My name is Megan Case, and I joined the Lindblad/National Geographic expedition through the Northwest Passage as a Community Ambassador from Kugluktuk, Nunavut.
At sea, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but moment to moment. We are living by the currents and planning by the tides. The ocean can be calm or still, rough or rigid, but in the end, it is consistently beautiful. I have always been fascinated by the sea and what’s underneath the deep blue.
The themes of the day were art and science. Both art and science are about observation and interpretation. Together, they are an attempt to understand and explain the world around us. After observing several bears on the sea ice, we listened to Sue Forbes discuss the art of photography, which will help us get great wildlife photos. In the afternoon, Gail Ashton demonstrated environmental DNA analysis: bits of animal DNA found in bodies of water indicate which animals are present. At the same time, I led an informal discussion and Q & A on traditional Nunavut jewelry.
After dinner, we experienced the Filipino Crew Show. I had goosebumps the entire show. There are so many talented people on board. The show truly brought the guests, crew, and naturalists together. I laughed so hard that I fell off a chair, and we all danced. It was an amazing show, and I’m pretty sure everyone had a grand time.
I will be forever grateful that I had this opportunity to join the Lindblad/National Geographic expedition. I realized that life on a ship has no boring moments… from the food to the open air to all the wildlife we saw on our journey through the Northwest Passage. The whole experience of cruising was ‘out of this world,’ in my opinion.
