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Hunters in Repulse Bay try to roll over a bowhead whale so they can harvest the underside. The whale was brought in last week by 16 hunters in four boats. They killed the animal just past Harbour Island, and towed it 10 miles back to town. Upon their return the whole town came out to watch and help with the harvest.

Hunters make quick work of bowhead kill

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Repulse Bay (Aug 29/05) - It didn't take long for hunters to harvest a bowhead whale earlier this month.

A crew of 18 hunters led by Marcel Mapsalak set out at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 18 and spotted the whale 13 km away.

Within 45 minutes, the hunt was over.

After using five harpoons, one with an explosive head, the hunters pulled alongside and dispatched the whale using a long harpoon through the heart and shots from a rifle. The 16 metre bowhead was the largest ever landed in Nunavut.

"The hunters really did a good job and I'm very, very proud of them," said Mapsalak.

Equipment and fuel for the hunt was provided by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

Mapsalak said it took a full week to complete the job of cutting up the whale.

"Everyone in town who wanted muktaq got it - pretty much every house - and people from Rankin Inlet and Coral Harbour also took some back to their communities.

"We still have more stored in the community freezer."

This was the fifth bowhead harvested in Nunavut since 1996. The first harvest was in Repulse in 1996. Since then, bowhead have been landed in Pangnirtung (1998), Coral Harbour (2000) and Iglulik (2002).