Aaron Lawton, Expedition Leader, gave a detailed presentation about ice conditions in the High Arctic today compared with 2004. With reference to ice charts produced by the Canadian ice authority. They use a satellite imaging system (due to be replaced soon) plus additional data from the British Admiralty and other sources, including reports from ships in the area. Ice captains can request analyses for areas not in routine shipping lanes, such as Starnes Fjord we visited yesterday, and the maps are put on the internet. They show many types of ice – old multi-year ice, 2 year ice, etc. plus percentage coverage. The comparable days in 2004 show Baffin Bay having an area of what is called “Middle Ice”, covering about 30%+ of the sea. This week, it covers less that 10%, and a similar pattern in other areas. Paradoxically, a Peregrine ship in the North West passage became iced in four days ago, despite it being an ice-breaker, because although the newer ice had gone, a large amount of old ice had moved from ‘fast ice’ areas in two or three sounds/fjords, denoting further warming. He also showed a chart which records the access for various types of ship in the 20-odd zones into which the Arctic is divided. There are about ten categories of ice-breaker and five or so “ice-protected” ships. We are on a Type B of this class, therefore required an attendant ice-breaker and can (theoretically) access the area we are in (area 6?) between 21st July and 5th October (if memory serves correctly. NB. Check with p.p.t. if can get it).
Our planned stop at Qaanaaq will not be possible, because despite having paid, and subsequently offered to pay for transporting an official, the captain has no-one available, so we are headed for Kap York, a point further south on the west coast of Greenland to cruise round an island of heavy guillemot nesting. We will not see the Thule site.