OTL12-25, trip log, East Greenland, Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes

After spending some days exploring Akureyri, we made our way to the pier where the m/v Ortelius, our new home for the next nine days, was waiting for us. We were welcomed on board by the Expedition Team and the Hotel department and were shown to our cabins. Here we found our luggage and began to sort it and find homes for all our gear. We then had to complete a mandatory safety drill where we were shown the lifeboats and what to do in an emergency.

After this we could relax for a little while before we were invited to the lounge for welcome cocktails. Here we met Captain Per, and we toasted to the voyage. Our Hotel Manager Ingrid introduced us to the ship and Expedition Leader Claudio gave us a talk about what to expect from our journey together. We then were introduced to the expedition team before heading to the restaurant for a buffet meal. Many of us were tired from our busy day and began heading to bed, whilst others gathered to chat in the lounge or head outside to watch the amazing scenery of Eyjafjörður pass by as we sailed away from Akureyri and neared the Arctic circle.

Late last night Ortelius crossed the Arctic Circle which cuts through the northern end of Grimsey, a small island off the north coast of Iceland which lay out off our starboard side. Overnight we pushed on towards Greenland, and just after 07:00 this morning we entered the Greenland Maritime Zone. There was a moderate sea state which rocked Ortelius from the very early hours, reminding us that our adventure was well and truly under way.

First order of the day was a hearty breakfast, which was followed by a mandatory gathering in the bar for a round of very important briefings. Before they got under way, we were introduced to the Expedition Team, an international mix of talented individuals who would guide, educate and keep us safe throughout the voyage. Then Expedition Leader Claudio got down to the serious business of delivering three crucial briefings on Arctic visitor guidelines, Zodiac operations and Polar Bear safety.

The remainder of the morning was a leisurely affair, spent up on the bridge or on the outer decks, enjoying the ocean and distant views of the east Greenland mountains. Several seabirds graced us with their presence. Northern fulmars, kittiwakes and gannets can be considered regulars in this region and to be expected. But there were some very rare avian treats in the form of greater and sooty shearwaters, more at home deep in the South Atlantic. These ocean nomads will soon have to head south to their far away breeding grounds. The scuba divers used the remainder of the morning to unpack and set up their gear in the helicopter hangar, assisted by the ever-helpful dive team.

After a sumptuous buffet lunch served up by the always amazing hotel department, the divers and long hikers were called to meetings with their guides and leaders to go over essential information ahead of these activities commencing. The divers met with team leader Tanja and dive guides Clara, Gonzalo and Luce, while the hikers met with hiking guides Beth and Brian. Meanwhile, Ortelius closed in on the Greenland coast as the spectacular mountains loomed larger on the port side.

As the afternoon wore on, a few enthusiastic observers on the bridge watched the GPS count down to 70 degrees north. It was our first exciting milestone, gained less than 24 hours after boarding the ship. Crossing this latitude placed us within 1200 nautical miles of the North Pole. Already in sight ahead of the ship was the imposing rocky headland of Cape Brewster, which is the southern side of the entrance to Scoresby Sund. Mighty icebergs were scattered all around, as the Arctic sun shone down on an unforgettable scene. What a magnificent welcome to Greenland!

As we rounded Cape Brewster, the time came to collect our muck boots, which would keep our feet warm and dry when going out on excursions. Deck by deck we were called to the Lecture Room on Deck 3 to try the boots on for size and get acquainted with our new best friends. Some freshly baked treats had been delivered to the bar, and many enjoyed a spot of afternoon tea with a magnificent view out of the windows.

The evening briefing and recap took place as Ortelius sailed deeper into Scoresby Sund, with spectacular icebergs in all directions. Some were colossal towers of ice that defied belief! The conditions got better as the wind dropped away, and the evening wore on. The announcement for dinner brought guests in from the outer decks where they were reluctant to leave the fantastic scenery. Later, many returned to the open air to enjoy the softening evening light as the sun fell slowly to the horizon. At around 23:00 Ortelius came to a stop in the area where exciting experiences awaited us the next day.

After a day at sea, we were eager to get outside to experience the landscape and step foot on Greenland. Our first activity of the day was a Zodiac cruise in Vikingebugt. This is a favorite spot amongst the guides as there is so much to see here.

Our first stop on the cruise was to admire the spectacular rock formations along the edge of the fjord. Columnar basalt rocks towered above us in unreal looking hexagonal shapes, a result of lava cooling slowly underground. Some boats even spotted some little snow buntings flying and landing around the formations like butterflies. We also saw how there were a surprising number of plant species, such as willow and bearberry, that were able to grow amongst the rock columns with hardly any soil present. We spent some time photographing and enjoying geology before moving further into the fjord.

The brash ice started to become thicker and harder to drive through, creating a winter wonderland like feeling around us. We learnt about how the icebergs and the brash ice here had come from the glacier, where they had once fallen in layers of snow before being squeezed and pushed into ice. The view of the glacier was distant by beautiful. The captain maneuvered the ship around the ice to come and pick us up inside the fjord.

During and after lunch we enjoyed the very scenic transit between Vikingebugt and our afternoon landing site Terrassevig. We landed on a rocky beach to the left of an impressive, folded glacier named Foldegletsjer, which had a lot of stripes running down it caused by the glacier moraines.

We set off in three hiking groups. Beth and Chloe took a group up the rocky ridge and headed towards the glacier. It was difficult terrain to walk on, and the weather was unexpectedly hot, so lots of layer shedding had to be done. Georgina, Karoline, Jess, and Rao took another group towards a spectacular waterfall. We took lots of stops on route to photograph the fireweed which was in flower, Greenland’s national flower, and a beautiful flash of pink in the mostly rocky and monochrome landscape. Claudio and Brian took the leisurely group along the shoreline where they could see ringed plovers and enjoy the amazing waterfall from a lower level. The water was rushing down the vertical drop, it was melt-water from higher up in the valley and it created a very wild and rugged atmosphere.

After our walks we headed back to the ship. Some of us were feeling quite achy in our legs after scrambling over the rocks. Once back on-board Claudio gave us the plans for tomorrow and we enjoyed the scenery before and after dinner.

Dive 1 entry – Morning at Vikingebugt

70° 21.819’ N / 025° 16.507’W

Water Temp: 0 – 5 °C

This dive is designed to be a check dive, so every diver could check out the weights and equipment. Visibility on the surface was max. 2m, but below 15m it opened and the divers reported about 7m of visibility. After adjusting their weights, they went on for a dive. A lot of nice creatures were seen. Big sea stars, sea fans, different shrimps. Orange anemones sat on the sand and on the kelp some crabs were found. Happy we returned to the ship.

Dive 2 entry – Afternoon at Terrassevig

70°21.176´N / 024°46.692`W

Water Temp: 0 – 2 °C

During Lunch the ship moved into Terrasevig, a deep fjord with a glacier at its end. The glacier was quite ‘dirty’ and so was the water. A lot of waterfalls with meltwater were coming down the rocks. But with our Zodiacs we drove back to the wide entrance, called Terrasseodden and the water became clearer. There were many big icebergs around that area, but we also found a nice dome-shaped one. This iceberg was very stable and not too high. It was perfect for us to dive on. Before the dive you could already see the very clear water. After the divers went in, we could see them put to 15m depth underwater. Underwater the iceberg was huge - remember 90% are underwater! This iceberg also had a story. All the scallop patterns and canyons in the ice, showed the parts that have already been underwater. The blue stripes of transparent ice went on underwater. Around the iceberg jellyfish, a big lion’s mane jellyfish and sea angels were floating along. Visibility and the light were stunning! What a fantastic dive! After the dive some divers took the chance to go ashore and had a little walk.

Waking up this morning, we were amongst eerie fog with some clearing patches to the south. The surroundings were nothing short of spectacular — icebergs drifting silently around us, majestic mountains appearing momentary, and the anticipation of what lay behind.

Due to the fog we relocated to the south side of Bear Islands where the cloud level was rising, and the fog was beginning to break up revealing the impressive large ice bergs. After a hearty breakfast, the expedition team set out to scout the south side of Pooqattaq, the western most island of Bear Islands. To everyone’s amazement, they encountered a polar bear! We know it is always a possibility, but it feels like an often dreamt of moment for many! As Claudio had warned us, we were now rapidly moving from Plan A to Plan B and now to Plan C as we cannot land in the area where the polar bear is due to the potential risk of these apex predators to us. Instead, we headed out on a zodiac cruise amongst the impressive large ice bergs that get trapped in the shallows around these islands. Many also caught a glimpse of the bear making this an all-round an unforgettable experience. Afterwards, we returned to the ship for a well-deserved lunch.

Meanwhile, the “all day hikers” continued their journey in the Zodiacs to find an island of their own further north and had their lunch ashore. By this time the fog had cleared from the lower hills and only the high mountains of Øfjord were still in the clouds. As a group of 19, they set out to explore Taseertit in the Bear Islands. The scenery was stunning as wispy clouds passed between the high peaks. The crisp weather was perfect for hiking in as they scoured the landscape in search of wildlife, animal droppings and plants. Even with the relatively low density of wildlife in this area they were lucky enough to spot musk oxen, Arctic hare, ptarmigans and an elusive Arctic fox. As if this wasn’t enough, during a short break at the summit, Sarah spotted a snowy owl! What a rare and magical sight! Simon was sufficiently jealous.

After lunch, we prepared the Zodiacs to go ashore where we split into short, medium, and long hikers. We explored the island walking the soft mossy tundra, hopping between glacially smoothed rocks and squelched through boggy patterned ground. Most of the groups managed to catch a glimpse of a fox and the abundant musk oxen, many of which had young.

Each group returned with glowing faces, having shared in the beauty of this extraordinary place. The weather could not have been better as the atmospheric clouds cleared to blue sky, sunshine warming our faces, and the Bear Islands with their gleaming icebergs as the backdrop.

As the day came to an end, we returned on board, where another delicious dinner awaited us. The evening was spent quietly cruising through the still waters, surrounded by magnificent landscapes and bathed in golden light — the perfect ending to an unforgettable day.

Dive 3 entry – Morning at Bjørneøer

71° 00.764’ N / 025° 29.920’W

Water Temp: 0 – 9 °C

After plans changed in the morning, we decided to look for an iceberg a little bit further away from the islands. But before the expedition leader allowed us to have a look at the polar bear, which they had spotted on one of the islands. We found a nice dome-shaped iceberg south of the Bjørneøer. The divers went in and were fascinated by the steep ice walls. 90% of the iceberg is under water and has many shapes and patterns. On one side the typical scallops, caused by the bubbles from the bottom of the berg. When the ice is melting, the bubbles break free and get pushed around the icy surface by currents. They carve the typical patterns named as scallops and canyons. Around the iceberg were hundreds of Ctenophores in the water column and also sea butterflies and a lion mane jellyfish. We enjoyed the beautiful sunshine during a little Zodiac cruise among the icebergs on the way back to the ship.

Dive 4 entry – Afternoon at Jyttes Havn, Bjørneøer

71° 05.029’ N / 025° 41.867’W

Water Temp: -1 – 5 °C

After the spectacular navigation through the narrow channel east of Milne Land, the ship anchored on the east side of jetties Havn. Our dive site was at the northern tip of Milne Land. A nearly vertical wall with lots of anemones and sea stars in different colors. Sea urchins, tunicates, feather stars and brittle stars were all over the place. In the kelp we found snails, nudibranchs, copepods and a lot of different shrimps. The visibility was great, and all divers returned with a happy smile on their face. After the dive, 4 divers decided to go for a little hike ashore and had a nice encounter with 2 Arctic hares and a beautiful view over a fjord with towering icebergs. Perfect to have a little moment of Arctic silence! 

Today aboard Ortelius, we experienced an unforgettable and eventful day exploring the majestic landscapes of Greenland's Scoresby Sund. Our planned destinations were Harefjord in the morning and Rypefjord in the afternoon, with various activities organized for guests, including long hikes, diving, and tundra walks.

The day began with promise. As we approached Harefjord, the weather was calm, bright, and overcast, with minimal wind — ideal conditions for our scheduled excursions. The plan was for the long hikers to traverse overland towards Rypefjord, while the divers would explore beneath the surface, and the remainder of the group would enjoy short hikes across the Arctic tundra. However, just as final preparations were underway, a dense band of fog rolled in, swiftly reducing visibility and shrouding the area designated for hiking.

Due to the crucial need for polar bear safety in these remote regions, expedition staff made the prudent decision to cancel the planned landings and instead transform the morning into a scenic Zodiac cruise. The divers proceeded with their dive around strikingly sculpted icebergs, while the rest of the group set out along the coastline aboard Zodiacs. This change in plans proved to be a rewarding alternative, as we were treated with wonderful wildlife sightings. Musk oxen were spotted roaming the rugged terrain, and birdwatchers were pleased to observe glaucous gulls, eiders, and long-tailed ducks as we maneuvered gracefully between towering icebergs.

As the morning progressed, the fog gradually lifted, restoring visibility across the fjord. Seizing the opportunity, the long hikers set off on their ambitious trek across the tundra toward Rypefjord, where they were scheduled to rejoin the vessel in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, Ortelius repositioned to Rypefjord. The expedition team landed first to conduct a routine scout for polar bears before allowing guests ashore. Just as we were nearing the go-ahead, two staff members scouting ahead in Zodiacs reported a brief sighting of a polar bear moving inland, approximately two kilometres from the intended landing site. Given the uncertainty of the bear’s exact location and the need for strict safety protocols, the landing was cancelled. Instead, guests were treated to a second zodiac cruise — this time in the still, mirror-like waters deep inside the fjord system.

Meanwhile, the long hikers were still en-route across the tundra — and now with a known polar bear in the vicinity. With urgency and calm coordination, the hikers made their way swiftly to a safe pickup point. Thankfully, the bear was not seen again, and all guests were brought back safely to the ship.

While plans had to be adapted throughout the day, the spirit of adventure prevailed. Guests returned aboard with memorable experiences, stunning photographs, and a thrilling story of wildlife and wilderness to share — the kind of day that defines Arctic exploration.

Dive 5 entry – Morning at Harefjord Icebergs

70° 54.629’ N / 027° 42.873’W

Water Temp: 0 – 6 °C

Next, we sailed into Harefjord which was filled with low clouds and fog in the distance. Our plan was to dive on a nice piece of ice again. So, we scouted towards the entrance of the fjord. The first iceberg had many balconies around the edges, and a rock was on one side. It is not a good idea to dive on those rocky bergs because the rock can slide and fall into the water.

The second one was not stable, so we carried along to find a third one seemed perfect. The divers went into the water, and we could see them down to 10m. The visibility was great. The berg had a beautiful structure underwater. The patterns of scallops and canyons. In the water around the iceberg, we saw again a lot of ctenophores, sea butterflies and sea angels. 2 divers were still under water when the iceberg began to roll. The divers were called back by the revving of the engine and made a safe ascent. After towing them about 50m away from the iceberg, they jumped happily in the Zodiac. Then we went for a short Zodiac Cruise around 2 very special icebergs. One was white at the base part and totally covered with brown rock debris on the top. There was also a window in this berg. The other one was blue and transparent and looked like art!

This morning, we woke up to find clouds and mist with an even drizzle of rain dampening the landscape, and us! But it certainly did not dampen our spirits nor our plan to go ashore. Today we were landing at Sorte Ø, an island deep in Scoresby Sund where blocks of ice fill the bay often inhibiting us from navigating here. We were not doing any all-day hikes today, so all of us landed and split into three walking groups.

The long hikers set off up the hill with Beth, Chloe, and Rao. They gained quite a lot of height over the three hours. It was rainy but warm, making us all strip our layers off at each viewpoint on the accent. On the way back down, the fog rolled in underneath them, creating an eerie atmosphere, and they had views of the glacier Rolige Brae.

The medium hikers went with Karoline and Simon. They also gained some height to enjoy the views of icebergs around them. Despite the wet weather, we took many pictures, as the tiny autumnal trees and vegetation on the land were displaying vibrant reds, yellows, oranges, and greens, which created a beautiful contrast against the icy blue seascape and icebergs.

The leisurely group set off with Claudio, Georgina, Jess, and Allan. We made our way along the shore before splitting into two groups again. The faster of the leisurely groups set off with Claudio and Jess on what ended up being quite an adventurous climb up to some excellent viewpoints. The other leisurely groups stayed lower with Georgina and Allan and enjoyed photographing the plants. Both groups reunited on the beach and were treated to an encounter with a very curious raven.

As all the groups returned feeling sweaty, we had a unique opportunity to cool off with a polar plunge! Many brave souls striped to their swimwear and ran, tiptoed, and splashed their way into the cold water. The screams could be heard on the hill tops, but every plunger returned smiling and laughing.

We returned to the ship for a hot shower and a well-earned lunch. In the afternoon we enjoyed a very scenic ships cruise through the fjords. The red mountains of Rødepynten began to glow as the sun broke through the clouds, bringing out the incredible pinnacles in the unusual landscape. Further along the steep mountains of Øfjord were capturing our attention and the icebergs were truly stunning showing all shades of blue. We appreciated being able to glide slowly through them in the comfort of Ortelius. The hotel department enhances our cruise with a treat on the open decks. They made us some special hot chocolate with a dash of rum to keep us warm. At 4pm, we settled down in the bar to listen to Allan’s talk about Nansen and his Arctic drift expedition. We were captivated by this story of survival and were hanging on Allan’s every word.

After lots of long hikes (and long leisurely hikes) we were quite grateful to have an afternoon of rest on the ship. We gathered in the evening to hear the plans for tomorrow. Jess gave us a short talk about lichen and Karoline amazed us with stories of her time living in Svalbard and her close encounters with bears.

The day was finished off on a high with a BBQ on the helicopter deck, nestled beneath the high striped mountains of Øfjord.

Dive 6 entry – Morning at Sorte Ø

70° 41.304’ N / 027° 42.639’W

Water Temp: 1 – 7 °C

This morning, we arrived at Sorte Ø. A black Island in the inner Rødefjord. This island has slopes on land and under water on the western side and steep cliffs and walls underwater on the northern side where we headed first. Our ship was anchored at the northwestern edge of the island. We first went around the corner to the west side, because we got the information that 2 Musk Oxen were there. We found them between rocks quite close to the waterline.

We checked the depth at different points and found out, that this side has a very gentle slope. But we wanted to look for a wall. So, we went back to the northern side of the island. Steep cliffs came out of the water and at this spot we found also a nice wall underwater. This wall was beautiful. Covered with anemones, sea stars, sponges, kelp and other algae. Between all this we could see shrimps, Copepods, nudibranchs and other invertebrates living among the submarine landscape. Visibility was great and at the safety stop the divers recognized a thermocline. After the dive we got back to the ship and the divers changed clothes. The plan was to go ashore and do the Polar Plunge. Of course, without a dry suit!

After sailing through Ø Fjord the previous night aboard MV Ortelius, we have finally arrived at today's destination, Sydkap, where we plan to conduct a full-day landing activity around the area. The diving team and the full-day hiking group set off immediately after the expedition's scouting, while the landing team disembarked from the Zodiac near a small bay with two summer cabins from local hunters.

After briefly exploring the area around the two huts near the landing site, we began our hiking activities. The weather was improving, and the long-distance group crossed the mountainside to reach a lakeside on the opposite slope. The mid-distance group climbed halfway up the mountain. The short-distance group also ascended a small hill on the fjord side to enjoy sweeping views of colossal ice bergs drifting in Hall Bredning.

On the seaward side, numerous large icebergs were either stranded or drifting with the current around the small islands to the south. Meanwhile, the mountainsides were covered in lush tundra vegetation providing a beautiful color contrast. Several Arctic hares darted in and out of the cliffs and rock crevices at mid-mountain elevations. Everyone enjoyed their sweating hike and a moment of silence in the scenery. We returned to the landing site with lovely smiles.

Our afternoon landing was on the small island to the south of Sydkap named Immikkeertigajik. Here, we discovered remarkably intact musk oxen remains. The remains found here suggest a long-term presence of these Arctic herbivores, whose bones can endure for decades in the cold climate. We were beginning to become accustomed to turning our heads to find another Arctic hares in this breathtaking scenery. An Arctic fox darted around the tundra too, dodging our field of vision as we all meandered the craggy shore. The fox was alternately chasing the hares and sniffing at animal bones before vanishing with surprising agility. It was a truly magnificent day.

We all returned and shared stores of out sightings from ancient Thule summer camping sites to unforgettable wildlife. The long hikers even claimed they had seen a peregrine falcon, although without a photo we were skeptical of taking their word for it! Needless to say, there were turning out to be some fantastic sightings on this trip.

Dive 7 entry – Morning at Sydkap

71° 15.221’ N / 025° 12.732’W

Water Temp: 0 – 6 °C

This morning, we arrived at Sydkap where we stayed all day with the ship. The divers decided to dive again on an iceberg. We saw a really nice dome-shaped berg in the far distance between to small rocky islands. It took us nearly 20 minutes to get there, but it was worth it. What a great iceberg!

When we arrived, we already saw beautiful blue and transparent stripes in the ice and all the different patterns, like scallops, rips and canyons. The visibility was great and for all of the divers this was one of the best iceberg dives ever. Besides the structure and color of the iceberg, we also found ctenophores and shrimps all around. After the dives we went around some fantastic icebergs. There was also one which was perfect for our group selfie. We also saw a big arch with a light blue color and more really big blocks of ice!

Dive 8 entry – Afternoon at Ingmikertikajik on Iceberg

71° 15.995’ N / 025° 12.280’W

Water Temp: 0 – 7 °C

8 divers were ready for the last dive. And guess what, they wanted to dive on an iceberg! This time we searched east of Ortelius. It took some time to find a suitable iceberg. We found a very flat and long piece of ice with lots of small pieces of ice on top. On one side was a slope with like snowballs made of ice. We decided to take the other side for diving. The visibility did not look very good, and it wasn’t. The divers tried to go deeper, to find better visibility. It improved a bit and the divers still enjoyed their dive. After the dive we all went on the iceberg and played around. It was very slippery but great fun! On the way back we drove close to the landing site shoreline and found 2 groups of musk ox. There was also a small settlement of a couple of houses, used by hunters of the nearby settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit.

When we returned to the ship, we cleaned all gear and hanged it in the helicopter hanger. Now it can dry and get packed the next day, ready for your next dive adventure.

This morning, we woke up to our last day in Greenland. Early in the morning we arrived at Ittoqqortoormiit, the only permanent settlement on the east coast and home to around three hundred and fifty people.

We could see the colorful wooden houses rising up the slopes from the shoreline and we could see the church, the weather station, and some sleds. We were very intrigued to visit this tiny settlement to see how people live in this beautiful but harsh landscape. However, the weather had other ideas for us. The wind was gusting up to forty-five knots and the swell at the shore and the gangway was far too high to be able to carry out safe operations. Therefore, Claudio and the team made the difficult decision to cancel the landing at Ittoqqortoormiit. We stayed there for a couple of hours to assess the conditions, but the weather got worse, most likely due to the storm that was just outside of Scoresby Sund.

Before lunch, Claudio gave us a lecture about his work in West Greenland. We then stayed inside the fjord to enjoy lunch before heading out into the rough weather. We stowed our belongings safely away and took our seasickness medication. Claudio announced on the PA system that it was time to snuggle down in our cabins or in the bar with a good book as we were about to sail into five-to-six-meter waves. There was a lot of rolling and movement, but the Ortelius and the bridge team did a great job of steering us through the waves. Those of us who did not suffer from sickness where able to watch the storm from the bridge. The huge waves and spray were mesmerizing, and we could see seabirds, like fulmars, soaring in the wind, loving the uplift created by these big waves.

We gathered for the final one of our normal recaps where Beth gave us some more information about the remains of the Thule peoples culture that we found on all day hike the previous day. Jess also answered some of our questions by telling us about the insect life here in Greenland. She then gave us a mini sound quiz where we listened to sounds made by Arctic animals, and we had to guess which ones they were.

We had a buffet dinner as that was the safest option given the swell. We just managed to stay in our seats and enjoy a lovely meal. After dinner Claudio arranged for us to have a movie night in the bar. We watched an episode of Oceans, a new BBC Natural History series, which gave an amazing insight into the current overfishing and destructive trawling practices that are harming our seas. It also showed examples of protected marine areas where the wildlife had bounced back to recover after some years of protection. The galley even arranged for us to have popcorn.

The Ortelius was a quiets ship this morning as many enjoyed their cozy bunks before wrapping up in layers to investigate the outside world. Breakfast was served in the dining room at 08:00 giving us a leisurely start to the day.

Before the end of breakfast, a white wagtail was spotted from the bridge fluttering around the anchor winch. As they are land birds, it was exciting to see one of these at sea. We also could see our first glimpse of land as Grimsey Island appeared out of the mist. An important island in Icelandic society as it means settled Icelandic land enters into the Arctic Circle.

The dive team answered many of our questions about what they had really been up to this whole trip. We were all very interested to see what their trip involved which was somewhat different from our, about surface, experiences of Greenland! The animal life was different from what many had imagined. Seeing the ice from below the surface gave a totally different perspective and helped us understand how the channels form where the air bubbles rise up to the water surface, scouring out vertical lines.

Later, in the morning Chloe delivered her long-promised lecture on Plankton. She enthusiastically delivered information and stories about this lesser know yet abundant and instrumental part of the ecosystem! What an incredible insight into the world below the ocean surface.

It was time to dash outside as there was a call from the bridge that dolphins had been spotted. In this vast ocean there is much to see for the patient soles who endure the drizzle and spend time on the decks.

After a delicious lunch many layered up to head to the outer decks again. On the foredeck, again enjoying the anchor winch was another small bird which is not so often seen at sea: the Meadow Pipit. Easily mistaken for a snow bunting in its winter plumage, this bird is a common songbird found in the upland areas throughout the palearctic region.

Later on, in the afternoon a Minke whale was spotted on port side. Those who were quick caught sight of the small whale before it dove back below the surface. The fog had settled in now so islands and wildlife were being spotted only near the ship. This included abundant bird life of gannets, fulmars and auks.

Over the PA system we heard Claudio announcing more whales. This time it was only on the inside of the ship indicating that they were close by. We grabbed our jackets and cameras to investigate what had been spotted in these famously wildlife rich waters of the Icelandic coast.

The afternoon was also a time to pack in between dashing outside for the sightings. These is never time to settle down to one activity around here as announcements of wildlife disrupt us!

Dolphins were spotted on the port side just after boot collection was complete. We all rushed to the outer decks with our binoculars and camera. Several humpback whales were spotted ahead. They were so close that binoculars were not even needed. The bridge team made a loop and stopped the ship so we could watch the whales. It was fun keeping an eye out for them, seeing the blow then hearing a call of another blow from the other side of the deck.

We had to delay the captains’ cocktails whilst we watched the whales a little longer! It was spectacular to see for those who endured the atmospheric, wet weather. We had the final dinner with everyone and celebrated all the hard work of the crew. We were all very appreciative of being on this trip to such a remote and beautiful part of the world, made possible by all crew and guests on board.

We woke up with mixed emotions today. We spent 10 unforgettable days together on Ortelius, catching up with old friends, making new ones, and sharing wonderful new experiences together.

Scoresby Sund had delivered superb scenery, good wildlife sightings and the impressive spectacle of a storm in the Denmark Strait! As we have seen, this place can offer deceivingly calm weather, but it can also throw freezing conditions with intense windspeeds. Not something to be underestimated. It was wonderful to have the warm and comfortable environment on board Ortelius to enjoy this wild and remote place from, share stories and rekindle our energy for the following day of activities each night.

We had a final breakfast onboard and said goodbye to the hotel and dining room team. We headed for the gangway for a final farewell. Some of us were staying in Iceland to continue our adventures, while others were heading home. One thing was for sure; we would not forget our time together in Greenland. 

We would like to thank you for diving with us and wish you safe travels! Hope to see you again on board!

Total distance sailed on our voyage: 1078 nautical miles

Most northern point sailed: 71° 15.995’ N / 025° 12.280’W

On behalf of Oceanwide Expeditions, Captain Per Andersson, Expedition Leader Claudio Ghiglione, Hotel Manager Ingrid van der Loo and all the crew and staff of M/V Ortelius, it was a great pleasure and a privilege travelling with you!