Hello Friends,

In this article I will be describing some more of my experiences while on the Arctic expedition I discussed in the previous article. In particular I would like to describe some of the wildlife we saw while on this expedition. To be specific, 23 polar bears: countless ringed seals, many species of whales, arctic fox, arctic hares, musk oxen, and diverse species of arctic fowl – from the ever present gull to the arctic tern. In the previous article, I spoke of a type of personal learning which happens on these types of journeys. Well, I believe that all Tunza members are concerned about wildlife and habitat conservation. Actually, seeing an animal in their habitat which we fight to protect – a habitat which I could see was in danger of becoming contaminated, melted or destroyed in some form or other – can renew inspiration to take action.

Perhaps a great example is the ocean mammals, fish and waterfowl which we studied. On this expedition we were able to study microscopic ocean life in an on board lab setting. We were also able to observe the bigger ocean life. In a classroom we can learn about the effects of bio-amplification and the problems it can pose for arctic life. The effects that pollution has upon arctic water life can also be seen on by testing the water and observing the life that lives in it.

Gathering such information and data for arctic wildlife is of extreme importance. With hunting as a major source of resources, the health of the wildlife in the north is something to be monitored closely. I would also like to share an important story I learned while on the expedition. One day while travelling through the Northwest Passage, I was talking to one of the scientists aboard our ship about the problem of bio amplification. He told me about the many different types of whales we were seeing: the humpback whale in particular. These whales are said to be toxic ?dumps? due to the high levels of toxins which are consumed into their bodies. This is a major problem which is influenced by the problem of pollution. We also learned of the acid rain problem which is caused by pollution from Canada, especially southern Ontario, in the Northern countries of Sweden and Norway. All these problems do not have easy solutions – this being said solutions do exist. This will be the topic of future articles.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment below.

Regards, Nitish

                                                                                                                        photo credits: wikipedia.ca