Today, National Geographic Resolution cruised along the coast of the Northwest Territories after leaving Nunavut, where we have spent the majority of this journey. After an action packed few weeks, we welcomed a sea day and time to rest and process photos and all that we have experienced. Unfortunately, smoke from fires around Canada left us with little visibility, but the seas could not be calmer, nor the company better!
We were given the gift of sleeping in followed by brunch. Bloody marys for breakfast is a wonderful way to start the day! This morning, Captain Heidi gave a talk on, “The Capable and Comfortable National Geographic Resolution, a Ship Tailor-made for Lindblad Operations.” What an incredible overview of how this beautiful ship came to be!
In the afternoon, we approached the Smoking Hills, southeast of Cape Bathurst. Through smoke from wildfires, we could see some plumes of smoke from the smoking hills. Native people who have traveled across this land have long known of the phenomenon, and the nearest community, Paulatuk, actually means “place of coal.” Consisting of lignite formed 145-66 million years ago, the sulfur rich lignite strata has combusted through oxidation and has been burning for who knows how long? Following our ship cruise by the Smoking Hills, we had a talk by our ice navigator Captain Sylvain Bertrand on, “Ice Navigation in Canadian Water.” Having worked for the Canadian Coast Guard for 38 years, Sylvain has been an asset and incredible addition to our exceptional bridge team on this expedition!
