Photo #1 - Gifford Point

In 1819, upon seeing this remarkable cape, William Edward Parry names it Gifford Point out of respect for
a gentleman well known in the British literary world.
Located on the northern shore of Somerset island, the cape is facing the now famous North-West Passage.

Photo # 2 - Walk on the coastal ice pack

On July 1st, the coastal ice pack is still covering Cunningham Inlet, but the sun and the tides weaken it daily. Soon, it will disappear.

Photo #3 - Polar bears

In early July, we spotted no less than eight polar bears over a distance of less than one km. As we
approached, all bears ran away. This mother and cub took the time to observe us before deciding that it was best to swim away.

Photo #4 - The beluga's arrival

At last! A breach just opened up in the ice blocking the entrance of Cunningham Inlet. That's all it takes for a group of belugas to find their way and show up in the bay.

Photo #5 - Skin moult

The belugas' favourite spot is the mouth of the Cunningham River where the current is stronger, the water is warmer and the level is low enough to enable them to roll on the gravel bottom. This allows them to
get rid of their old yellowish skin and once again take
on the pure white that distinguishes them from other cetaceans.

Photo #6 - Sea canary

What a show! Splashes come from all directions and regularly, the belugas stand vertically with their heads and shoulders clearly out of the water. As we hear the variety of sounds, screams, whistles and squeaks that emanate from the group, we easily understand why they were dubbed "sea canaries".

Photo #7 - Observation Tower

For over 30 years, Canadian biologist Thomas Smith dedicated his career to studying the belugas of Cunningham Inlet. Observation from this tower offers
an amazing viewpoint, especially at high tide, when belugas circulate freely around the structure.

Photo #8 - Young belugas

Belugas are born with a dark grey colour and they gradually turn to blue-grey before taking on their distinguishable white colour at adulthood. For the first two years, they will remain with their mother.

Photo #9 - Cunningham River

Belugas usually stay in the bay for a one-month period. In 2007, oddly, they remained in the bay for less than two weeks. The reason for their early departure : the
level of the Cunningham River being too low.

Photo #10 - Vastness of the land

What a sensation to find ourselves in front of the vastness of the Arctic landscapes. Although the maximum altitude of the island does not exceed 480 meters (1500 feet), spectacular views delight the eyes wherever direction one looks.

Photo #11 – Cunningham River Canyon

Looking down from this canyon's cliffs, we spotted a Peregrine falcon's nest made up of branches. Well!
Trees do grow in these regions. Arctic willows (Salix arctica), although they can be over a hundred years
old, grow to only 3 or 4 cm in height by about twenty
in width.

Photo #12 - Musk oxen

Plains and valleys with small streams are a favourite spot for musk oxen, mammals coming straight out the ice age. Having come very close to extinction in the middle of the 20th century because of hunting, today approximately 85,000 musk oxen live on the islands of the Canadian High Arctic.

Photo #13 – Sun Ray

These barren and arid lands hide a wide variety of animals: lemmings, foxes, wolves, arctic loons, snow geese, arctic terns, rough legged hawks and jaegers, just to name a few, live or come here to reproduce.

Photo #14 - Gull Canyon

These mountains of rocks are one of the best places in the area for the gathering of fossils estimated to be over 450 million years of age. At the bottom of the hill is the entrance to Gull Canyon. Dozens of glaucous gulls and Thayer's gulls have chosen these cliffs to raise their offspring. A unique place!

Photo #15 - The three falls

In 2005, the land was extremely damp. In 2007, it was the exact opposite. The land was extremely dry with streams that were almost dried out. The rate of flow of the Three Falls was a fraction of what it had been two years earlier.

Photo #16 - Purple mountain saxifrage

Floral emblem of Nunavut, the purple mountain saxifrage (saxifraga oppositifolia) is among the first plants to bloom in the spring. It is well known for its capacity to settle in restricted places and rock crevasses.

Photo #17 - Arctic flora

At a first glance, the High Arctic landscape seems barren and desolate when looked at from a distance,
but on closer inspection, an unexpected explosion of colours, forms and textures is revealed to us.

Photo #18 - Sea shells and bowhead whale bones

The shells (Hiatella arctica) and the bowhead whale bones that were found on the summit of a hill seven kilometres away from the shore, are proof that over 8 000 years ago this region was under the sea level.

Photo #19 - A race against time

The Arctic summer being so short, to survive, plants must hurry to complete their life cycle within a few weeks. The petals of the cottongrass develop into long silky filaments that will be easily dispersed by the wind.

Photo #20 - Midnight sun (23h56)

We took advantage of the midnight sun during the eight weeks of our stay. It was not until early August that it started to lower on the horizon in the evening allowing the sky to take on bright colours.

Photo #21 - Midnight sun (00h34)

On August 14 at 01h03 was the first time we saw the sun disappear under the horizon. The darkness did not have time to settle in as the sun reappeared a few minutes later.