Akpatok Island
From our balcony, after lunch
Day 9: Akpatok Island. What a day. When I woke up, the sun was about to come out, with pink could. Then as we were about to set out, the sky became cloudy and ultimately rained. At end, an ungrateful passenger lost her phone. Afternoon’s schedule to go out on Zodiac, circling the island, looking for wild life was cancelled due to weather and rough water.
7:37am, the day started out nicely with pink clouds; … and yoga
A happy camper, under the water fall. The first & last photo is by our ship’s photographer.
According to the ship, very few people, even the Canadians know about Akpatok Island, due to its remoteness and uninhabited. No one lived there for more than a century, except thick-billed murres 厚嘴海鸥. The island is about 28 mile (45km) long and 14 miles (23km) wide, it’s the largest in Ungava Bay, separated from Baffin Island by Hudson Strait.
wiki. With the largest number of breeding thick-billed murres in Canada, Akpatok Island – whose name in Inuktitut means thick-billed murre – is an important birding area. More than half a million pairs make their home on the ledges of the sheer limestone cliffs, while glaucous gulls keep a beady eye out for unprotected chicks and eggs. Seals, walruses and polar bears make up the scene. The brutish act of cannibalism was practiced here as recently as 1900.
Although it was cloudy, but we enjoyed the site very much. The straight cliff, the vastness and the remoteness is just unique. And the water!! Unfortunately no one can swim there. Not even a polar plunge.
Two staffers are carrying guns, just in case polar bears show up.
Dinner: slow cooked lamb rack (interesting that the staff asked how do l like it cooked, rare, medium rare … how could that be?) Carine (?) joined us for dinner, and shared her experience, thank you!
Afternoon tea: caramel torte, eclair, banana-chocolate cup cake, egg and tuna sandwich. Their porcelain tea kittle is pretty fancy. The staff said there is also stainless steel model.
Lunch: monk fish, etc.
