Mystery of Arctic explosion and dead whales likely to remain
The Edmonton Journal
Published: Saturday, August 09, 2008 via Calgary Herald
An explosion that allegedly killed several whales in Canada’s Northwest Passage in late July will likely remain a mystery.
A Transport Canada helicopter on board the Canadian Coast Guard ship Henry Larsen did a fly over of north Baffin Island on Friday and found no sign of dead whales or an explosion, says Summer Halliday, a spokeswoman for the Department of National Defence.
Defence officials were put on alert earlier this week when an Inuit ranger camped in the area passed on a report from a civilian colleague who heard the explosion and spotted the black cloud of smoke that followed. The report to DND suggested that several whales had been killed.
DND had intended on sending a long range C-140 Aurora aircraft to the area to investigate. But since the Henry Larsen was already in the area, a helicopter was dispatched from the ship.
A government source who asked not to be identified said it is not surprising that nothing was found considering it’s been more than a week since the alleged explosion. If an explosion had occurred, he said, whatever caused it would have been long gone. Polar bears could have also eaten the carcasses of any whales that may have been killed.
Thanks for the info, but I’m trying to see if my friends actually had anything to do with the event. Blowing things up is their hobby.