Living on the Edge!

Greetings Everyone,

Now that Spring had arrived in Vermont, we decided to head to the far north on May 30 to look for Narwhals and other Arctic animals.  Our journey began with a 4-hour drive to Ottawa, Ontario where we spent our first night.  The following morning we flew on First Air to the city of Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.  Here we changed planes from a Boeing 737 to an ATR Turboprop to Clyde River where we stopped to refuel and then it was on to our final destination, Pond Inlet.

Pond Inlet, Nunavut

Pond Inlet is a predominately Inuit community located on northern Baffin Island, the 5th largest island in the world.  Most of the 1700 or so people living here work for the government or supplement their incomes by hunting and fishing.  Ten polar bears per year are allowed to be taken by members of the community.   However, a sign we saw in the post office indicated that the demand for polar bear pelts was down and that the government was no longer issuing advances on monthly income.

Notice in the Post Office

Ringed seals and Narwhals are also hunted.  We were here to hunt as well but with cameras and binoculars, not with rifles and harpoons.  At this time of year the sun never sets and we had plenty of time to assemble our gear for a 6-day expedition to the floe edge where sea ice meets open ocean.  We were given warm parkas, insulated rubber boots and warm sleeping bags.  The next morning we loaded the Inuit-style qamutiks or wooden sleds with all our provisions including food, camp fuel, skis, gasoline for the snowmobiles, personal clothing and kayaks.

Loading the Qamutiks

Camp had already been set up by the previous group on the floe edge about 40 miles away from town.  We just had to reach it via a bumpy 3-hour snowmobile ride in the qamutiks.  Marc and I were in the back of one being pulled by a snowmobile driven by our Canadian guides Steve and Ken and the other two clients, Sridhar and Martin, were in the other sled pulled by another snowmobile driven by our Inuit guide Gary. We cruised along Eclipse Sound, a narrow body of water (now frozen), separating Baffin Island from Bylot Island.  The first part of our journey was quite bumpy but it was better to stand up than to sit down as you get jostled if seated.  Besides we got a better view of the surrounding landscape. 

Peggy on a Qamutik

Ringed Seals were sunning themselves on the ice and would slide into their holes as we approached.

Ringed Seals on the Ice

They are quite wary of humans as they are hunted for their meat and skins.  They are also the favorite food of polar bears.  I couldn't imagine living under the thick sea ice with only tiny holes through which to surface to breathe.

Seal Hole

We arrived at camp around 1:30 and unloaded the qamutiks.  Camp consisted of a large Mountain Hardwear dome tent called a Space Station.  It would serve as the kitchen/dining tent.  There were also five 2-man tents and a toilet tent.  We settled into the tent closest to the Space Station.

Our Camp on the Ice

After setting up camp we headed out on cross-country skis to explore the area.  We were actually about 6 miles from the floe edge but decided not to visit it today.  The last tour group had not been able to reach the edge and only recently had it opened to tourists.  Conditions this year were somewhat unstable and the southern end had formed late so we were told to keep to the northern end.  We didn't venture too far on skis and Ken told us to keep a lookout for polar bears.  The last group had encountered one in this area while skiing.  We saw its tracks but did not come across the bear.

Polar Bear Tracks Near Camp!

The next morning we headed out to the floe edge.  To reach it we had to cross a 3-foot wide crack in the ice.  The technique we used was to disconnect the qatumik from the snowmobile so that it could muster speed and "fly" over the crack.  Once on the other side, the sled would be reconnected and we'd be pulled gently across.  I must admit that straddling a crack over the open Arctic Ocean was disconcerting at first but after a few crossings it became part of living on the edge.

Crossing the Crack!

Success!  We had reached the floe edge, among the first tourists of the season to do so!  The floe edge is where the sea ice that is still attached to the land, having frozen over the winter months, meets the open ocean.  We climbed a small iceberg to get a better view of this majestic realm.  We looked out over the open Arctic Ocean stretching east as far as Greenland!  In the springtime an abundance of arctic wildlife including walruses, seals, polar bears, narwhals, bowhead and beluga whales and a variety of birds gathers along the floe edge.  We were hoping to spot some of these amazing creatures.  Today only Thick-billed Murres, King and Common Eiders, Brant and Long-tailed Ducks bobbed on the rising swells.

King Eiders

We set up our camp chairs to keep a lookout for the possible arrival of marine mammals.  It was just another day on the " Arctic Beach".

Arctic Beach Goers

We returned to the floe edge the next day in the hope of seeing some marine mammals a little further north near 2 massive icebergs.

Two Massive Icebergs

After sitting patiently for hours we saw a few birds and an occasional Ringed Seal.

Ringed Seal

The following day we decided to kayak in the Artic Ocean!  We changed into drysuits with rubberized neck, wrist and ankle openings to keep water out in case you fell into the frigid water something I planned on not doing.  I paired with Steve, Marc with Martin and Sridhar with Ken for our paddle.  The water was calm as we paddled along an enormous iceberg.  We kept our distance knowing that most (90%) of the berg was under the water and if a piece calved off we'd be swamped.

Peggy & Steve Kayaking

We returned to "shore" after an exhilarating visit to one of the planets most extreme and seldom visited ecosystems!  Martin was able to catch the scene from the air with his drone.

On our 5th day on the floe edge we visited some bird cliffs on Bylot Island.  Here thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Thick-billed Murres nest.  Most breeding pairs had been established and had built their nests on narrow ledges along the cliff face.  In 1965 the Bylot Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary was established to protect the nesting grounds of Thick-billed Murres, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Greater Snowgeese.  More than 300,000 murres and 50,000 kittiwakes use this location each spring for breeding and rearing their chicks.

Nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes

We noticed ropes hanging from the cliffs.  We were told that the local Inuit use them to collect eggs. Even though Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS's) were established for the protection and conservation of migratory birds, Nunavut beneficiaries have the right of access for the purpose of subsistence harvest.

Ropes Used by the Inuit to Collect Eggs

We were seeing lots of birds but where were the whales?  Our time on the floe edge was fast coming to an end.  The following morning we were stunned to hear that the northern end of the floe edge had broken off!  Just as Ken predicted, the large crack we had crossed everyday to reach the northern end of the floe edge had widen to the point where a massive chuck of ice had broken off and was now floating in the Arctic Ocean!  We climbed to the top of Cape Graham Moore to get a better view and could see the large icebergs where we had spent so must time surrounded by open ocean!

View from Cape Graham Moore

We had no choice but to head to the southern end of the ice floe.  Other tour groups were there so the area must now be safe.  No sooner had we arrived when we spotted our first Narwhal!  It was an individual with a large scar on its side.

First Narwhal!

We excitedly watched as he surfaced to breathe before diving to feed on fish and invertebrates.  Narwhals are medium-sized toothed whales that live year round in the Arctic.  They have been nicknamed "unicorns of the sea" owing to a long, straight helical tusk (actually an extension of the left canine) possessed by some of the males.  We watched intently hoping to get a glimpse of a tusk but spotted only females with calves.  One pair dove giving us a nice view of their tail flukes.

Narwhal Cow and Calf

The global population of narwhals is estimated to be around 80,000 and they are classified as near-threatened.  Despite this classification, the Inuit are allowed to hunt narwhals for subsistence purposes without restriction.  I was surprised to learn that the locals only take the tusk, the skin and blubber called muktuk which is considered a delicacy and leave the rest of the carcass for scavengers.  However the main threat to the narwhal is climate change causing rapidly shrinking ice cover.  For a species that relies on sea ice for foraging and safety this could spell disaster.  Even though we didn't see any males with tusks, observing females with calves was a rare privilege.  I couldn't help wondering if the narwhals will be able to adapt to climate change fast enough or if humans will halt their destructive activities in time to save this iconic Arctic species.

All too soon it was time to leave the floe edge.  Back in Pond Inlet we had time to visit the library where a life size model of a narwhal hung. 

Model of a Narwhal

Hopefully this is not the only narwhal future generations will get to see.  Narwhals are living on the edge in more ways than one.  May they continue to endure and thrill all those fortunate enough to see them in their Arctic home.

We hope all is well back home,

Peggy and Marc

Here is the map of our route:

Khao Sok - "The Light of the Kingdom"

Greetings Everyone,

On March 20 we were to fly from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai but the smoke from all the local forest fires obscured the runway and our flight was canceled.  We piled into a van along with 6 other stranded passengers for the 5-hour drive to Chiang Mai.  Our route took us along narrow winding roads and after popping four Dramamine tablets, Marc was able to curb his car sickness while the guy next to him read on his tablet.  The draw to Chiang Mai is the 1000's of temples that adorn the city.  We chose to visit 5 of the more well-known sites.  Our guide, Arm, picked us up early the next morning so we could avoid the worst heat of the day.  Our first stop was Wat Chedi Luang (lit. temple of the big stupa).  The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there and it took until the mid-15th century to be finished.  It was then 82 meters high and had a base diameter of 54 meters, at that time the largest building in the medieval kingdom of Lanna.  In 1545, the upper 30 meters of the structure collapsed after an earthquake.

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chiang Mai was built by King Mangrai in 1297 as the first temple of Chiang Mai.  Chedi Chang Lom, the 'Elephant Chedi', is the oldest construction within the temple complex. The square base supports a second level which has the front half of 15 life-sized brick-and-stucco elephants (not original) emerging from it.

Chedi Chang Lom

The most interesting temple was made of silver.  We're not sure of its silver quality, whether it is silver plating or even silver paint but Wat Sri Suphan had a lot of it.  Women weren't allowed inside the main chamber but it didn't matter for me as it was closed for restoration work.

Wat Sri Suphan

Our fifth and final temple was Wat Suan Dok.  This is a very important temple in Chiang Mai as there is a large gold chedi where supposedly relics of the Buddha are enshrined.  The smaller whitewashed stupas contain the remains of Chiang Mai's royalty.  

Wat Suan Dok

We went inside sala kan prian, the main assembly hall built in 1932 by the famous monk Phra Krubra Srivichai.  A large group of novice monks were attending school.  At the end of class they appeared to be taught how to tie their robes.

Novice Monks Folding Robes

The final stop on our Thailand tour was a treehouse resort, Our Jungle House, at the entrance to Khao Sok National Park.  To get here we flew from Chiang Mai to the island of Phuket and drove two hours north to the resort.  Most people come here to relax or visit the National Park to swim in its lake but our main objective was to get our last fix of Asian wildlife.  Thailand's animals are very difficult to see as they are very wary of humans and tend to stay hidden in the last few tracts of protected rainforest.  Khao Sok National Park provides a unique way to see wildlife without having to trek for hours through the dense jungle.  

Map of Cheow Lan Lake

The park was established in 1980 by The Royal Forest Department.  Two years later Khao Sok was changed forever by the construction of the Rajjaprabha Dam, meaning "the light of the kingdom" coined by the King at the opening ceremony on his 60th birthday.  At the time the future of the park did not seem so bright.  The dam blocked the Klong Saeng River and it took about one year until it completely flooded the 165 square metres (1,780 sq ft) basin.  To flood this large area, 385 families of Ban Chiew Lan village were resettled.  A resettlement of animals took place by boat and helicopter to prevent them from drowning or starving on newly created islands.  Today Cheow Lan Lake attracts tourists from all over the world and has become a bright spot for Thailand's endangered wildlife. When we got to the dock it was a zoo.  There were many long-tail boats waiting to take hordes of people onto the lake.  A big group of kids on spring break, some from the US, were already drunk.  They were yelling and using foul language.  It was not the nature experience I was expecting.  

Busy Pier at Cheow Lan Lake

Once we got out on the lake the boat traffic dispersed and it was actually pleasant.  The limestone formations lining the lake were reminiscent of Halong Bay in Vietnam, creating some pretty dramatic scenery.

Limestone Formations on Cheow Lan Lake

Most people spend a night or two on the lake in floating bamboo huts.  It took about an hour to reach our raft house, Krae Son.  

Raft Houses at Krae Son

At 2:00 PM we left with our guide, Dang, for our first boat safari into Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary deep within the Park.  It was still hot so we weren't seeing much except for birds: Osprey, Lesser Fish Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle and lots of swifts/swallows.  We saw elephant tracks along the lake and then suddenly an elephant appeared.   A lone male was bathing in the mud near the shore.  We got a little too close and he disappeared into the forest. 

Lone Male Elephant Mud-bathing

We continued to the far reaches of the reservoir where we stopped to wait for the sun to get a little lower.  While waiting I spotted some macaques on the far shore.  We went closer and could see they were Pig-tailed Macaques.  There were also 2 Wild Boar, Dusky Leaf Monkeys also known as Spectacled Langurs, a Gaur or Indian Bison on the far shore and Long-tailed Macaques.  The animals were beginning to reveal themselves.  

Gaur or Indian Bison

Unfortunately, we had to head back to the raft house before it got dark.  Navigating these waters in the dark can be treacherous due to the many submerged trees and logs.  On the way Dang spotted another elephant along the shore and we headed straight for him.  I thought for sure he would run away like the previous elephant but he appeared to be approaching us!  Dang explained that this elephant is Kankluy and that he was orphaned at the age of 3.  No one expected him to survive but against all odds he did.  Over the past 9 years he has been adopted by the rangers and guides who bring him pineapples.  Dang had brought a pineapple which he tossed to the waiting elephant.   

Dang Offering a Pineapple to Kankluy

Kankluy is still a wild elephant so you have to keep your distance but it was amazing to watch a wild Asian Elephant that had grown to trust humans and to even seek their company!

Kankluy Eating a Pineapple

The next morning we went to search for Lar Gibbons whose wailing calls we could hear from our raft house.  The Lar Gibbon, also known as the White-handed Gibbon, is an endangered primate classified as a lesser ape.  They are true brachiators, swinging from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms.  They were quite low but hidden in the vegetation.  We waited and a youngster showed himself and then we got a quick look at mom.  

Lar Gibbon

After breakfast we headed for the mountainous side of the Lake.  Here limestone cliffs towered above us creating beautiful scenes.  

Limestone Pinnacles near Pra Kay Petch Cave

We turned into a small lagoon and docked at Pra Kay Petch Cave or Diamond Cave.  We were the only ones there.  We climbed up some rocks then up some metal steps to enter the cave.  

Pra Kay Petch Cave

There were many small bats and a cave spider protecting her egg sac with spiderlings emerging inside.

Bats in the Cave

Cave Spider Protecting her Egg Sac

We returned to "Our Jungle House" for the night but had already made plans to return to Cheow Lan Lake the following day and stay at the Klong Saeng Raft House deep within the Sanctuary.  The following morning we drove with our new guide, Ed, to the dock where it was even more of a zoo than on Friday.  We met our boat driver, Pau, who was with us on our first visit and cruised to the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary.  Being mid-day we weren't expecting to see much but there were 2 Gaur or Indian Bison on the shore.  As we neared the raft house we ran into 2 elephants, the one with tusks was new to us.  

Elephant with Tusks

The one with the missing tail tassel was named Cha Ba Kao whom we had seen on our first visit was also there.  We got to the raft house around 1:30 and were shown to our cozy bamboo hut.

Our Bamboo Hut at Klong Saeng

At 3:00 PM we headed down the same channel that Dang had taken us down two evenings ago.  We didn't see much at first but then the Wild Boar, Long-tailed and Pig-tailed Macaques, Spectacled Langur (one with a baby) and Sambar Deer started to show up.  

Mother and Baby Spectacled Langur

We also saw a few new birds: Black-capped and Stork-billed Kingfisher, Rufus Woodpecker, Red-wattled Lapwing and Greater Coucal and Water Monitor lizards.  We stopped at a sandbar and waited for darkness so we could head out with spotlights to look for nocturnal mammals.  It was tricky navigating through the dead trees killed by flooding the basin back in 1982.  We didn't see much except for Sambar Deer and a Buffy Fish Owl on the bank.

Buffy Fish Owl

The next morning was very quiet.  The scenery was beautiful with the mist rising from the lake but there weren't many animals.  

Morning Mist over Cheow Lan Lake

We saw the usual wildlife:  Wild Boar, Sambar, Long-tailed Macaque and Spectacled Langur.  We heard the Lar Gibbons but did not see them. We headed up the main channel and found a fruiting fig tree where a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills were feeding.  We watched as a troop of Long-tailed Macaques walked along the bank and climbed up to eat the figs.  We went to see if Kankluy was home and he was.  He was almost completely submerged in the lake but came out as we approached and Ed gave him 2 pineapples.

Kankluy in Cheow Lan Lake

On our last afternoon boat safari we spotted some Pig-tailed Macaques on the bank.  We stopped to take some photos and noticed a troop of Long-tailed Macaques nearby.  The two groups appeared to be interacting, something Ed claims does not happen.  Surprisingly a male Pig-tailed Macaque approached a female Long-tailed Macaque and proceeded to mate with her!  

Male Pig-tailed Macaque and Female Long-tailed Macaque

What on earth is going on?  This female mated with at least 2 different young Pig-tailed Macaque males.  She even groomed one.  If I'm interpreting their behavior correctly when a young female Pig-tailed Macaque displayed herself to one of these young males she was aggressively chased off by the dominant male Pig-tailed Macaque.  A group of female Long-tailed Macaques comforted an infant that was clearly frightened by all the commotion.  It was very interesting behavior to watch!

Long-tailed Macaque Females and Babies

When we returned to the raft house I did some research on whether or not Long and Pig-tailed Macaques interbreed (yes, even in this remote location we have access to the Internet!).  I found an article written by a professor at  Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok that implied that they might.  I found that she was on Facebook and sent her a message.  Almost immediately she replied, confirming that it was possible.  Ah - the marvels of modern technology!  We carried on an electronic conversation.  She was deeply touched that I had reached out to her and offered to send her photos even though I didn't know her.

On our last morning boat safari we returned to the fruiting fig tree.  There were a few langurs and macaques still feeding but the gibbons were in a tall tree behind.  Two youngsters were swinging through the trees while an adult rested nearby.  

Lar Gibbon Juveniles

We thought they had finished eating but as we were getting ready to leave one of the adults, came back to the fig tree to feed.  

Lar Gibbon Adult

We returned to "Our Jungle House" where we showed our photos to some of the staff.  They were amazed at the wildlife we saw.  Most tourists that go to the lake don't venture far enough into the Sanctuary or take the time needed to spot wildlife.  We gave Nat many photos to use for their marketing materials:  Facebook, their web site and possibly a poster of the Park's wildlife.  Hopefully Marc's photos will inspire others to seek out Thailand's elusive mammals and provide incentive to protect this unique haven of nature in Khao Sok National Park.  Thanks to our wonderful guides Dang and Ed for showing us some of  Thailand's amazing animals.  Thanks to Pau who drove us all over Cheow Lan Lake day and night in our wildlife quest.   Finally thanks to Nat, Mandy and all the staff at "Our Jungle House" for taking such good care of us and for accommodating our wildlife watching whims!

We hope all is well back home,

Peggy and Marc

Our route:

      Khao Sok National Park Mammal List

No.	Species	Scientific Name	Notes
1	Asian Elephant	Elephas maximus	Khao Sok
2	Gaur	Bos gaurus	Khao Sok
3	Southern Pig-tailed Macaque.	Macaca  nemestrina	Khao Sok
4	Wild Boar	Sus scrofa	Khao Sok
5	Spectacled Langur	Trachypithecus obscurus	Khao Sok
6	Long-tailed Macaque	Macaca fascicularis	Our Jungle House, Khao Sok
7	Lar Gibbon	Hylobates lar	Khao Sok
8	Bat	Sp.?	Khao Sok
9	Sambar Deer	Rusa unicolor	Khao Sok
10	Himalayan Striped Squirrel	Tamiops  macclellandii	Our Jungle House