Ground patrol to investigate mysterious Arctic 'ping' sound

The saga of the mysterious "ping" noise inIgloolikis set to continue at the end of the month. The Canadian Armed Forces is sending two acoustic specialists to investigate the sound, which was first noticed last fall but has never been recorded.

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A spokesperson for Joint Task Force North confirmed that the specialists will not be visiting the actual area of Fury andHeclaStrait, but rather spending a week inIgloolikto gather information about the sound.

Locals said the sound was scaring off wildlife in the rich hunting grounds of Fury andHeclaStrait, north ofIgloolik. MLA PaulQuassasaidhe had noticed the lack of wildlife, but did not hear the sound himself on a trip to the area.

"That passage is a migratory route forbowheadwhales, and also bearded seals and ringed seals. There would be so many in that particular area," he told CBC News in November, recalling his own days of hunting there.

"This summer there was none."

There was no shortage of theories to explain it, fromGreenpeacetrying to protect marine mammals to mining operations to an underwater sonar array. None of those theories was borne out by further investigation.

The Canadian Forces dispatched aCP-140Aurora aircraft to Fury andHeclaStrait, but the crew did not detect any unexpected sounds with the equipment it used at the time.

The search happening at the end of January will involve two acoustic specialists who will be deployed with a Canadian Rangers patrol.

The spokesperson for Joint Task Force Northsaid in anemailedstatement to the CBC it is satisfied with the results of the earlier search, but that this is a good chance for their acoustic specialists to gain experience "operating in austere conditions in the High Arctic."

They will first travel to Yellowknife to meet with a Canadian Rangers instructor.

The statement also said the patrol will give the specialists an opportunity to gather first-hand accounts of the sound from locals inIgloolik.