September 2 - Monday
We are halfway through our journey. We’ve headed north from Prince William Island, through the Wellington Strait and into the 180 km (112 mile) James Ross Strait.
Although there were rumblings of possible zodiac cruising through ice this morning, the gods favored a sea day for us. So it was a relatively quiet day, with highlights being the Bellot Strait and animal sightings.
The narrow Bellot Strait was first traversed in 1937. Cutting across the most northerly point on the North American continent, it is between 1/2 and 1.2 miles wide and 16 miles long. It’s a tiny landmark in this very big crossing.
Approaching the western entrance to Bellot Strait
The dramatic cliffs rise up to 1480 feet. The currents can be treacherous and fast, so our crossing was timed to take advantage of slack water between tides.
The Fort Ross trading post was established on the northern shore and used from 1937-1948. It has since been renovated and strengthened and is currently used as a refuge for researchers or crews of small boats.
In the strait is Point Zenith, left, the northernmost point on the North American continent at 72 degrees N
We were advised to carry binoculars and outdoor gear throughout the day, as we were now in wildlife viewing territory. A little imagination was also useful.
The black blob near the bottom third of the frame is a solitary muskox.
And this white one is a polar bear.
And this is a polar bear before the magic of photo cropping (and where imagination comes into play, as distance photos on an iPhone require a lot of guessing while one is shooting). It’s there. But only I know where it is.
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