Exploring Skjoldungesund
At the briefing last night, Expedition Leader Tim Soper built anticipation for a day of discovery, where weather, ice, and what our scouting party discovered early in the morning would determine our choice of landings. It was truly to be a day of exploration, as this is the first time the National Geographic Explorer has ventured into Skjoldungesund. Perhaps we would launch Zodiacs, go for a long natural history hike, learn about the flora and fauna, or use our cameras to capture the amazing light in this very remote part of southeast Greenland.
We were greeted at our morning landing on Skjoldungen by thousands of hungry black flies. Required expedition attire included mosquito netting, and a shedding of warm layers, as the sunshine was out and abundant. A small stream was the subject for photographers, creating images of wildflowers, running water, and abstract patterns in the algae. Others hiked a narrow trail to gain altitude to overlook the ship nestled inside the ice-carved head of the fjord created by glacial retreat.
In the end the black flies won the battle driving us into our Zodiacs to weave in and out of wind and wave sculpted icebergs. The cool wind and air devoid of insects was a welcome relief to all. Here in the Arctic the views are spectacular, but they come with an involuntary donation of one’s own blood!
The afternoon held spectacular views of this amazing edge fifty-five nautical miles in length. As our circumnavigation of Skjoldungen neared its completion a light swell from the north Atlantic welcomed us once again handsome out to sea.
At the briefing last night, Expedition Leader Tim Soper built anticipation for a day of discovery, where weather, ice, and what our scouting party discovered early in the morning would determine our choice of landings. It was truly to be a day of exploration, as this is the first time the National Geographic Explorer has ventured into Skjoldungesund. Perhaps we would launch Zodiacs, go for a long natural history hike, learn about the flora and fauna, or use our cameras to capture the amazing light in this very remote part of southeast Greenland.
We were greeted at our morning landing on Skjoldungen by thousands of hungry black flies. Required expedition attire included mosquito netting, and a shedding of warm layers, as the sunshine was out and abundant. A small stream was the subject for photographers, creating images of wildflowers, running water, and abstract patterns in the algae. Others hiked a narrow trail to gain altitude to overlook the ship nestled inside the ice-carved head of the fjord created by glacial retreat.
In the end the black flies won the battle driving us into our Zodiacs to weave in and out of wind and wave sculpted icebergs. The cool wind and air devoid of insects was a welcome relief to all. Here in the Arctic the views are spectacular, but they come with an involuntary donation of one’s own blood!
The afternoon held spectacular views of this amazing edge fifty-five nautical miles in length. As our circumnavigation of Skjoldungen neared its completion a light swell from the north Atlantic welcomed us once again handsome out to sea.
