Bowhead Whale Hunt

The team bringing the whale into shore


Yet again, another overdue blog. Better late than never!

This summer, the hamlet of Repulse Bay had one tag for a bowhead whale. The team had been put together months in advance. The hunt began in the middle of August. There were some weather issues including fog and ice floes, but the hunt was successful. The team hunted the whale on a Saturday night and brought the carcass into town early Sunday morning with gospel singers welcoming them ashore.

The whale was about 47 ft long. The people cut away the blubber which was eaten by the townspeople as well as given to other local communities. I did taste the blubber, but am sorry to say that I was not a big fan. Chris cut some up and pickled it. I haven't tried it yet, but he said that it was pretty good. I think I'll take his word for it.

One downside of having a HUGE whale carcass a mile outside of town was that the smell had a luring effect on polar bears. Needless to say, one had to be cautious around town! Several polar bears were shot around this time, as well as new tags issued to the elders to shoot any polar bears that are near the town. A local RCMP man was almost run down by a bear had it not been for his quick shooting partner!!

Below are some pictures of the bowhead whale hunt aftermath:


The baleen shining in the sunlight







Students posing with the jaw bone from 2005