Face to face with wildlife in the Canadian Arctic

HMCS Harry DeWolf makes its way towards Pond Inlet during Operation Nanook-Nunakput, on the Davis Straight, Aug. 18. Photo by Corporal Simon Arcand, Canadian Armed Forces photo

Lt(N) Lisa Tubb
HMCS Harry DeWolf PAO
––

It was a remarkable sighting, that black dot on the horizon in the field of blue and white of the Canadian Arctic. The sailors in the Multi-Role Rescue Boat dispatched from Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf slowly drew closer to the strange sight.

“We slowly inched closer to this brown and black dot on the horizon, it just completely stood out from its surroundings,” said Medical Officer Major (Maj) Lili Zhang, one of the sailors sent to photograph a particularly large iceberg when the anomaly was spotted. “We maintained a safe distance from it, but it was unmistakeable, a lone walrus was perched on a large slab of ice.”

The walrus didn’t seem to be as interested in the sailors as they were in it.

“Walruses are normally sighted in large groups referred to as herds, so to see one all on its own was really rare,” Maj Zhang said, referencing an Arctic wildlife field manual which has been passed around the crew.

Photo by Corporal Simon Arcand, Canadian Armed Forces photo

Thanks to Sub-Lieutenant (SLt) Karen Winzowski who has supplied the crew with her own copy of an Arctic Wildlife field manual, crew members have been reading up on the wildlife they have encountered.

During the transit through Canada’s storied Northwest Passage on Operation Nanook 2021, every member of HMCS Harry DeWolf has had their own wildlife sighting story.

SLt Terrance Moy spotted an albatross from the bridge while on watch, confirming this after consulting the field guide.

“The wingspan was just incredible,” he said.

Sailors who went ashore on Herschel Island, Yukon, had a heartwarming surprise awaiting them: a lone seal pup was there to greet them on arrival. 

While sailing through waters off of Nunavut, an Arctic fox was sighted by Imagery Technician Corporal Simon Arcand in Grise Fjord.

Polar bears were seen from the bridge windows as the ship came to anchor in Terror Bay, and again sailors saw another polar bear on land during their hike on Beechey Island.

While HMCS Harry DeWolf was at anchor in Cambridge Bay, several beluga whales were spotted by the crew. It had been the first time in many years that whales came to Cambridge Bay, and soon dozens of local fishing boats began to swarm the harbour to hunt.

Whale sightings became more and more frequent as the ship began the transit down the coastline of British Columbia. By this time, SLt Winzowski had become the ship’s in-house wildlife specialist, presenting detailed information during the command update briefings on the types of whales the ship’s company may come across.

Photo by Corporal Simon Arcand, Canadian Armed Forces photo

Risk mitigation for marine mammals is a priority for RCN ships at sea. Vessels avoid operating in known mammal migrating areas and during our transit aboard HMCS Harry DeWolf, if whales were sighted in our path, engines were stopped and the whales given the right-of-way.

“Seeing arctic wildlife up close and interacting with it in a meaningful and respectful way is a a uncommon experience that provides a unique perspective,” Maj Zhang explained.

“You read about the history of the land and its people interacting with wildlife up North, and of their utmost respect for it and conservation efforts.”

Maj Zhang noted that hearing about Northern life is very different from seeing it first-hand. The crew got the chance to view the animals up close, and then to witness community-wide whale hunts and the handing-down of knowledge, practices and respect for wildlife, which is at the core of Northern traditions and culture.

“We don’t pick up bones here,” a community member told sailors during a hike in Grise Fjord, explaining the importance  of the land. “The lives of animals are sacred, especially those given to ensure our survival, and we leave bones where they have fallen.”

While the crew built relationships with Indigenous communities in Canada’s Far North, they also built understanding and further appreciation for respecting wildlife through meaningful interactions through their many lessons in the ice fields, on land and in the skies.

––––