Expedition leader Bud Lehnhausen woke us slightly early so we could get outside and watch a fin whale that surfaced several times at a moderate distance. The morning was spent with the obligatory briefings about how to behave in polar bear country and with biosecurity. After an early lunch, we headed for our first wilderness landing on the southern side of Disko Island. Despite the mosquitoes, we enjoyed a beautiful hike on the lush tundra and marveled at the amazing basalt columns of the nearby mountain face.
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!
