Sanikiluaq Sea Ice Project

The hunters of Sanikiluaq play a vital role in the cultural traditions of the local people, providing food for their families and for the community. These hunters have long relied on traditional knowledge of climate, seasonal sea ice conditions, and water currents within the bay to locate animals and hunt for food. For instance, the currents around the Belcher Islands typically transport ice floes around the Bay, and Inuit hunters use the currents and ice floes together to travel to where seals, char, and whales congregate.

In the past, the ice conditions and the floe directions were more predictable, and traditional knowledge helped hunters navigate the sea ice to find food. Over the past few decades, however, the sea ice has become less stable and increasingly unpredictable, limiting where Sanikiluaq's hunters can go and when they can travel. Changes in sea ice conditions has also made hunting more dangerous, and made it difficult for hunters and elders to discern which traditional knowledge is still safe and reliable to pass on to young hunters and community members.

Environmental changes are also affecting the quality of the animals hunters do find. In a 2006 interview, hunter Peter Kattuk said, “Beluga whales in springtime usually float when you kill them, not drown. Last year, there were more belugas that drowned.” Belugas usually have a thick layer of fat that makes them buoyant, making it easier for hunters to retrieve them from the water. The belugas Kattuk hunted that year were often lacking enough fat to float, meaning that they sank and were lost to the hunters. He said, “They should have more fat because the ice is more open now for the last five years. But last spring they were more drowned. Maybe it is less food or something.” 

Johnassie Ippak: Sea ice observations

Johnassie Ippak originally learned from his father where to hunt in the Belcher Islands. Hunters travel on sea ice floes to reach the seals, geese, ducks, and whales that they rely on for food. During the interview for the Sanikiluaq Sea Ice Project, Johnassie indicated that sea ice around the islands is becoming more dangerous, and he marked the changes on his map. In recent years, Johnassie has had to alter his travel routes and scout new hunting grounds because of the changing sea ice and weather conditions. “The ice is not frozen like it used to be,” he said.

Changes in sea ice extent

Up until 2006, the ice floe edge that Johnassie hunted from extended past the northeastern area of the Belcher Islands, just beyond the Bakers Dozen Islands. Since 2006, however, the ice floe edge has retreated south, hugging the coasts of Flaherty, Wiegand, and Johnson Islands. In the past, Johnassie had done most of his winter hunting in the northern part of the Belcher Islands, but he cannot count on safe ice conditions. “We cannot travel further north now, like we used to,” he said.

Because of changing sea ice conditions, Johnassie can no longer use his father’s traditional hunting grounds, and he has had to locate new winter hunting areas in the southern portions of the islands. Johnassie’s map shows how he has altered his hunting routes in response to changing sea ice conditions. He now has to concentrate on the coasts near the communities to hunt for food.

In addition to hunting from ice floes, Johnassie also discussed hunting seal at polynyas, which are areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. Some of the polynyas used to freeze over, but some now stay open all winter.

Changes in sea ice thickness

The ice around the islands begins to freeze in December, and by late December and early January, the sea ice is usually thick enough to ride a snow machine on. Johnassie said, “Ice would get about two feet thick at its thickest, years ago, at this time of year, when the ice was still good.”

Johnassie also indicated that changes in ocean currents are affecting the thickness of the ice, perhaps causing earlier melting during spring. In early spring, the sea ice begins to melt from underneath before it breaks up. During the Easter season, Sanikiluaq residents used to be able to reach the Nunavik mainland to the east by traveling over the sea ice. But for the past three years, no one has been able to make that crossing.

More about Johnassie Ippak

Johnassie Ippak is the first generation of hunters in the Belcher Islands to grow up and go to school in Sanikiluaq and continue the Inuit hunting tradition. Johnassie provides for his family and community from the sea and land. Johnassie is a respected guide and experienced assistant to western scientific researchers. Projects to which he has contributed his know-how and experience of the Belcher Islands and wildlife include the following:

Winter ecology studies of the Hudson Bay eider duck led by Dr. Grant Gilchrist at the Canadian Wildlife Service

• ArcticNet sea ice monitoring project led by Dr. David Barber at the University of Manitoba
• People of a Feather film project led by Dr. Joel Heath and the community of Sanikiluaq
• Ecology of Ringed Seals in Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin project led by Dr. Steve Ferguson at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute

Johnassie Ippak: Video Interviews

Sanikiluaq hunter Johnassie Ippak discussed sea ice conditions in January 2009, when he was interviewed by Miriam Fleming, with translator Dinah Kavik. Photo credit: Miriam Fleming; video credit: Caroline Meeko, Jr.

Lucassie Takatak: Sea ice observations

Lucassie Takatak has spent decades traveling on the ice around the Belcher Islands, hunting for the Sanikiluaq community and teaching young hunters. Hunters have long relied on stable sea ice conditions to reach seals, geese, ducks, and whales. But sea ice extent and thickness have changed recently, causing Lucassie and other hunters to find new hunting routes to avoid dangerous ice.

Changes in sea ice extent and thickness

When interviewed for the Sanikiluaq Sea Ice Project, Lucassie indicated that the ice floe edge, which once extended northeast beyond the Bakers Dozen Islands, has retreated south, and he has not been able to go seal hunting among the northern islands. When discussing the Bakers Dozen Islands, Lucassie said, “Before 2000 was when the ice used to be thick. It would start freezing in November and it froze. This used to be completely frozen over and not the least bit dangerous when we hunted seal there” he said. Typically, the ice is safe to travel on by late December, but during the past several years, the ice was too thin to be safe at all during the winter.

Even when traveling to other northern areas, such as Johnson Island, hunters cannot make as many winter hunting trips before the ice becomes too dangerous to travel on. And during springtime, when Lucassie hunts geese, certain hunting areas have become inaccessible because the ice no longer becomes thick enough.

Changes in sea ice conditions

In addition to changes in extent, Lucassie has observed changes in sea ice conditions. He said, “When sea ice froze it used to be black until it got older but now the ice freezes looking white but very thin because the salt water is not as cold as it used to be.” Lucassie also marked on his map where currents have changed along the new floe edges, which can affect the stability of the remaining sea ice.

In general, sea ice that has been dependable for generations has become unsafe. Lucassie recalls hunting with his late uncle, and noted one instance during which his uncle almost fell through ice that should have been safe. Even the generation before Lucassie’s was noticing changes in sea ice conditions that affected their hunting.

Lucassie Takatak: Video Interviews

Sanikiluaq hunter Lucassie Takatak discussed sea ice conditions in January 2009, when he was interviewed by Miriam Fleming, with translator Dinah Kavik. Video credit: Caroline Meeko, Jr.

Peter Kattuk: Sea ice observations

As a senior hunter in the Belcher Islands, Peter has extensive experience with the sea ice and environmental conditions around Sanikiluaq. He has participated in many projects to share what he knows about changing conditions, and gave an interview for the Sanikiluaq Sea Ice Project. He talked about how the condition and extent of sea ice around the islands has changed.

Changes in sea ice conditions

In January 2009, two weeks before the interview, Peter went out hunting. However, he discovered that the ice was melting. The weather was too warm for the ice to thicken, and in fact, the ice was getting thinner. “When I was growing up I never heard of that, except maybe in March or April,” he said. He noticed there was more snow on top of the ice, which insulated the ice, preventing it from getting thicker. “The snow is not freezing. It’s kind of warmer so it’s not getting hard on the ground,” Peter said, “So, it’s like cooking oil. Melting the ice, right now.” The weather no longer stays consistently cold enough throughout the winter for the ice to freeze, often creating a slushy surface and producing unstable conditions for the hunters.

In addition to not freezing at the surface, Peter also noticed that the ice is being melted from underneath, and is breaking up in areas. In these areas, because the ice is not freezing to its normal thickness, it is more vulnerable to currents flowing underneath. Peter has also noticed strong winds around polynyas, which are areas of open water in the sea ice. These winds buffet the thin sea ice, and in combination with currents, may break up the ice. “I think that when strong wind is blowing on thinner ice, I think the water is moving so that is sometimes why it breaks the ice,” he said.

When instructing new hunters, Peter has to teach about dangerous ice conditions that may seem safe. “When it’s cold it [the ice] gets hardened and it’s safe right away,” he said. “But in warmer weather, it’s not safe but it’s the same color as if it was safe or frozen, but it’s not anything like normal weather.” However, he cautioned that new hunters always need to observe the ice. “You have to be aware from seeing it and knowing it,” he said.

To the east, between the Belcher Islands and the Nunavik mainland, Peter has recently observed ice that is brownish as a result of churning, or breaking up and turning over. The ice thickness is normal, three to four feet, but for some reason there is more brownish ice, something he had not seen until about five years ago.

Changes in weather

Until recently, when sea ice formed, it would freeze and continue freezing throughout the winter, and there was not as much fluctuation in the temperatures. Over the past several years, however, the ice has been freezing, thawing, and refreezing throughout winter. This process produces ice conditions that are more dangerous and hard for hunters to predict. Many of the weather elements Peter recalled used to be common during spring, when the ice was supposed to melt and break up, but he has begun noticing warm weather as early as January.

Peter Kattuk: Video Interviews

Sanikiluaq hunter Peter Kattuk discussed sea ice conditions in January 2009, when he was interviewed by Miriam Fleming, with translator Dinah Kavik. Video credit: Caroline Meeko, Jr.