Journey North Ice Out Inupiat Eskimos Celebrate Arrival of Bowhead Whales Contributed by Sheila Gaquin in Point Hope, Alaska. Point Hope, Alaska, is above the Arctic Circle in the Chukchi Sea. The Kukpuk River is frozen, Maryatt Lagoon, which is fed by the river, is frozen, and the sea is still covered by ice. Nonetheless, leads have opened in the sea ice, and this has allowing beluga and bowhead whales to begin migrating north to their summer feeding grounds.
Open leads are just what Point Hope has been waiting for.
Last week crews traveled across the ice to the edge of the open water to watch and wait for whales. Bowhead Whales and Inupiat Culture Photo Courtesy Sheila Gaquin. Harvesting whales has always been crucial to the survival of the Inupiat Eskimos. In the old days, the whales fed the village for almost the entire year. Knowing this, you can imagine the great joy last evening when the village learned that John Oktollik's crew had taken the first bowhead whale of the season.