Oceanwide Expeditions

2010 Scoresby Sund - Aurora borealis

ATD14

Day 1
Arrive at Akureyri airport and make the short journey to the small port of the same name to join the ship. In the early evening we leave Iceland and sail north towards the Denmark Strait.

Day 2
At sea, sailing north through the Denmark Strait. We are almost certain to see Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Gannets and rafts of Common Guillemots and Razorbills. We cross the Arctic Circle and continue north, perhaps seeing whales. In the evening we will spot our first icebergs appear as we approach the east coast of Greenland near Kap Brewster.

Day 3
In the morning we sail along the ragged and glaciated Volquart Boons Coast, here we may organise a zodiac cruise along one of the glacier fronts of this coast, and have our first landing near a glacier, like Maanegletsjer or in Vikingebugt.
Later we land on Danmarksø where there are the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200 years ago. The circular ‘tent rings' of stones indicate the summer houses, while the winter houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The sites are excellently preserved, allowing entrances and even bear-proof meat caches to be identified. There are also grave sites. In the evening we continue our sailing through the beautiful fjords to the west, choked with ice-bergs.

Day 4
We go ashore at Cape Hofmann Halvø, a reliable spot for viewing Musk Oxen. We may also spot Rock Ptarmigans and at sea Great Northern Divers. The landscape here is particularly beautiful, especially during autumn when the Dwarf Willow and Dwarf Birch change colour. Arctic Blueberry and Crowberry add their own colourful touch - the berries are tasty too!
In the evening we sail through the fjord towards Scoresby Land enjoying the contrast between the warm autumnal colours of the vegetation on shore, backed by huge dark mountains, and the cold blue of the icebergs.

Day 5
On our way to Sydkap in Scoresby Land in the morning, we encounter huge icebergs, some over 100 m high and more than a kilometre in length. Most of the bergs are grounded as the fjord is only about 400 m deep here. We land near Sydkap to view the remains of the Thule culture winter houses. As many as 20 people lived in these tiny houses, hunting Greenland Whales and using their vertebrae to build the houses. We may also land at Gurreholm on Jameson Land. The landscape here is gently undulating. Musk Oxen and Collared Lemmings - survive on the meagre vegetation.

Day 6
In the morning we land in Illoqqortoormiut, the biggest settlement near Scoresby Sund with about 500 inhabitants. At the post office you can buy stamps for your postcards, or just wander around to see the sledge dogs and the drying skins of seals, Musk Ox and Polar Bear. After lunch we will sail south, passing the amazing landscape of the Blosseville Coast where groups of Harp Seals can be spotted among the ice floes.

Day 7
At the mouth of Nansen Fjord we spot Gunnbjørns Fjeld, at 3,700m: it is both the highest peak in Greenland and also the highest mountain north of the Arctic Circle. We sail into Nansen Fjord another magnificent landscape with an enormous calving glacier front, which we can easily approach. At the inner side of the fjord along the northern shore there are ample landing and zodiac cruising oppor-tunities. We meet often tame Rock Ptarmigans with young, and on the ice-floes  Bearded Seals.
If we can not sail into Nansen fjord due to glacier ice, which often fills the fjord, we will sail into Mikis Fjord, bounded by steep cliffs. The fjord is a good place to spot Ringed Seals and Harp Seals. At Södalen at the head of Mikis Fjord we land in a marshy delta. There are good populations of both Common and Arctic Redpolls, as well as a chance of seeing flocks of Barnacle Geese and Pink-footed Geese.

Day 8
In the morning, we head south for Kangerlussuaq fjord where glaciers reach the sea creating a fabulous landscape of glacier fronts, icebergs and cliffs. On shore there are the remains of dwellings of Thule culture people. We conclude the day with a Zodiac trip to Skaergårdshalvø, a popular summer hunting ground for the people of Ammassalik. Most years a number of families arrive here in early summer and stay until the end of the hunting season and we might be able to meet them. In the afternoon we will sail south-east towards the Denmark Strait.

Day 9
The whole day at sea offers excellent opportunities to see large whales and seabird migration and, at night the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

Day 10
Arrive and Keflavik, and transfer for the airport for the flight home.

N.B. The chances that the sea-ice will allow us to sail into the Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord and Scoresby Sund in September (based on experiences from 1992 until 2007) is about 85%. In case we can not sail into the Scoresby Sund we will resort to a programme in the East Greenland fjords more to the south.