Popping Into Pond Inlet
Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
September 23, 2026
After crossing the Arctic Ocean yesterday we are now in Northern Canada. Our first stop is in Pond Inlet, a Hamlet that is predominantly populated by Inuit people. Pond Inlet is located on the northern part of Baffin Island.
Fun Facts About Baffin Island
It is named after English navigator William Baffin, who explored the region in 1616.
People have lived around Baffin Bay for a very long time, starting around 500 BC.
About 20,000 Beluga whales live in Baffin Bay.
Mount Asgard on Baffin Island was featured in the movie The Spy Who Loved Me, where James Bond skis off a cliff and opens a parachute.
Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and is larger than the entire United Kingdom.
Today was cold, with a light rain. Not too bad, but we really appreciate the warm clothing we brought and the warm jackets Viking gave us.
Pond Inlet:
We took the Zodiac boat into the town to take a tour and see a show. Our guide was an Inuit elder. There are approximately 1900 people who live in Pond Inlet, and most of those live there year-round. That means that they deal with darkness approximately three months every year when the sun never rises, and three months in the summer when the sun never sets. During the months of darkness they continue to go to work or to school. They engage in indoor activities and socializing. And now, they also have television, radio, computer access, and cell phones to connect to the outside world. Temperatures can fall to -50º C during this time.
In the 1970's, a huge glacier filled the bay in the port area. After many years of slowly melting it no longer exists and the harbor is open for at least part of the year. The hamlet has some bright and colorful homes like we saw in Greenland, but not all of them are like that.
The hamlet has an elementary and secondary school, along with a Montessori pre-school and adult learning classes.
Local traditions are still adhered to in many ways. One example is that photography of people (especially children), dogs, houses, or property are not allowed. That is why there aren't many pictures in the blog. We were allowed to take pictures at the cultural performance we observed today, which demonstrated Inuit contests of skill/strength, as well as drum dances and songs.
Two elders opened the show with a drum dance and a traditional fire ceremony.
Through this cultural display and onboard lectures, we grew to understand that their culture has a different value system than ours. For example, sustenance hunting and using local food sources are important parts of life here. The Inuits value family, friends, cultural traditions, and community above all else. There is much less of a focus on individual prosperity and competition to succeed. They do value their land and the maintenance of a healthy environment, and work with different parts of the Canadian Government to support those values.
Signs for Sirmilik National Park of Canada (left) and the Canada Office of Environment and Climate Change
On the way back to catch our Zodiac ride to the ship, we stopped at the library/museum and enjoyed some displays of the animals in the area. This one displays different skulls (walrus on left, polar bear on right) and teeth for comparisons.
Dogs of the Day
The reason we haven't been posting dog of the day pictures is because taking pictures of the dogs violates the cultural beliefs of the local communities.
As we leave Pond Inlet we leave better informed and more appreciative of the local people and traditions.
For the next three days, we are exploring the Canadian High Arctic via Zodiac boats and Special Operations Boats. Whether or not we post the next few blogs will be dependent on weather (get it??). We hear the weather in San Diego is cooler, but still in the 80's. We hope you stay cool, as we do our best to keep warm. Take care all!
There seem to be a lot of rules in the arctic. This is the third blog that you have mentioned thing like no pictures or staying on the trail. Not judging, just find it interesting.
Love learning about their culture! Hard to imagine living in a place where there is no daylight or darkness for three months at a stretch. It’s amazing & inspiring to see how people manage to thrive in such extreme conditions.
I am all for respecting cultural beliefs and practices ... but the no dog pictures one I do not like one bit. Seems like very interesting day, hope the next few days are good for exploration!
Wow! I learned so much. What an interesting day.