Flemingfjord, Eastern Greenland, 9/15/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Arctic
The day started with a planned hike on Antarctic Haven. As the fog rolled in, we decided to seek better and safer spots to do our activities, and as the fog lifted and the blue skies appeared, we ventured in to the beautiful Flemingfjord.
During the ship cruise, we had a very interesting lecture on the polar expeditions, leaving us with a feeling for the hardships these brave people went through when they crossed Greenland.
When we arrived to Flemingfjord, the sun was shining. The wind was absolutely still, leaving beautiful reflections of icebergs on the water. What better way to spend our day than by doing a little bit of everything! A few of us went on a long hike to explore the beaches and hills around the bay, accompanied by a few musk oxen. The rest of the guests enjoyed their fair share of water activities with both Zodiac cruises and kayaking around the icebergs. It was a lovely afternoon in an amazing landscape.
Anne has been diving around the world for about 20 years, starting in Mexico and continuing to the darker and colder waters of Sweden, her home country. The interest of diving started when she was growing up in the archipelago outside Stockholm, and ...
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The sun greeted us this morning as we cruised into Romer Fjord in Scoresby Sound. The area has a lot of geothermal activity, and the hot springs greeted us with their very distinctive smell. Some of our guests hiked the impressive and steep mountain on top of the landing site and were rewarded with spectacular views. Others chose a more leisurely approach to the morning activities and joined hikes along the coast. Zodiac cruises were also offered, and it was a pleasure to cruise along the mirrorlike waters of the fjord. The afternoon was spent in the hot springs for those who wished after expedition leader Russ spent the better part of the morning making the springs welcoming. The dive team explored the unknown waters of the area. Just a few meters beneath the surface, another world opened. It was full of life, including kelp, algae, fish, plankton, and exciting small creatures of the undersea world! We could have stayed for much longer, but the temperature eventually forced us to the surface. We are now making our way towards Iceland. Thank you, Greenland, for this visit. It has been amazingly beautiful!
After several days of calm, sometimes almost otherworldly conditions – a luxury in East Greenland – we awoke this morning to the ship moving in large, long swells. The entrance to Scoresby Sund is so large that ocean swells can make their way in almost unchecked if they come from the east, and today was one of those days. This did not bode well for our planned landing at Cape Hooker on the northern coast of Scoresby Sund. Fortunately, expedition leader Russ had plan B up his sleeve, and we entered Hurry Inlet, a long, narrow bay nearby with landscape that, while mostly flat, boasts gorgeous tundra vegetation. It was a great spot for a hike, and several options were on offer to make sure there was something for everyone. On the longest walk, we traveled several miles inland over cushiony tundra to overlook the almost Martian landscape of a braided river flowing from a glacier hidden in the low clouds on the horizon. While attempting to circumambulate an inviting-looking lake on the edge of the outwash plain, we encountered an unusual combination of very soft sand and layers of ice forming in the thin layer of water at the surface as well as inside the sand. Our footsteps were exceptionally crunchy, and the ice formations were a filigreed beauty. After the opportunity to stretch our legs, it was time to return to civilization this afternoon with a visit to the only settlement in the region. The town of Ittoqqortoormiit is home to about 400 people, and its name translates to, “The place with the many houses”; in comparison to the rest of the region, the name is certainly accurate. The town offers a fascinating look into the lives of Greenlanders, particularly those living in smaller settlements far from the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities of the west coast. The expedition aspect of our excursion did not disappoint, as increasing swells and surging waves on the beach required us to switch to an alternative landing site around the corner. Eastern Greenland is one of the most spectacular parts of the world, and each day has something new and different to offer. We finished our day in style with a fantastic Filipino buffet feast prepared by executive chef Sara and her team.
Just ten minutes before the anticipated wakeup call at 0700 from expedition leader Russ, a call came over the PA that we had been waiting for! Polar bears! The bridge team had spotted three animals on the way into Antarctica Haven on Scoresby Land. We are still in the Northeast National Park, our destination this morning. A mother and two cubs were walking across Knivodden on the south side of the bay. The family went in the water and started swimming along the shoreline. National Geographic Endurance followed the bears at a respectful distance so all on board could have a look. We spent a good half an hour looking through binoculars and spotting scopes as the bears continued swimming. Polar bears are incredible swimmers. They kept a good pace, and eventually, we continued back into the bay for our morning excursion. The geography of Antarctica Haven includes two huge, glacially carved valleys with alluvial fans reaching the shoreline. After the scouting team deemed the landing site clear, we all headed ashore for hikes and walks. One hike went straight up the mountain into a steep valley. As the hikers disappeared from sight, most of us wandered along the frozen water’s edge for a better look up the main valley. Since we had already seen polar bears this morning, it was not a big surprise to find polar bear tracks along the walk. We also spotted muskox tracks and a few fox tracks. Evidence of wildlife can be as exciting as the wildlife itself! Beautiful weather, no wind, and amazing scenery made for a very special morning. After a lunch with spectacular views, we barely had time to put down our napkins before Russ announced three more polar bears. We had caught up with the bears spotted earlier in the day. This time, we were offered nice views as they walked onshore. We marveled at the speed of the bears as we measured the distance they had covered since we saw them last. After some time watching the polar bears, we continued to our intended site. On our way, we passed a beautiful island consisting of columnar basalt that contrasted beautifully with the red background. We were given the options of a Zodiac cruise or a hike since we arrived at Fleming Fjord a little later than planned. We hiked up into the alluvial fan and suddenly we got a call from Russ. He had spotted a large white bird that turned out to be a white-morphed gyrfalcon! It was definitely a highlight of the afternoon. Those of us who went on the medium hike got a pleasant surprise; it was harder and more vertical than the long hike in the morning, but we persevered! The Zodiac cruise was a delight, allowing guests to admire the Greenlandic landscape. Again, we had the feeling of being dwarfed by the scale of it all. We enjoyed our time and spent the whole evening outside with only a brief ten minutes in the Ice Lounge for Russ to share plans about tomorrow’s activities and the possibility of the aurora borealis tonight. Last night, we observed the best auroras yet. Fingers crossed for tonight!
