Seemingly endless flocks of dovekies (little auks) streamed by us as we crossed through the middle of Baffin Bay. The weather was kind, decidedly mild for this latitude, with sunshine, slack winds, and a broad, gentle swell that rolled beneath the us as we worked steadily southeastward. As we sailed over the continental shelf edge of western Greenland, we spotted a couple of sperm whales and approached them for a closer look.