Iceland and Greenland (part 3)
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The
Ice Cap sits like a heavy weight over most of island of Greenland.
It is up to three kilometers (1.8 miles) thick and weighs so much
that, should it melt, the land would rise considerably.
Glacier flow down from the ice cap.
As more snow is deposited, the glaciers flow slowly down the
mountainsides until they reach the water in the fjords or ocean.
Icebergs calve off the glaciers and gradually make their way into
the Greenland Current to begin their trip down the Greenland and Canadian
coasts until they finally melt in the warmer waters.
As they go, wind and rain carve them into fantastic shapes.
Icebergs come in many shapes
...and even stranger shapes
It
is difficult to comprehend the enormous size of the terrain.
You can think a glacier is not too impressive in size until you are
told that it is ten or twenty miles away.
When you get up close and see how it towers over your little
zodiac, you are truly awed.
How big is a glacier?
We
left Scoresbysund and turned south to sail down the Blossville Coast to
Nansen Fjord, named after Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian Explorer who
crossed the Greenland Ice Cap in 1888.
In the next few days we also explored Mikis Fjord and
Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord, sighting Ringed Seals and Bearded Seals, but no
Polar Bears.
A seal posed for more than a half hour.
We visited an abandoned hunting camp and found the
remains of the dwellings of members of the Thule Inuit Culture, who came
to East Greenland around 1000 B.C.
Animal Bones in the Thule Hut
Our
trip across the Denmark Strait was enlivened by an encounter with a
Humpback Whale who swam alongside our ship for several miles when we
neared the Coast of Iceland. Our
Expedition Leader, Rinie Van Meurs, gave an interesting lecture on whales,
complete with recorded whale songs, our last evening on board.
All in all, it was another amazing polar voyage…one we’d
recommend to all our friends.
Donna in the Fjords of Greenland.
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