Narwhal Week: Using Technology to Optimize the Diving Experience

June 5th, 2009 | By Nora Sawyer | Filed in AK PRODUCTS & SERVICES, Arctic Animals, Dive Training, Diving, Gear, TECHNOLOGY

So, here it is: Friday, and Narwhal Week draws to a close. For those of you just tuning in, I’ve spent the past week looking at narwhals in honor Arctic Kingdom’s upcoming expedition to Lancaster Sound. We’ve explored research being done on narwhals and climate change through Smithsonian Magazine, watched some great footage of the narwhal migration shot in Lancaster Sound by the BBC, looked into recent research on narwhal song, and finally, explored the history and purpose of the narwhal’s distinctive tusk.

The Inspiration Evolution Rebreather

But there’s one final aspect of the narwhal we have yet to explore, and it happens to be one near and dear to us here at Arctic Kingdom: the unique challenges and rewards of diving with the narwhal.

Let me start with a brief update from the field.  As I type, Arctic Kingdom Expedition Manager Thomas Lennartz is on the ice, providing the Canadian company Noetix with up-to-the-minute reports on ice conditions in collaboration with Noetix’s satellite imaging service, which tracks the movement of the ice floe edge. Because Noetix’s radar can show the extent of the ice, but not the conditions on the ground, this collaboration provides information that will better enable Noetix to interpret their radar images and provide more comprehensive information to users in the future.

What does this have to do with narwhals? Well, one of the challenges inherent in viewing narwhal is finding narwhal. They are shy creatures, easily spooked by noise and activity. But Noetix maps provide real-time information on the location of the floe edge, giving divers, researchers, and film crews a much needed edge. Here’s what Thomas had to say about it back in 2005:

“The location of the ice floe determines what wildlife we will see at the ice edge: a floe that spans Lancaster Sound in May indicates the likely presence of hundreds of Beluga and Narwhal whales as they migrate north for summer. The distance of the ice edge from town also impacts our logistical and operational planning – it may take either hours or days to reach, so we need to anticipate our fuel requirements and likely route.”

(You can read more about Noetix at the European Space Agency’s website:   Traditional Inuit ice treks guided from space.)

Once you’ve found narwhal, it’s important that divers remain as unobtrusive as possible when diving alongside these shy creatures. In recent years, Arctic Kingdom expeditions have been employing rebreather technology. Rebreathers minimize diver’s conspicuousness underwater by eliminating bubbles and reduce gas consumption, allowing for longer, more comfortable dives. All these factors make for a vastly improved experience while diving!

Arctic Kingdom staff member preparing diver (photo by Louise Murray 2007)

If you’re curious about rebreathers, check out our training page for more information. And if you’d like to join us in Lancaster Sound, or on one of our many other trips featuring narwhal and beluga, visit our trips page for more information!

Expedition member in 2007 resting against one of our arctic airboats.