FRANKLIN FACT
Radstock Bay is the site of a small hunting camp set up by members of Franklins Expedition. It was discovered in 1850 during the search for Franklin.
Three polar bears were spotted walking along the shore - a mother and her two yearlings.
All three then took to the water and gave us all a bit of good looking at before swimming back to the shore.
Obviously no landings were possible, but we all just happy to have had sight of this family.
The Fram then made the short hop around to BEECHEY ISLAND
FRANKLIN FACT
The last known location of Franklin. The Erebus and Terror anchored here whilst the hunting party went to Radstock Bay.
The site is of the winter camp set up in late 1845 and contains the remains of washhouses, a forge, a stove and cairns. The Expedition departed in the Spring of 1846 but left no record of their progress or condition.
There are four graves at the site - three of Franklin's men and one sailor from HMS Investigator, a search and rescue ship looking for Franklin that had navigated from the west side of the Passage but had become ice bound in 1851.
In 1853, the crew of Investigator left the ship and made their way eastwards fortuitously meeting up with the crew of HMS Resolute travelling westwards and overwintered with them until April 1854.
Thomas Morgan from Investigator died at Beechey Island and is the fourth man at the gravesite. He had of course completed the Northwest Passage, albeit from the other direction and mostly on foot.
A desolate landscape but really quite beautiful.
Peps Log : Scenic ship cruise
Lecture: Polar Bears
Black skin under dense underfur
Absorbs solar heat through hollow fur
Can lose heat through nose and eyes but in summer can only cool by swimming
Can run @ 40km/hr
Small ears - As a rule - animals that live in colder areas are more compact to retain heat
Heat - surface area ratio
Main environment sea ice. Usually males solitary. Roam - looking for food and mate
Females mate in May
Due to lack of resources - starting to eat reindeer
Can swim at 9km/hr oldest bear - 35
Enemies - people and climate
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