Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Tuktoyaktuk (Aug 13/01) - The annual migration patterns of the species Tourista Australis (Southern tourist) are well known in the North.

Starting in June, the herd begins to make its way north of the Arctic Circle. Using well established air, land, and water routes, Tourista Australis tends to accumulate in Inuvik, although the motivation for this is unclear. Unlike the Porcupine caribou herd, they do not come here to bear their young.

Some amateur biologists speculate that Tourista australis is drawn by the abundant wildlife and the warming rays caused by a month of 24-hour sunlight.

A rare subgroup of the species forges beyond the confines of Inuvik. Drawn by some inexplicable force, Tourista australis lunatticus travels further north. When they reach the end of the continental land mass, they immerse themselves in the icy waters of the Beaufort Sea.

Janna Bulmer, Tuktoyaktuk's recently minted recreation coordinator, knows of the annual pilgrimage.

"When I first got here, people told me, you should see the tourists, they go on the beach and some of them strip naked and just jump in the water," said Bulmer.

The appeal of taking the plunge is a mystery. The water off the beach in Tuk is darned cold. Jumping into it results in a breathtaking, nether-region shrivelling numbness.

Less (fool)hardy members of the species settle for Boot Lake in Inuvik, taking advantage of its relative calm.

Still, the question of why Tourista australis lunatticus is compelled to jump into Beaufort Sea's chilly depths remains unanswered.

One theory is that they are drawn to a tiny piece of paper given to them by Arctic Nature Tours if they swim north of the Arctic Circle.

On average, says Camellia Gray, manager of the Inuvik-based tour company, "about 125 people a week go up to Tuk."

Nearly every one of them at least dips their toe in the ocean, with a fair chunk of those opting for the full baptism.

When they're done, they get a certificate verifying that they've taken the plunge, "witnessed by thousands of mosquitoes under the midnight sun".

Unlike other herds in the North, Tourista australis lunatticus is thriving.

"I keep on having to order more of the certificates every year," says Gray.