One of our more unusual sightings was the beluga whale. We were extremely lucky one day to fall into a pod of these lovely white mammals as they came close inshore to scrape off their moulting skins in the sand shallow bay we were motoring in. Time and time again they approached our Zodiac showing no fear of humans. Mothers swam with their grey coloured calves coming to the surface every few minutes to breathe.
Often referred to as the White Whale the beluga can grow up to 16 feet in length and weigh up to 1.5 tons. It has broad flippers, a bendable neck and a thickset body that lacks a dorsal fin. Sailors have called them canaries of the sea because of their sing song sounds they make while in the water.
Frances and Michael Howorth explored the North West Passages onboard Ocean Endeavour with the help of Destination Canada www.destinationcanada.com and Adventure Canada www.adventurecanada.com We are truly grateful to them both for the opportunity they provided with us to do our job.