As we are cruising south we are surrounded by pristine wilderness in the world´s largest protected area: Northeast Greenland National Park. The park covers an area of 972,000 sq.km (375,000 sq.mi). In this environment we find ourselves totally disconnected from the modern world. This makes it easier to connect to nature–to just be IN THE MOMENT. And this certainly was a day of many great moments!
Just after breakfast, National Geographic Explorer dropped anchor off Blomsterbukta (”Flower Bay”) in King Oscar fjord, located in the southern part of the national park. Our outdoor adventure started here. The name is quite descriptive, as the vegetation on the slopes just above is richer than you would normally see this far north on East Greenland. The long and medium hikers climbed uphill to a lake and were fortunate to encounter a several Arctic hares, as well as a number of muskox. We saw one female with a calf and a few more individual adults in the distance. One big male, however, was encountered really close, maybe 50-60 meters away. He seemed quite relaxed and posed willingly as we enjoyed the sight and got the photos we wanted.
After lunch a briefing was given to all guests who want to be prepared for kayaking on this voyage. Karsten Jaeger then gave a lecture on the modern history of Greenland, including the Danish-Norwegian tug-of-war over East Greenland.
In the late afternoon a group of guests joined a geology hike led by one of our Global Perspectives guest speakers, Minik Rosing. The hikers were set ashore at Ørneredet (”Eagle´s nest”) on Ella Island. Other guests enjoyed a Zodiac cruise nearby. After dinner our cultural specialist, Hunter Snyder, gave an introduction to the making of ”Nanook of the North,” a very interesting classic black and white/silent movie portraying the traditional life of an Inuit hunter and his family.
Before going to bed, many guests got out on deck to watch the special sunset, succeeded by a spectacular symphony of colors. This second day in East Greenland had it all: stunning scenery, wildlife, flowers, history, culture, and perfect weather. Who could possibly ask for more?
