We awoke early to the ship surrounded by big, blue icebergs off the coast of Qaanaaq, formerly known as Thule. Our morning was spent exploring town and learning about traditional clothing, hunting techniques, and the Inuit games. We heard some captivating storytelling and listened to some music.
8/25/2023
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National Geographic Endurance
Itiullipest Fjord, Greenland
As we headed south along the west coast of Greenland, Kerstin Langerbergen gave a talk about how to determine whether a polar bear is male or female. It was very interesting for guests to try to apply the methods she revealed to the bears (around 19!) we saw on this trip. There were definitely some surprises! Later in the morning, Ken Garrett shared his photos from the trip. Reliving the last three weeks through his photos was a very emotional experience. After lunch, we did something rarely done on our ships – operations in the afternoon before disembarkation day! Some guests chose to hike with a backdrop of beautiful glacial cirques, while others kayaked around the beautiful fjord where we stopped. Another group took off for a Zodiac cruise. They saw metamorphosed pillow basalts, several peregrine falcons, and even a reindeer! What a wonderful afternoon in Greenland! A very heartfelt bon voyage to all our new friends!
