When do you get the chance of a lifetime to swim in the Arctic Ocean?
They have a neato monument designated at the end of the road.
Unlike our trip to Prudhoe Bay Alaska, we didn’t need an escort to the Arctic Ocean. Here in Tuk, Canada, they let you drive your POS van right up to the shore line. Kinda cool.
We scoped out a spot to take a dip. Our tour guide, Roger, told us to make sure to swim on the left side of the peninsula. Other tourists were dipping their toes in the right side, which was the fresh water bay, not the ocean. We didn’t drive this far just to dip our toes in the wrong water. We are GOING SWIMMING.
So… it was 29 degree water. There was ice in the water that day. And oddly, it wasn’t as cold at I thought it would be. We got in for a few moments, and then my legs started stiffening up. I pulled my arms and legs out of the water to see them purply and discolored. Glenn remarked, “Dude, we are literally freezing.” We got out after a minute or two, and rushed to the van to change into dry clothes.
Pretty cool.
