Crabbing on the sea ice

Last week Bud and I went crabbing with Jess and Calvin. It was a beautiful day- the temperature was in the 50's and it was bright and sunny. There were several others crabbing and some watching for whales and seals. Although we traveled 12 miles on sea ice- I never felt nervous- even when I walked right up to the edge. The water was very calm and blue.













This boat launched off the edge of the sea ice. They were gone a few hours and came back with three seals.


The ice in the foreground is sea ice- no land anywhere.









This is the spot where the ice ended and the water began.




We stopped by the end of Cape Denby. Bud and Calvin are looking up at the cliffs where there are birds' nests. Later in the spring the people will climb them to harvest bird eggs (murres)


















My first crab!!!!





























In order to get the boats to the open water for whale and seal hunting they must be pulled across the ice by snow machine.

The sticks in the foreground are holding the crab lines.














At eleven thirty pm there is still plenty of light.











This is the reward for eight hours on the ice. Between the four of us we caught 15 nice crabs.