12 Aug 2017

SOE: Snowy Owls Play Hide 'n' Seek

Wrangel Island showed off a fresh dusting of snow beneath its cloud-capped peaks as we approached. A few walrus swam past, while across the tundra, vast swathes of snow geese could be seen, either resting, or flying past in elongated Vs. In the morning, Chris gave a fascinating lecture about the Karluk expedition, and the heroic efforts of Captain Bartlett to save his scientists and crew. After lunch we loaded Zodiacs in a short, sharp chop and ran with the wind along the coast of Doubtful Bay to reach the ranger’s huts. We were warmly welcomed, then split into three groups depending on the distance we felt we wanted to walk on our explorations. A cold wind reminded us just how far north we’ve come, but the relatively close sighting of a beautiful snowy owl warmed us to the core.  It was but one of five that played hide and seek across the tundra, all the while snow buntings vied for our attention from short range. Today was definitely snow geese day, with an almost constant stream of birds flying overhead, their call evoking thoughts of changing seasons and long migrations. Several arctic foxes could be seen scurrying about, brown and tan in their summer coat, while the keen-eyed spotted both musk oxen and a buttery-bean-sized polar bear in the distance. Arctic poppies, forget-me-nots and a host of other tundra flowers (plus some hairy caterpillars) decorated the landscape. We bid adieu to our lucky northbound Overlanders, and promised to see then in two days at the far side of the island. What a treat.