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| Warming Ø, Greenland |
We reached Greenland and it was as if the angels finally decided to smile on us. Glorious blue skies and reasonably moderate temperatures. Yes, it was chilly, but not cold and not windy. With the clothes I took (layers and wind pants) and the very comfy Quark jacket (sometimes a bit too comfy), I was never really cold.
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| A very warm jacket! Photo: Scott Stevens |
I know I keep promising a rundown of where we went and what we saw, but let me give you a little overview of how we saw what we saw.
Obviously, we saw lots of great scenery (and some animals) from the deck of the ship. The Ocean Explorer has nice multi-level decks that provide good views.
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| It could get crowded, but never so much to prevent me from seeing |
Because all the state rooms have balconies, there is no passage from the front to the back, which requires you to walk through the boat's interior to get from front to back. But, it's a good trade-off because you can sightsee from your balcony, as well.
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| Deck plan: Quark Expeditions |
We had two types of excursions: land-based and Zodiac-based. All required transport via Zodiac, a 12-person boat constructed with an inflatable buoyancy tube and a rigid hull. The buoyancy is distributed on the sides, keeping the center of gravity low, making them harder to capsize (although they can flip over).
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| They feel very stable |
To go to shore or to cruise on Zodiacs, we went by groups to a mudroom on the bottom level where we donned lightweight life jackets and muck boots. Then, after walking through pans filled with disinfectant (to protect the fragile arctic environment), we walked out to a platform off the side of the boat and were helped onto the Zodiacs using a sailors' grip (wrist to wrist rather than a handhold). You board individually and sit and scoot to your spot before the next passenger is helped on, all designed to keep the boat steady and prevent passengers from pitching over the side.
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| Zodiac deployment; Right photos: Passenger Graham Gibson |
You must remain seated while traveling, but can stand or kneel when stopped to aid in seeing and photographing.
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| The Zodiac driver always stands for stability and visibility; Photo: Scott Stevens |
For shore landings, the driver pulls the Zodiac as far onto the shore as possible and passengers scoot one-by-one to the front, swing both legs over the hull and hop out, generally in a couple of inches of water (hence the knee-high rubber muck boots).
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| Landing; Photo: Scotty Sinton |
To return, the process is simply reversed.
Since we had pretty good weather and did our exploring mainly in fjords and calm bays, water and spray wasn't too much of an issue. I still took a waterproof bag and rain covers to protect my cameras.
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| Smooth sailing; Left: Scott Stevens |
The shore excursions were offered in four different formats, from which we could choose every time (we were not locked into a style). They were categorized as:
Chargers: For those who want to go as high, as far and as fast as possible; NOT recommended for photographers.
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| This was a NO on so many levels; Photo: Scotty Sinton |
Medium Fast: No quite a speedy as the chargers, but aggressive hiking; NOT recommended for photographers.
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| Also a NO for us; Left: Sandesh; Right: Scotty Sinton |
Medium Slow: Hiking with stops for photography and deeper narration by guides.
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| Doable! |
Leisurely: Generally close to the point of disembarkation with even more narration.
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| The leisurely crew; Photo: Scotty Sinton |
We started at our first destination in the Medium Slow group, but still found some challenges, especially with my long lens and irrational fear of slipping and falling in scree or rocks. We then switched to leisurely.
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| I didn't go up there with the group |
I am sorry that we missed some of the views a climb offers.
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| At the top; Photo: Scotty Sinton |
Plus, our choices meant that we didn't see Rock Ptarmigans (we heard some) or Lemmings or an extremely (extremely!) distant Polar Bear. But, I was very pleased with the onshore experiences that we did have.
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| We saw few birds; this is a Northern Fulmar |
As we experienced in Svalbard, members of the Expedition Team head out before passengers get aboard the Zodiacs to scout for Polar Bears. If any are found, the trip would be a no go. Then, all guides carry flares and rifles, in case a Polar Bear should slip by them and pose a threat.
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| On patrol |
They have a very strict protocol for observing and warning threatening Bears, with shooting at the Bear being the final act. One of our guides told us that in all the years (20+) he had done Arctic guiding, neither he nor his compatriots had ever gotten to that final stage. In the instance where a Polar Bear is seen after a shore landing, the trip is cut short and passengers return to the ship.
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| Patroling in case a pick-up is needed |
Our cruise also offered two options to kayak -- one with daily trips and one with shorter paddle excursions (weather permitting). While it looks lovely, I am just not comfortable taking my camera in a kayak.
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| So instead of kayaking, I just like to photograph kayakers |
So, let's go on an adventure ...
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| Here's our entire itinerary |
I already mentioned that, because of the weather system that was over Greenland when we departed Iceland, our team decided to do our trip from the farthest point to the nearest. So, we traveled northwest to one of the two major fjord systems on Greenland's east coast: Kong Oscar Fjord.
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| The shore as we approach the fjord |
This blog is going to cover that excursion, which was via Zodiac.
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| In the fjord |
Kong Oscar Fjord
Marking the northern border of Greenland's Scoresby Land Peninsula, Kong Oscar Fjord comprises a 6-to-16-mile-wide main fjord, bounded by Traill Ø and Geographical Society Ø in the east and Lyell Land to the west.
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| Kong Oscar Fjord |
Hey, what's that Ø? It's a letter in the Danish and Norwegian alphabets that functions as an independent word meaning "island" (plural: øer). Originating from Old Norse ey, it is commonly used as a suffix in Scandinavian island names. But, in Greenland, it stands alone to mean island. So, let's embrace that for the rest of these blogs.
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| Øer! |
Ella Ø defines the inner northern end of Kong Oscar Fjord. The Davy Sound at the southeastern end connects with the Greenland Sea after extending for about 12 miles in a NW/SE direction. The Antarctic Sound separates the Suess Land Peninsula and Ymer Ø and connects with the Kejser Franz Joseph Fjord system to the north. Kong Oscar branches into ten smaller fjords on the eastern side and three on the western side.
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| We had multiple excursions in Kong Oscar |
Northeast Greenland National ParkAll the places we visited were within the boundaries of Northeast Greenland National Park.
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| The largest and northernmost National Park in the world; Map: Maps of India |
It comprises 375,000 square miles of pristine Arctic wilderness, making it bigger
than 166 countries, including France and Spain combined.
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| It's over 100 times larger than Yellowstone National Park -- and has no roads |
The Park shares borders, largely laid out as straight lines, with the Sermersooq municipality in the south and with the Avannaata municipality in the west, partly along the 45° West meridian on the ice cap. The large interior of the Park is part of the Greenland Ice Sheet, but there are also large ice-free areas along the coast and on Peary Land in the north.
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| Peary land; Photo: Jeff Shea |
The Park includes the King Frederick VIII Land and King Christian X Land geographical areas.
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| Our first destination |
Originally established in 1974, the Park was designated as an international biosphere reserve in 1977. It was enlarged in 1988 to its present size. The Park is overseen by the Greenland Department of Environment and Nature.
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| Warming Ø |
The historical research camps on the ice sheet -- Eismitte and North Ice -- fall within the boundaries of the present-day Park.
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| Eismitte in the 30s; Left: Wikipedia; Right: University of Melbourne |
The Park has no permanent human population, although 400 sites see occasional summertime use. In 1986, there were 40 people living within the Park at Mestersvig, working to clean up and close some mining operations.
The land comprises mountains, rivers, fjords, glaciers, frozen lakes and areas of the ice sheet.
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| Glacier |
Warming Ø
Our first venture off the ship since leaving Iceland, was Warming Ø (Greenlandic: Uunartoq Qeqertaq). It had been billed as tentative because we still had to finish our cruising and check out conditions before the expedition Team could commit.
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| With less wind, clear skies and relatively ice-free water, everything lined up perfectly |
When I heard the name Warming Ø, I assumed that it had been a place of shelter where ships' crews or hunters could warm themselves.
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| Safe haven? |
Nope.
The name is much more ominous because it reflects how the discovery of the island was clear evidence of global warming. The reason that the island wasn't found until this century wasn't because explorers hadn't ventured in the area before. It was "found" in 2005 when it emerged from under a glacier. A glacier that had melted enough to release a fully formed island!
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| This glacier is receding from the shore |
This mile-long island is located at 71°28.9 ́N 21°51.5 ́W, 342 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
It has an interesting shape -- almost like a giant W with a small glacier nestled in the valley of the letter.
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| Aerial view of Warming Ø; Left: Google Maps |
Warming Ø was formed by the melting of the ice cap located on its southern side, which used to connect it with Liverpool Land (yes, it is named after the English city of the same name). Its emergence is widely considered as evidence for rapid global warming.
Our guides told us that Greenland is a geologist's dream. I can see why. Our visit gave us great looks at the spectacular rocks that form the island and the other land areas adjacent to it. The colors and shapes were spectacular.
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| The layered rocks show how the earth builds up over different eras |
After surveying the interesting rocks, we turned our attention the glacier face and the sea of brash, an accumulation of floating, broken ice fragments generally less than seven feet across.
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| Glacier face; You can see the brash in the upper right photo |
These chunks of ice that either fell from the glacier or broke off larger pieces such as icebergs, bergie bits or growlers, turn the water at the base of the glacier into a slushy mess. The Zodiacs and kayaks can navigate through, with a fair amount of banging and crunching.
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| Navigating the brash |
But, the drivers must be on the lookout for hazards, such as grounded icebergs, rocks that can't be seen through the ice-filled water or the protruding bottoms of big icebergs.
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| An iceberg is more than16 feet above water and greater than 98 feet thick |
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| Bergie bits are between three and 13 feet high and 16 to 46 feet long |
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| Growlers are less that three feet high and less than 16 feet long |
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| Brash is small chunks and slush |
The ice surrounding us varied in color and clarity.
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| Yuke, our guide, retrieved a crystal-clear chunk that we all admired |
Ice we pulled out of the water was later taken to the ship to be used in cocktails.
Much of the ice in the water was milky white and most of the bergie bits were turquoise.
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| Pretty colors |
The blue occurs because dense, compressed ice absorbs red, orange and yellow light wavelengths, while scattering and reflecting blue light. This color, ranging from turquoise to sapphire, is most vivid in older, compacted ice with few air bubbles. The white ice is less dense with many more air bubbles and clear ice occurs when the water freezes slowly, pushing out air before it becomes solid. Apply pressure (a millennium of pressure) to that ice and it will eventually become blue.
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| All about the bubbles |
The intensity of the blue color is directly related to the density and age of the ice; the deeper and older the ice, the more brilliant the blue.
And, many big chunks of ice carry some of their history, in terms of the rock, dirt and debris they scrape off the surface they are moving over.
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| You can see lots of debris in the glacier face |
The cruise around Warming Ø was reasonably short and stress free.
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| And, oh so pretty |
It was a nice way to get to know our Expedition Team and to get comfortable with Zodiac travel. I have done it before on multiple trips, so I have far less trepidation that I had in the past. But, every trip has first-timers.
This was our first close-up look at Greenland and I was a bit surprised. Based on photos I had seen, I expected more snow and ice.
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| This bare rock was unexpected |
Warming Ø had a significant amount of mountains that had just the faintest dusting of snow on top.
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| Plus, of course, some glaciers nestled in |
But, this made sense. It was mid-September. Last season's snow had mainly melted and no new snowstorms had hit yet for this winter. I suspect we saw Greenland at the barest and brownest it gets.
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| That gave us lots of rocks to admire; Top right: Sandesh |
Next, We'll go to another island, this time on foot.
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| Maria island |
Trip dates September 5 – 28, 2025
