Nordvestfjord, Greenland, 9/28/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Arctic
Today we awoke on National Geographic Endurance to beautiful pink skies and icebergs passing by the ship as we sat down for breakfast. We enjoyed a nice cruise into the furthest northwestern fjord of Scoresby Sund. Today was a lovely day filled with ice and dramatic scenery, making it hard to walk away from the window for even just a moment.
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Although there was fog and rain, we made a landing and enjoyed our walk at Myggbukta. As they say, fortune favors the bold, and indeed, at the end of the day we spotted our first polar bear swimming in the ocean! A very well rewarded moment that will stay forever in our minds. All photos of the polar bear were taken with a 600mm lens from a great distance, according to the established guidelines regarding wildlife.
What a beautiful morning to head to shore for our first landing in Greenland! We landed near a hut midway up Hurry Inlet to enjoy hikes of various lengths. We caught sight of barnacle geese, signs of lemmings, and a skull amongst the arctic tundra floras. After lunch, we began to see sea ice and bits of small icebergs broken up by the long summer days. As we made our way amongst the ice, we navigated expertly to Ittoqqortoormiit, where we had the privilege of going ashore and meeting the local community. What kind and welcoming people, and what a beautiful place they call home.
Yesterday, travelers from many places and ages came together in Reykjavik, Iceland to board National Geographic Endurance . The ship is both our comfortable home and exploration tool for the next ten days. It will take us deep into the Arctic where extreme wilderness and complex cultural history intersect. In fine weather, we sailed west and north with views of Snæfellsjökull, the glacier and mountains made famous by Jules Verne as the gateway to the center of the Earth! Today was spent at sea with a smooth crossing. As we approached the Greenland continental shelf, we found a blue whale cruising the waters. There were plenty of activities. We listened to important orientations and fascinating presentations, and we cleaned our field gear to avoid introducing exotic species to the areas we plan to visit. By evening, we were getting views of ice, seals, and the dramatic coastline of East Greenland.
