The Arctic Loon is one of those birds you hope to see if you like Birds. The photo is very small but the Artic Loon is beautiful. Sort of a middle sized black colored bird with white spots and a gray face and nape and a bold black neck. Listen here to the Arctic Loon voice very beautiful. What a beautiful bird one of those wonderful moments Do I need say more
While I was in the Far North I was luck to see a natural phenomena know as an ice surge sort of a Frozen margarita tsunamis with huge block of Ice and yellow slush washed ashore by very strong winds blowing into the Lena Delta. It was real mountains of Ice ridges lifted onto land. It seems the wind blows the thick multiyear Ice that is near the pole into the thinner annual ice near shore. Anyway it really came quite a distance onto land knocking down power lines and blocking the road near the sea.
Here is yet another piece of advice for you: if you are going to go to Tiksi, make sure you have the necessary permit to enter the border zone, for Tiksi is not only situated on the border of the Arctic ice, but also on the geographical border of Russia. One never thinks of the arctic ocean as a port but believe it or not it is. Ports mean seaman and papers even if you come in the back door.
I had seen the white nights in Saint Petersburg. Ya white but well a little on the dim side. Outside it was broad daylight. Not like the usual white night, when it was light but you still could relax, and hide from the intrusive gaze of the sun. It was quite simply broad daylight, and the bright sun glared unrelentingly into your eyes. The first night the sun was so bright and exciting that I thought we would never want to sleep. But the following nights it just tormented and mocked someone who had flown 7 time zones to get there.
The Lena, the greatest Siberian river, is among the biggest rivers in the world. No other river in Northern Eurasia forms such a vast and grand delta (covering an area of 32,000 square km .This is a huge network of numerous large and small tributaries, channels and lakes with over 1,500 islands, varying in size. The Ust-Lensky Preserve, occupying an area of 1,433,000 ha, is located in the western part of the Lena Delta. In 1998, the Lena River delta Ust-Lensky Preserve was nominated for inclusion onto the World Heritage list. And as I write this in Aug of 2003 the preserve was microsecond away from approval. Each year in June huge numbers of diving waterfowl - swans, ducks, geese, snipes, phalaropes, gulls, terns, skua, prey during the daytime and singing sparrow birds strive to get there flying along the coasts from east and west, as well as from south flying along the river valley. For...
INTERNATIONAL BIOLOGICAL STATION'LENA-NORDENSKJOLD' Well the major reason for coming this far north for me is the bird. Turns out that the Lena River Delta is the main area for nesting of migratory birds in the Arctic. There are 125 species of Lena River delta birds and these populations probably, are unique in the Arctic.The most intresting were Bewick's Swan, Black Brant, Snow Goose, Common and Steller's Eiders, Sabine's and Ross's Gulls, and the Peregrine Falcon.
I meet a guy who was working on the giant mammoths frozen in the Artic really he would come here ever year from a University in the USA and he was sort of stuck at our hotel waiting to get to the Taimyr peninsula, where about 500 woolly mammoth skeletons are buried under every square kilometer of permafrost. He was studying the people who built the ancient huts constructed of mammoth bones. Anyway we walk around town together and since I never meet a stranger I sort of wondered over and talk to ever one by the time I was ready to leave about I had lots of acquaintances even went to Orthodox church with the lady who ran a little shop.
The City is in decline with all the changes in the New Russia and seems to be rusting away. They say the navigation period this far north is 21/2 months and I wonder with global warming it it might be up to three months now. The Big day here is Feb 19th that is the first day the whole sun can be visualized above the horizon although the first rays and slivers are showing up on the 7th of February.
There are two ways to ice fish in the Arctic A. like a know it all from the South ie not from Nunavut or the Arctic or B. Like an Inuk. I always wanted to go fishing for Arctic Char and after a month in the Arctic I finally did it on a land trip with some of my local friends. They convinced me that I should use the traditional spear to dig a hole in the 5 feet plus ice and after two hours and a sore back and body I made contact with ice water. I sat there on the ice waiting for a catch but unfortunately I didnt catch anything. Apparently my Inuit friends let me go out far (after they basically convinced me !) and watched me burn myself out trying to look all proper etc. After giving up and being frustrated I walked in with all the pride I could manage only to see them laughing their *sses off and I found out later I should have fished closer to the shore because that is where the char...
Skidoos are def one of my favorite things about the Arctic, there is nothing like taking one for a ride on the Tundra in the early evening then turning off the engine to admire the sky and the Northern Lights. If you dont own one and you know a local then ask them because no journey to the Arctic would be complete without a ride on one of these machines. Wind and cold in your face and the sound of empty space all around is almost magical. Almost everyone and his dog owns one so finding a ride shouldnt be a problem but driving one for yourself is dynamite :) Be careful thought because despite looking flat, the Arctic can be tricky with some minor bumps so you should go slow until you get a good feel for the machine. Skidoos are incredibly fun and I HIGHLY recommend spending a few hours on one to experience the Tundra. You will find the whole experience highly addictive !
Reviews and photos of Arctic attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Arctic sightseeing.
Q: I suddenly mused that it might/should be more interesting to check out the Canadian North, the Inuits etc instead of checking out...
A: Sheherezad, I think “Into the Northwest Passage” tour is definitely unique and is the kind of tour that you’d remember for the rest of your life. I’d say, go for...
Read 8 Replies
