Yellowknife (Jun 26/06) - Ice is clearing from some Northern bays about a week earlier than usual, say residents of the Beaufort Delta.

The past winter was the NWT's warmest on record, followed by the fourth warmest spring ever.

An aerial view of open water and ice taken outside Tuktoyaktuk two weeks ago. Ice in bays along the Amundsen Gulf cleared early this year. - David Ryan/NNSL photo

Over in Nunavut, the weather service's long range models are predicting ice clearing two weeks early in Hudson Bay and the Davis Strait.

But Environment Canada was expecting spring and early summer in the Mackenzie Delta region to be closer to the seasonal average.

"Everything melted a week to 10 days earlier than normal," said Ray Ruben of Paulatuk.

The melt was not only early but surprisingly quick.

"We were here one day and the ice was loose but the bay was still packed with ice," said Ruben.

"And the next night we came back and it was gone. Literally gone."

"In my lifetime, I don't remember it ever opening this quickly," he said.

Claude Dicaire at the Canadian Ice Service, said Darnley Bay was recorded clear on June 16, almost two weeks earlier than its usual date of June 28. He said the ice is clearing earlier than normal from the Amundsen Gulf to the Queen Maud Gulf, though conditions in the Mackenzie area are close to seasonal.

Merven Gruben, deputy mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, which lies between the Mackenzie Delta and Paulatuk, said ice in the harbour there cleared about a week earlier than usual.

"She's clear," he said of the bay on June 20.

"The ice is gone. We're usually clear by the end of the month."

Residents in both communities took advantage of the open water to begin fishing.

In Paulatuk, people were fishing before the middle of June.

In Tuk, they're already making dry fish.

"Everybody's got their fish nets out now and people are gearing up to go whaling," said Gruben.

According to the Canadian Ice Service's forecast released on June 20, the ice pack will drift towards the western shore of Banks Island.

Sachs Harbour resident Jolene Donovan confirmed that there was still ice along their shoreline on June 20.

To see open water, you'd have to climb to the top of the hills, she said.