cold feet. It's very important that you don't. If you start getting frostbite on your face or ears you are supposed to rub snot on it but I haven't needed to try that yet! Am still under pressure to get fatter. They chat in Inupiaq and translate some bits (forget arabic I want to learn that) and say I haven't felt real cold yet and it's much warmer now than it was in the 70's. The night shifts are so strange. I have lost all track of day and time because it's always light. Oh yes and met Carl (a giant hardcore hunter) and Craig (a whale biologist who sometimes does rescues) - they both seem pretty legendary. AND apparently if you stick a paddle in the water and hold it to your ear you can hear the whales singing! Will try it and send it if it works.
The whales make a 'phooo', 'phooo' noise every time they come up to breathe. This morning a HUGE bowhead whale passed by about 20 metres away. Apparently there are giant more than 100 year old ones which sound like a motor and make the ice vibrate. They are trying to catch a small bowhead. This evening it was politely suggested I come back to Barrow and have a shower. Ha ha. Was very nice to wash hair. Going back now with more propane. Barrow is melting and going all brown and slushy. I have been helping to cut bits off the ice and have to get water by hitting the mountains of multiyear ice with a pick axe and melting it in a pot. See below. Arms really hurt but it's loads of fun.
They are all being fantastically caring and keep asking me if I have cold feet. It's very important that you don't. If you start getting frostbite on your face or ears you are supposed to rub snot on it but I haven't needed to try that yet! Am still under pressure to get fatter. They chat in Inupiaq and translate some bits (forget arabic I want to learn that) and say I haven't felt real cold yet and it's much warmer now than it was in the 70's. The night shifts are so strange. I have lost all track of day and time because it's always light. Oh yes and met Carl (a giant hardcore hunter) and Craig (a whale biologist who sometimes does rescues) - they both seem pretty legendary. AND apparently if you stick a paddle in the water and hold it to your ear you can hear the whales singing! Will try it and send it if it works.
posted by Ice Fairy at 6:31 AM
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