The seal is a staple food for the Inuit and in winter must be hunted through the sea ice. The seal scratches breathing holes through the ice and it is here that the hunters must wait. Once a breathing hole is located, the hunter marks the centre and then, with extreme patience, waits — often for many hours — to hear the sound of a breathing seal.

When a seal has surfaced, with one hand the hunter thrusts the harpoon down the centre of the hole while in the other hand he keeps a firm grasp on the harpoon line. After hitting the seal, the harpoon head disengages from the harpoon shaft. The hunter then has the chore of hauling the captured seal up through the hole onto the ice.

THE LONG AND COLD WAIT FOR A SEAL >>