Man Proposes, Nature Disposes

"The group had encountered ice, high winds, cool temperatures and felt they were not safe and were at risk if they did not request rescue/ evacuation assistance. No injuries reported."
Rachelle Smith, regional manager communications, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

"We wake up in the morning and we're locked in the ice. The ice has moved in, it's completely around all the jet skies and the boat.
Dangerous Waters expedition leader, Steve Moll

"Some critics have suggested that our truncated journey speaks to the contrary but nothing could be further from the truth. Our slow progress due to high winds and erratic weather demonstrates the difficulties of rowing in an Arctic environment, not the existence or non-existence of climate change."
Kevin Vallely, expedition member

Steve Moll, the host of MAVTV's "Dangerous Waters," is shown here with the other jet-skiers in a photo from the show's Facebook page.

The intention was that the Americans filming the reality show Dangerous Waters, circumnavigating the globe on personal watercraft, would cross the Northwest Passage, round the southern tip of Greenland and complete their journey by paddling the Atlantic into London, England. It is, after all, from Britain that so many expeditions, including the series of Franklin's that began Arctic exploration.

They intended to do it in reverse. And their purpose was to paddle straight through, since of course ice conditions have been deteriorating steadily with the onset of Global Change. Sea ice is not what is once was. In theory, such ships as their, small personal vessels, could handily make their way around the sea ice that remained, finding open passage, a passage that foiled Sir John Franklin in 1845 when his entire expedition navigating fruitlessly, became lost to history.

Modern communications technology being what it is, saved the day for the seven men filming for Dangerous Waters. It wasn't just the plunging icy temperatures, and the sea ice, and the ocean freezing up right under them. It was the frightening nuisance factor of a denizen of the Arctic, curious about what they were up to. An uninvited polar bear ripped apart one of their tents.


In this photo from the Facebook page for the television show, "Dangerous Waters," the jet-skiers are camping on an Arctic beach.

Wrote expedition leader Steve Moll in his updated blog: "I know the guys think, 'Oh, we'll handle the bears', but polar bears will smell you from 35 miles away and you're just another piece of meat. I don't like the idea of them. It's the polar bears that worry me. I don't like them. We'll put Pat [Patrick McGregor, the group's medic] on all night watch with a Taser".

But as it happened when they discovered their path through the Canadian Arctic blocked they called for help. And Fisheries and Oceans responded as Iqaluit-based Nunatsiaq News was informed. Evidently it cost the Canadian taxpayer in the six figures to rescue the crew. Which has made no mention of any intention to repay the cost.

Crew members of the Arctic Joule struggle to anchor the rowboat to the ice. Photo by Mainstream Last First

Previous Next

•  
•  
•  

Crew members on the Arctic Joule struggle to anchor the rowboat to the ice. Scan this photo with the Layar app to see more photos and video from the expedition.  Photograph by: Mainstream Last First

- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/1-900-arctic-kilometres-by-rowboat-1.611572#sthash.AqPfnz3o.dpuf

A week previously the Last First Expedition comprised of four Vancouver men determined to cross the Arctic in a rowboat, cancelled their trip as well, 1,128 km short of their goal. They too encountered inclement weather, the passages full of ice. Which in fact, was their goal to begin with; to demonstrate how readily they could manage the crossing, since the passage was so ice-free.

Oops, twice over!