🔊 Boating in Disko Bay
Watching the icebergs mill about in Disko Bay is amazing from land, but getting out onto the water is a must. The icebergs were hundreds of feet tall above the surface, and we got as close as safely possible. Obviously our captain avoided the big bergs, but sea ice was everywhere, and the sound of it hitting the boat’s hull became one of the defining sounds of traveling through this Arctic landscape.
In this Soundscape, you’ll hear what it sounds like to boat through Greenland’s Disko Bay. You’ll hear the steady engine, the open water (until I put the recorder in my pocket to avoid wind noise!), and the constant tapping of sea ice against the hull.
Naturalist’s Notebook
Use your words
Different kinds, sizes, and densities of ice can cause different sounds when hitting the boat’s hull. How can you describe the sounds you hear?
Create a soundscape Map
Draw a map of the area around you. Draw your boat at the center of the page, then try mapping the sounds around you, indicating their proximity to you. Use different colors to show sounds that come from living things, natural non-living things, and humans and human-made things.
