We woke up this morning to shaking throughout the National Geographic Explorer. Some thought it was the anchor paying out. Some thought the ship was going down! Looking out the window we saw ice through the fog and heard the sounds of crashing ice. Luckily for us it was the patient steering of our captain navigating through this labyrinth of ice. Some thought there was no way we would be able to make it through all that ice to our destination of Skjoldungen Fjord on Greenland’s southeast coast but indeed we did. The ice conditions in this part of the world are rated by the percentage of ice covering the surface of the water. Our ice charts from the day before showed ice coverage was supposed to be 5-10% but today’s coverage was closer to 40-60%, making navigation that much more challenging yet exciting!
As we slowly pushed west towards our destination the fog lifted and we finally saw Greenland ahead for the first time! The mountains rose up from the fog followed by a sea of shutter clicks. The only sound was the crushing ice and the cameras. As the fog continued to lift we spotted a hooded seal on a flat piece of ice. The seal had a big nose. He was grayish with black spots and he was adorable. We all knew right away it was a male because of his big nose. We tried to be as quiet as possible. He lifted his head a few times but didn’t seem too bothered. While watching the seal the cold waters of Greenland’s cold east current began to chill our hands and feet, reminding us where we were.
As we approach our landing the fog lifted completely and, in Lisa’s words, there was “not a lick of wind.” The conditions allowed for many options: kayaking, Zodiac cruising and various hiking options. The kayakers were able to paddle around small icebergs, waterfalls, and the best part was there weren’t as many mosquitoes as on shore where they were everywhere! Those who didn’t go kayaking went on numerous hikes. The long hike was very warm. Everyone was layered up but shed them immediately since the temps were in the 50’s. As we climbed we arrived at a partially frozen lake. The view was breathtaking and the water was cold. We saw plants, eider ducks, a fulmar, and a snow bunting. We also hiked through the snow and put it in our water to cool ourselves off.
After our hikes we headed back out Skjoldungen Fjord, bound for the southern tip of Greenland, but we found some life along the way. The two humpback whales we found exceeded all our expectations. Some expected to see just a dorsal fin but we saw their flukes as they dove, as well as their white pectoral fins. One in particular made some weird sounds. The whales spout sounded like Darth Vader breathing through a microphone!
After our encounter with our whale friends the fog rolled in again as we continued south. Hopes are high however that it will lift again for our adventures tomorrow.
What a great day!
Authors: Young Explorers aboard National Geographic Explorer: Leya Aronoff, Aely Aronoff, Keaton Boyd, Sarah DeLoach, Matthew McFadden, Kerry McFadden, Shannon McFadden, Wesley Swanson. Transcribed and compiled by Eric Guth.
