After a week stuck inside Grise fjord due to pack ice, we finally managed to get the scientists on board last Friday. This morning (Monday) we made the first station, after spending 3 hours trying to listen and recover an ocean mooring, in vain. I finally went back to bed around 1:30 am to fall asleep 1 hour later and get up at 9:30 am. I arrived during busy filtration time, performed by hand because the pump was not working... Suddenly Jennifer comes inside more or less panicked. I rush to the window and, while she tells us that there is a bear outside, I watch it climb on the ice, watching the commotion we were making. I went downstairs to wake Dad up, and when I got back up, he was sniffing the bow of the boat, which he had access to thanks to the ice floe we were moored to. Fearing that he might get on board without permission, Mum came out with a pan cover and banged on the railing with it; and after a second or two of hesitation, the bear ran away! Dad arrived at this point and only had time to see him disappear behind the bump, and Jeremie only got the story. I dressed quickly to climb the mast, and it was I who saw him swim from the roof. I still climbed the mast, from where I could see narwhals. Later, when everyone was in bed except Mom, Jeremie and I, we saw lots of narwhals on all sides. I came out with the camera, but it's hard because it only makes small black dots... Personally I'm very happy to have seen three tails, including one facing me and two teeth!

(Later...): the bear is back !!! This time I got on the roof and everyone was able to enjoy it! I took a lot of photos, trying to capture positions or the gaze. I got a little worried as he got closer, but Mom used the pan cover again. Eventually he left after trying to climb aboard and eat the mooring rope (pushed back by the cover).

See Ellesmere 2021 photos.

Vagabond's position.