Greetings from the Arctic Ocean (Cambridge Bay, Nunavut)

[WetAndHappy]

I Joined SB because it would be great to have a SCUBA community to interact with again. There aren't many SCUBA divers in my neck of the woods...

I moved to the Inuit village of Cambridge Bay about 5 years ago, situated on Victoria Island just North of mainland Canada. Originally I was just going to stick around for a 3 year work contract, but I fell in love with the people and the land up here. My wife moved up to join me, and for our 10^th anniversary (~1 year ago) she got me a comprehensive set of ice / cold water SCUBA gear. All my vacations and trips South had a heavy dive component, so I think the idea was to bring the action closer to home. Besides, diving the Arctic Ocean is a real treat and an opportunity not to be missed.

From what I have researched, there have only ever been 8 active divers (non-visitors) in the community since it was established in 1955. There are 4 active divers in town right now, and one fellow who used to dive here years ago is still around. There may be others I am unaware of, but that's unlikely. Peers are sparse (though I still have yet to meet one of the active divers) but thanks to the wonder of the Internet^TM and SB, I can get my fill of SCUBA chatter. I have found a dive buddy who is an excellent, level-headed partner, and keenly interested in exploring the underwater world here. Being that there are few other divers, solo diving is a part of life now. (I have joined the solo subforum.)

There are many things to see in the Arctic ocean (when it's thawed) some highlights being historic wrecks like the wreck of the Maud (aka The Baymaud, aka Roald Amundsen's ship,) a Globemaster aircraft, a Consolidated PBY Catalina (in 160 feet of water :depressed: I so I can't go see it) old army vehicles, and, armored personnel carriers and jeeps from the DEW line station. Like anywhere, life under the water is 2x-10x what you see on land, and there are sea urchins to eat, narwhal to dive with, gardens of tube anemones, mussels to harvest, skulls of musk-ox and caribou, nudibranchs, seals, and the list goes on... Oh, and a small fortune of fishing hooks to pack out after a dive. I am an avid photographer (former professional photographer) and love taking my cameras down with me.

So that's a bit about me and my dive playground. I'll be acquiring a boat this coming year and plan to start mapping things to see, and dive sites of note. Who knows, maybe some locals will join in over the next few years.

Edit: Just thought of a quick neat thing to add, two weekends ago I did my first sub-zero dive - the water temperature was -1^oC at 67 feet.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Wow. Good luck with all that. I suppose someone has to dive cold water.

Enjoy the 'community connection' though most of us won't be able to relate. There's a few ice divers on here, I'm sure you'll hook up with them eventually.

 

[cuyler]

How is it for tourists? Diving up in the Arctic is on my list of dive sites to go but really don't know where would be a good place to go, if it's easy to get air/nitrox and a boat out.

 

[WetAndHappy]

How is it for tourists?

There is a lot of opportunity for standard tourism, that is terrestrial eco-tourism and hunting / fishing tourism. Rates are expensive - the flight from Edmonton is around $2,000 and accommodations are around $200 a night anywhere you go. Those $200 will get you 4 walls and a bed. Add a mandatory guide (if hunting) and $100 a day to rent an ATV, and food prices of $12 for a 4L jug of milk, and it adds up. If you do it right, the prices are worth it. I have never heard of anyone offering commercial SCUBA tours in any of the communities though.

Diving up in the Arctic is on my list of dive sites to go but really don't know where would be a good place to go

If you had a friend in one of the communities, that would probably be the only way 'on your own.' I think the best option would be to travel on an arctic cruise ship which offered SCUBA opportunities along the way. SCUBA would be an add-on to an eco-tourism or cultural tourism package. Most of the communities are coastal and I can imagine any would offer excellent diving to people who can appreciate a different / unique environment.

if it's easy to get air/nitrox and a boat out.

Boat rentals are available from time to time, costing around $150 to $200 a day for an aluminum Lund with a 25HP outboard. There's decent shore diving here though, and I plan to build a catalog of local dives over the next few years. As for air fills, the only place is the local fire department (K-valve only, I had to get K-DIN convertible valves for my tanks) if you can be friendly with the local fire chief. Nitrox? I doubt this would be possible. All things come in air freight, and transporting filled cylinders happens once a year on the barge runs, so even having the resources to mix would be difficult to arrange. But the air up here is clean and pristine!

 

[KristinGillis]

Hello WetandHappy! I have just joined today in hopes to connect with some northern divers and to my surprise I see you're in Cambridge Bay! So am I! I'm at the radar base and am VERY keen on the possibility of local diving this year.

 

[icechip]

Welcome aboard! Diving some of those Arctic sites sound great. Keep us informed!

 

[ichaanisaar]