The Wild Side of Greenland - Milne Land & Scoresbysund

In the afternoon, board the Ocean Atlantic in Reykjavík and set course northbound for Greenland.

After boarding and welcome drinks, the Expedition Leader will inform you about the voyage, the ship's daily routines and the various security and safety procedures, then you will have time to unpack and get comfortable in your cabin. Before sailing, there will be a mandatory safety drill.  

The Captain takes the ship out of Reykjavík in the early evening, as you enjoy your first hours onboard.

The lecturers onboard will make inspiring and enriching presentations about both Iceland and Greenland’s past history and about nature, wildlife and climatology.

Cross the huge entrance of Scoresbysund during the night and arrive at the Inuit community Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund) in the morning. About 500 people live here, most of whom base a large portion of their households on hunting. Seal, muskoxen and polar bear skins hang to dry outside many of the houses, and the sled dogs are waiting for sea ice to be safe for the first hunts of the fall. The town is extremely isolated, and the inhabitants only receive ship supplies twice a year. 

The amazing visual menu of the following days is nothing less than the longest fjord in the world, Scoresby Sund. We will explore this fjord and hope to be able to offer kayaking and some exciting landings.

Our voyage into one of these last unspoiled wilderness areas of the world will begin with a visit to Eskimo Bay (Eskimobugt). We have spent the night moving into the vast fjord system and drink our morning coffee arriving into the bay at the inner Nordvestfjord. We use our Zodiacs to make a landing with the snowcovered mountains as our backdrop and from a distance, we hope to see the remains of the Thule site that lies here (The ruins have been known since the 1930ies but are very rarely visited). Our expedition staff will be on hand to tell us more about this cultural site. 

Denmark Island (Danmarksø) is a hunting site that dates almost 4000 years back and was used by the Paleo and Neo Eskimo cultures all the way up to the Thule culture. Somewhat more flat terrain offers us more distance in the way of a walk. Our experienced expedition staff keeps a perimeter up, as we are still deep in Polar bear country. What seems to be barren tundra terrain, hides colorful moss as well as bright flowers, the same can be said of much of the Arctic flora we experience along our voyage. Even in these cold harsh areas, we can experience life if we are lucky also muskoxen or other mammal inhabitants.

As we set our sights toward Milne Land and Red Island (Røde ø), we can expect to see giant majestic icebergs and the odd whale or two. Once on the red island, the ruby sandstone and basalt foundation gives us a nice contrast to the crystal clear icy water, maybe more reminiscent of a desert-like terrain. 

Bear Islands with its jagged mountainous frame, could be our last landing in the fjord. It would be a fitting one at that, like the glaciers, floating ice and mountains give us remarkable views. Wherever we go in these seldomly visited areas, we are sure to get breathtaking vistas and memorable landings.
Navigating the sheltered interior of the fjord system, we are likely to enjoy stable September weather with clear skies and distant visibility. 

Possibly the most dramatic coast outside of Antarctica, the Blosseville is guarded by Greenland’s highest mountains and steepest fjords – and a belt of pack ice which before global warming would keep out any explorer for years. The recent decade has had warmer summers and much less ice which enables ice strengthened vessels such as the Ocean Atlantic to venture along the coast, on lookout for polar wildlife, abandoned Inuit settlements and otherworldly landscapes.

Lecturers on board will make inspiring and enriching presentations about both Iceland’s and Greenland’s history, nature, wildlife and climatology. A captain’s farewell drink and a slideshow of your voyage will also be presented this evening.

Early in the morning, slowly approach the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík, and your Arctic adventure will have concluded. Enter Reykjavík in the morning and bid farewell to the vessel and crew.