SOUTH - WEST GREENLAND 2006

(Keflavik - Ilulissat)

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12 days / 11 nights Keflavik - Denmark Strait - East Greenland - Cape Farewell  - Unartoq - Sudprøven -

Hvalsey - Qaqartoq - Qassimiut - Arsuk Fjord - Ikat Fjord - Pamiuut - Nuuk - Umanaq -  Manitsoq -

Sermilinguaq Fjord - Kangamiut - Hunde Ejland - Kronprinsens Ejland - Jakobshavn Glacier - Ilulissat

Departure:
AMR02 May 28 - June 08 aboard Aleksey Maryshev

The Arctic coastlines offer some of the finest scenery and wildlife experiences in the world. Visitors to the region can witness enormous colonies of seabirds thronging the cliffs and shores, and enjoy the thrilling antics of whales and dolphins at sea and seals and Walrus hauled out on the rocks and ice floes. Greenland and its surrounding waters are home to an impressive array of wildlife: eight species of whale, two million seals, Walruses, Polar Bears, Reindeer, Musk Oxen, Arctic Hares, Arctic Wolves and a spectacular variety of birds. The largest island in the world, 90% of its surface area is covered by ice and it is inhabited by less then 100.000 people, though with a fascinating history and culture. Our voyages focus on East and Northeast Greenland, among the most isolated, sparsely populated and scenically superb parts of the island. Fortunately, from the wildlife enthusiast’s point of view, they are also the most rewarding regions with regular sightings of Musk Oxen, Arctic Hares, Narwhals and a variety of birds, including Gyrfalcon, Snowy Owl, Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese. Access to this highly indented and ruggedly mountainous coast is dependent on ice conditions. For much of the year, the region is locked in by pack ice, which by late summer has broken up sufficiently to allow vessels such as ours the chance to penetrate and explore.

Day 1 Keflavik

Arrive in Keflavik Iceland’s international airport, named for a pretty harbor town, where we embark the ship.

Day 2-3 Denmark Strait - East Greenland - Cape Farewell
At sea in the Denmark Strait en route to Greenland. At this time of the year we witness the northward migration of seabirds and whales. Closer to Greenland we sail along the edge of the East Greenland sea-ice, which is drifting around Kap Farvel (Cape Farewell ) and then north along the west coast of Greenland.

Day 4 South Greenland
Today we spent the whole day in the sea-ice, working our way towards the fjords of South Greenland.

Day 5 Unartoq - Sudprøven
We will try to get to Unartoq, where we take a bath in a hot spring surrounded by ice bergs. Later we sail to Alliutsepa (Sudprøven), a lovely Greenlandic village, with a great series of stranded ice-bergs.

Day 6 Hvalsey - Qaqartoq - Qassimiut
At Hvalsey we visit the best preserved Viking church in Greenland. Records show that there were Norsemen living here for about 500 years. If time allows we may also visit Qaqartoq (Julianahåb), where Arctic sculptors have created an open-air sculpture park. In the afternoon we sail to a beautiful glacier front north-east of Qassimiut.

Day 7 Arsuk Fjord - Ivittuut - Ikat Fjord
This morning in the Arsuk Fjord, we sail along the waterfall of Fox Fald, then use the Zodiacs to visit a large colony of Brünnich’s Guillemots and Kittiwakes. In Ivittuut we walk along the remains of a Cryolite mine and around a small cemetery connected with it. Later we sail into Ikat Fjord famous for the curious underwater structures formed by mineral precipitation. In this area we see Musk Oxen, which were introduced into the area in the last century.

Day 8 Pamiuut
We sail the whole day, and keep a lookout for Humpback Whales and Minke Whales We may make a short excursion into one of the many fjords near Pamiuut ( Frederikshåb) and walk up to the coastal plateau, where we have good chances to see Ptarmigans.

Day 9 Nuuk - Umanaq
Today we land at Nuuk (Godthåb), the capital of Greenland which has a population of about 13,000. The trip ashore should include a visit to the museum which has a remarkable collection of Inuit mummies, dating from the 15th century, which were found near Umanaq, further to the north. The Cultural Centre of Nuuk, which each year has an exhibition of the work of a Greenlandic artist, is also worth visiting. The oldest exposed rocks on our planet are found near Nuuk. The waters to the west of the town are a good place to see Humpback Whales and Blue Whales. There is a colony of Puffins on Ravneöer, while at Nungarrussuit there are Brünnich’s Guillemots and other auks on Simiuttat.

Day 10 Manitsoq - Sermilinguaq Fjord - Kangamiut
We sail past Manitsoq and head east of Hamborgerland to reach the fantastic landscapes of the Sermilinguaq Fjord. Later we call at Kangamiut, a picturesque Greenlandic settlement.
In Evighedsfjorden we visit some large seabird colonies at Taaterat and sail along some glacier fronts. This is a splendid area for walking, the local valleys being hemmed in by picturesque mountains.

Day 11 Hunde Ejland - Kronprinsens Ejland - Jakobshavn Glacier
The island groups of Hunde Ejland and Kronprinsens Ejland, in the mouth of the Disko Bay, are surrounded by rich waters which attract both seabirds and whales. We intend to call at the small settlement on Hunde Eijland where old dwellings of Greenlands,’s Thule culture (dating from the 11th century) and graves from 18th century whalers can be seen. Later we will make our first Zodiac excursions in the beautiful narrows of the Kronprinsens Ejland archipelago. In the evening we will make a zodiac cruise among the ice-bergs of the Jakobshavn Glacier.

Day 12 Ilulissat - Jakobshavn Glacier
In the early morning we arrive at Ilulissat, famous for its Ice Fjord which is packed by large icebergs calved from the Jakobshavn Glacier to the east. We disembark in the morning ready to catch the flight home.
 

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