July 20, 2023: Our Final Day at Sea

July 20, 2023 cjbishop@yahoo.com

The game plan for the day, conveyed to us last night, was to go up a fjord where there is expected to be significant ice and offer both helicopter sightseeing rides (no landings) and/or kayak excursions among the ice floes in the fjord. As is a common issue with expedition travel when we awoke this morning we were in dense fog and ice, forcing the ship to limit its speed to 3 knots… and we were 24km from our destination. So it turned out to be a leisurely morning and they moved the initially scheduled afternoon disembarkation talk to the morning.

A retired librarian from DC has been helping us work in this dastardly difficult puzzle!

Our disembarkation talk, as, sadly, we leave the ship tomorrow.

Showing us how the wrap our bulky parkas into a package about the size of a basketball!

The place where Erik the Red first settled around 982.

The village originally settled by Erik the Red is across the fjord from our docking area.

After we return from Qassiarsuk we either ride the small shuttle to the airport or walk.

Scientists were surprised how far foxes can go in search of food.

Fox waiting to eat the leftovers from a polar bear kill.

We did finally arrive to our planned destination around 11 AM where the sun was shining and the fog was gone. Furthermore it was a balmy 14 degrees C (57 degrees F)! However, weather predictions were such that the staff scratched the idea of the helicopter flights as they felt they would not be able to give everyone the opportunity before the weather changed.

And the afternoon scheduled polar plunge was now on before lunch! I was on the fence about doing it again as I had done one in Svalbard in 2019. However, when I heard they would be giving those who participated a cloth patch I decided I had to do it once more. Steve had done them both in Antarctica and Svalbard and decided to pass, acting as official photographer for the event. The ship had a great location for the plunge, off the stern of the ship where they can launch their kayaks from a nice stationary platform. As we lined up in swim suits and bathrobes to await our turn the staff pumped out loud, high energy R&R music to urge us on. Many of those in line with me had never done one and I do believe the music was meant to encourage one to continue. Quark is super cautious and attaches a rope to each person before they jump in. When I did it in Svalbard we were on our own-although there were staff members right there to help pull you out. Here they simply pull on the rope to haul you back to the ladder if you need help. My plunge would not win any style points as I choose to hold my nose to avoid ingesting all that salt water. Yes, it was a shock (water temp was 4 degrees C- 39 degrees F) to the body when you hit the water, but not as bad as one might imagine. Some people actually swam around a bit before returning to the ladder. Once surfaced I immediately headed back to the ladder with assistance from the staff member holding the rope and eagerly accepted a towel, my slippers and bathrobe, a shot of vodka and my coveted badge of honor- my polar plunge badge. A quick hot shower and life returned to normal.

My reward- to add to my collection! I also have one from a polar plunge in Svalbard.

As we ate lunch the ship repositioned in the fjord where the kayak people would go for a ride through the expected icebergs in the area. We queried whether there might be an opportunity for a zodiac ride among the icebergs and were happy to be told there will be some. Most of the icebergs we have encountered so far have been quite small. Once out on the water we were pleased to find that this region of the fjord had some really formidable sized icebergs which made for wonderful sightseeing. Our zodiac driver/guide did a fine job passing by (but not too close as icebergs can suddenly rotate) and explaining why some looked the way they did. Viewing these marvelous works of Mother Nature ( each looks like a sculpture) was one of the highlights of my trip to Antarctica in 2012 and seeing these monsters today brought back fond memories. I snapped a heck of a lot of photos as we spent 1.5 hours working our way through the maze of icebergs that had become grounded in this fjord. It was a marvelous way to end our exploration of Greenland. And luckily we were back on the ship before rain began pelting those still out in the fjord!

Our tour guide and driver for the afternoon.

Most of the larger icebergs have floated in and become grounded.

They can be dangerous, as they can suddenly change orientation.

The series of terraces you see reflect how the iceberg has changed its level with respect to the sea.

They are bigger than these pictures portray. Some can be 30 to 50 feet high.

The glacier at the end of the fjord. The large icebergs we are seeing did not come from there. They floated in and got stuck in the fjord.

No two are alike. Each is a work of art created by Mother Nature.

Some of these rivaled (in size) those I saw in Antarctica

Look at the small iceberg that was absolutely clear.

Looking for a white-tailed fish eagle (7 ft wing span) that was reported to be in the area. We saw it in flight.

The darker the color, the older the ice is.

Returning to the mother ship after our 1.5 hour iceberg tour.

There was a farewell cocktail party where the captain and staff received applause from the passengers for a job well done. As expected the chef and expedition group attracted the loudest cheers.

More cribbage. Never did win a game this trip. Figured the cards were rigged!

The staff receiving a hearty, well deserved thank you from the passengers.

Where evidence of places the Vikings visited has been found.

One last dinner and then a return to the lounge to view a 30 minute video summary of the trip with photographs and film clips were shown. The good news is that it will be available to us once we return home.