Another successful photography expedition photographing the Jewels of the Arctic has completed. It was another amazing trip with great weather, great light and more importantly, a great bunch of photographers.
Setting out from Isfjordur Greenland, we had a relatively calm passage over the Denmark Straight. Accompanied by a pod of Humpback whales we were soon in sight of the East coast of Greenland. Greeted by Northern Fulmars and Kitty Wakes, our excitement piqued even further by a sighting of a Polar Bear relaxing on the rocky shore line. Rolling playfully, he took in sights and smells of our ship the Polar Pioneer and its crew of intrepid Expeditioners before rolling over to retire for a mid morning rest. Rømer Fjord’s thermal hot springs were an oasis of life full of vibrant greens and funghi a stark contrast to the tundra of Greenland.
Scoresbysund is the absolute highlight of Greenland. Its a photographers playground providing so many photography opportunities, mammoth icebergs, glacial fronts and fjords towering hundreds of metres above. Upon entering the every amazing Scoresbysund we visited Bjorneøer, located at the junction of Scoresbysund and Øfjord, provided a great display of glacial icebergs in wonderful overcast conditions. With their turquoise skirts, deep blue stripes and dimpling produce by melting and air bubbles made for some dramatic subjects. Rounding on Sydkap we came across some the biggest glacial icebergs on the planet. Ice caves, double arches, towering walls of ice saw all return to the ship bearing smiles from ear to ear with full memory cards and depleted batteries.
Nordbugten provided more spectacular Icebergs. Spectacular blue bergs and precarious arches made for an Arctic paradise for our intrepid expeditioners. Our first encounter with Muskox proved fruitful with some great encounters with these primal shaggy creatures grazing on Greenland’s famous tundra. Scattered through the tundra we had intimate encounters with numerous Arctic Hare.
Rode Ø delivered an enormous array of bergs, crammed into and around the island. Many were grounded and provided amazing visuals are we zodiaced through the maze of bergs. Going ashore we were greeted by a large booming crack, a sign of a large glacial berg about to calve. A large triangular berg was rocking slowing crashing into its neighbours before calving off a massive portion of its above water mass crashing into the sea below. The boom along echoed off neighbouring bergs and the walls of the fjord, the iceberg tsunami radiating form the iceberg caused a cascade of calving from other icebergs the wave of destruction. This 5 minute iceberg calving show settled down as all the icebergs found a new centre of balance and once more, there was silence. A small walk to the top of Rode Ø saw some amazing views of the maze of icebergs as the colourful kayakers meandered through maze of turquoise skirted monstrous bergs.
We dropped into the inuit township of Ittoqqortoormiit. Its small population of 450 people live on hillside covered with colourful Danish style houses. Many of the local residents dressed in traditional garb to greet us combined with the local sled dog team numbering some 100 sled dogs provided some interesting cultural insight into the history and lifestyle of these people. Ittoqqortoormiit’s cemetery high on the hillside overlooking the town reminds us of the harsh existence lived by the people of this township which can experience -50 degrees Celsius in the peak of winter.
Leaving Scoresbysund we set sail into the Kaiser Franz Josef fjord complex. A sunrise zodiac cruise provided some stunning photographic opportunities. Cruising through grease ice we pushed further through the brash into the Upper Kaiser Franz Josef fjord. A lick of sun as it came over the horizon gave a touch of peach coloured warming to the peaks of the fjord in stark contrast to the blue of the icebergs below. 5 hours into the zodaic cruise it was time to return to the Polar Pioneer to warm up, download our cards and partake of warm drink and share in the excitement of another stunning zodiac cruise.
Blomsterbugten provided some close up iceberg calving action. Shooting from ashore from the caramel colored coastal rocks we watched first hand a grounded iceberg calving 100 metres offshore. This teetering berg provided little warning before calving, sending a 1 metre high wave of water and ice rolling to shore. A post calving ring of iceberg debris combined with the caramel colored rocky coastline made for great images for all.
Kap Humboldt shore walk provided us with some great Muskox and Arctic hare photographic opportunities and our first sighting of the elusive Gyr Falcom perched on a rocky outcrop on cliff face. The Gyr Falcon, Falco Rusticolus, is the world’s largest falcon with a wingspan of 130–160 centimetres and breeds in Greenland.
Sailing the Greenland sea, expeditioners were treated to presentations on photography, post processing and Lightroom cataloging techniques to help all further enhance their skill sets. Our passage was accompanied by a plethora of Northern Fulmars as we headed up 80 degrees North West of Spitsburgen to be greeted by sunrise over the pack ice. Temperatures plummeted as we pushed through the pack ice. The deck of the Polar Pioneer was covered in ice as we came across a large bearded seal who well within his rights to suggest that he had the right of way on the sea. Sitting in the pack ice provided some more amazing photographic opportunities.
At Hamiltonbukta, we were greeted by flocks of black legged kitty wakes high on the cliffs nesting, Glaucous Gulls and fledgling chicks accompanied us as we photographed Sandpipers picking through seaweed along the shoreline. As we approached the base of three glaciers we spied the skeleton of which has recently been picked clean.
At Smeerenberg we observed a group of some 35 or so Walrus who had hauled themselves ashore resting. Photographing from shore we were able to approach, setup and observe this massive pile of blubber and tusks. Young males played just off the shore line putting on a display of tusks with rolls and swimming on their backs entertaining us with their inquisitive nature and frolicking whilst old warriors, adorned with scars of battles fought.
Travelling on to see Lilliehöökbreen glacial front. The expansive wall of ice grumbled groaned and cracked as we pushed through the brash ice to get the best vantage points to photograph some more amazing glacial carving.
Docking in Longyearbyen, we concluded this amazing expedition through the Arctic. And once again we were delivered with majestic beauty that I cannot wait to revisit in 2015 when I lead this expedition again. (For more information visit Jewels of the Arctic 2015).
To read what Di East had to say about the Jewels of the Arctic expedition visit here.