Today was spent exploring and sailing in the Arctic Ocean searching for wildlife and leads through the ice that could take us closer to the coast of East Greenland and Scoresby Sound, our hoped for destination. The sea was calm and the temperatures on deck pleasant. The hours of the morning were spent scanning the waters and the ice for marine mammals. We sighted seabirds, including puffins, little auks and Brünnich’s guillemots. We often think of these birds as poor flyers and yet here they were hundreds of miles from the nearest land in their feeding grounds and doing very well indeed. Maybe it is time to revise our views and now consider them as strong flyers and so well adapted to live successfully in these high latitudes. We also come across large numbers of harp seals both in the water and hauled out on the ice floes.
Throughout the morning and afternoon we also have opportunities to hear various presentations all which help further our knowledge on places already visited and whetting our appetites for adventures new.
Of course there are the regular meals, as always our galley staff turn out delicious food to ensure that all our boilers remain well stoked to keep our energy levels topped up.
During the afternoon the weather becomes incredibly beautiful and soon we are sailing along the edge of some loose pack ice in bright sunshine. The sea conditions are so ideal it is decided to offer Zodiac cruises. With the usual efficiency the fleet of rubber craft are lowered from the upper decks and in a whisker we are off into the ice. We marvel at the different sized floes, their colors and the azure waters which reveal the intricate beauty of ice under the surface. The ice has a tale to tell and it is an opportunity to try and learn more about how this ice is formed and to read its age.
We catch glimpses of the occasional seal, usually slithering silently into the waters, as well as seabirds. Several Zodiacs get close up views of the lovely little auks as they swim between floes.
Once back on the mother ship we are treated to lomito sandwiches and drinks on the aft deck. It is a great way to round off the afternoon activities.
During Recap our expedition leader gives us a full and detailed report on the ice conditions along the coast of East Greenland. Very dense multiyear ice has formed an apron along the coastline. Scoresby Sound is still made up of fast ice that the local Greenlanders are still sledging across. It would be impossible to get into this area. The ice situation further south is no different and so together with the captain it has been decided to head for Iceland. This will be an opportunity to explore that remarkable country in more detail than had previously been planned and that surely is something to be embraced.
The evening is so lovely with pastel shades and gentle sunlight lighting up the waters and ice about us. The huge expanses inspire us to take a moment to be thankful for the privilege of experiencing nature in all its beauty.
