We awoke to see the strikingly beautiful Prince Leopold Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is an important summer habitat for thick-billed murres, kittiwakes, northern fulmars and black guillemots. They migrate to the island by the thousands every year. We went out in our zodiacs to observe the sanctuary and learn more about it from Canada C3 scientist Paul Allen Smith. Paul, a researcher with Environment and Natural Resources in Canada, shared his experience working at the sanctuary and his vast knowledge of the local seabirds. We were fascinated to watch the murres flying overhead and diving deep underwater. After a memorable morning spent with the birds, we returned to the ship to continue south through the Northwest Passage. In the evening, our Captain, Stéphan Guy, briefed the team on what to expect the next day. The heart of the Northwest Passage is just in front of us – the Bellot Strait (Ikirasak)!
