HDS12-24, trip log, Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes

Welcome to the high Arctic! Welcome to Longyearbyen. A place where people live in close contact with the cold and rigid environment surrounding them. This was our starting point for a surely to be amazing journey from Svalbard to Northeast Greenland and on to Iceland.

We arrived at our ship which would be our home for the next 14 days, M/V Hondius. It was a little windy, but otherwise dry and partly cloudy when we were welcomed on board. We were then directed to our cabins by the lovely hotel staff. Then, we enjoyed the comfortable observation lounge with a fresh cup of coffee or tea until it was time for the mandatory safety brief and exercise. Our safety officer explained what to do in a ship’s emergency. When the drill started, we had to pick up our big bulky orange life vests from our cabin and then proceed to our so-called muster stations. This was either the lounge or the restaurant. Now we all knew what to do and where to go in case of an abandon ship situation which we hope never will occur.

Afterwards, we were welcomed back to the lounge for the captain’s cocktail, although the captain could sadly not join us tonight, since he was needed on the bridge. William, the hotel manager explained some important information about life on board and then we met our Expedition Leader Sara, who introduced us to the rest of the guide team. We were served some delicious snacks and toasted to the beginning of what will surely be a fantastic voyage.

Afterwards it was time for the buffet dinner in the restaurant, where some of us got to ask all our urgent questions to the guides dining with us. Later in the evening, we were handed our rubber boots so we would be ready to go for our first excursion tomorrow morning.

Our big adventure had started, and we were all very excited about what the coming days would bring us.

Good night M/V Hondius!

After a good night’s sleep with some gentle rocking from the ship, we woke up to Sara’s voice. She greeted us with three good mornings and then she informed us about the weather and the program for the morning. Today was our first real expedition day, but before we could leave the ship and board the Zodiacs for our new adventures, we first had to attend several briefings. These briefings were related to Zodiac procedures, Polar Bear safety, and an AECO briefing which informed us about the behavioral guidelines during our visit to this beautiful and remote area. But first things first, it was breakfast time!

After breakfast, Sara efficiently ran us through all mandatory briefings and as she had started this already at 8 AM it left us time in the morning to do our first activity. We would do a Zodiac cruise in beautiful Magdalenafjord.

Magdalenafjord cuts about 10km inland in the northwest part of Spitsbergen. Although winters are very cold in Svalbard, this fjord does not always freeze due to the influence of the relatively warm Gulfstream. All the way inside the fjord you’ll find an impressive Waggonwaybreen glacier. This is an active and relatively fast-moving glacier and that means spectacular calvings can be observed regularly. And this morning Waggonwaybreen did not disappoint. We saw some big ice towers collapse and huge ice walls disintegrating. It was wonderful to witness nature in its full glory.

After enjoying the glacier, we decided to head along the coastline in search of Harbor seals. In a shallow lagoon-like calm area, we found many seals and some of them were curiously checking us out closely to the boat. Others were relaxing on rocks and big boulders while taking in their classic banana pose.

A bit further out we found a small bay which is called Trinityhamna. This bay offers a natural harbor and therefore it was chosen by whalers in the early 1600’s as a station to process whales. Remains of the blubber ovens used to boil out the oil from the blubber can still be seen on shore. Trinityhamna is sheltered by a small peninsula which is called Gravneset. Gravneset means gravesite and here the remains of 130 graves of whalers can be found. The first whalers were buried here in the early 1600’s, but over the years the number of graves grew and end 1800’s it was the last resting place for 130 whalers. Although whaling developed rapidly into a pelagic industry, sailors would still honour their perished brave colleagues by giving them a land funeral. These men had to work and survive in extremely harsh and challenging conditions, but the main cause of death was scurvy. Over the years permafrost has pushed the graves back to the surface and well-preserved caskets and even bones can still be seen.

After this great morning start, we enjoyed lunch. But after lunch, there was hardly any time to relax as our second activity was about to begin. We would visit Smeerenburg hoping to see walruses and we would do a Zodiac cruise in front of Virgohamna, another historical place where Salomon Andree set of in a balloon trying to reach the North Pole.

Smeerenburg was established by Dutch whalers in 1614. Smeer in Dutch means grease or blubber and since this was a whaling station the name was appropriate. Today the Dutch still use smeren when they put butter on a sandwich. On land we saw the remains of this more than 400 years old whaling station, and we also found the characteristic orange bricks that the Dutch used in this settlement.

What we also found were walruses! A good number of walruses was hauling out on the beach, and they all seemed sleepy and lazy. Walruses are solitary animals, but they do like to haul out together and crawl close and sometimes on top of each other. Walruses can be up to 1500KG and that makes them the second largest seal species after the Elephant seals. During the zodiac cruise some of us had some curious walruses close by and this allowed for some wonderful close-up photos and videos.

At 18:15 it was time for our daily recap. During recap Sara informs us about the plans for the next day and staff members offer short presentations about places we visited or animals we have seen. Today our captain also attended the re-cap as he had obligations on the bridge the previous day. Captain Remmert spoke inspirational words and promised us to do his utmost to make this the best trip ever. After dinner guide Sabrina shared a short story about the rifle that killed 4 people without being fired.

A long but satisfying day. And with the clock going back one hour we could enjoy a well-deserved long sleep.

Good night!

As we were becoming used to, we were woken by Sara’s soft tones... “Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning”. During the night we had experienced a swell that rocked some of us to sleep but left others feeling not so good, with more than a few consulting the doctor. We were still rolling around mildly as we got up for breakfast. Outside it was grey and overcast with patchy fog and a chilly -1 celsius.

As we were going to be at sea all day our guide team had scheduled a whole series of lectures to inform and entertain us. They were delivered in ‘pairs’, to accommodate the different languages on board Hondius for this cruise, using the lecture room and observation lounge simultaneously. Jerry and Chloe started us off with a talk on the ‘Whales of the Arctic’, in English and Mandarin respectively. After a short break, it was Misha’s turn, talking about Salomon Andree and his doomed attempt to reach the north pole by hot air balloon, whilst Sabrina gave a German language lecture on the ‘History of Svalbard’.

As we approached lunchtime the sea was less rough, and the fog had cleared to blue skies and bright sunshine. This encouraged us to get out on deck where we could get closer views of the Fulmars and Kittiwakes that had been escorting us all day. Later, some of us were lucky enough to see the first Ivory Gull of the trip, followed by a beautiful adult Pomarine Skua. Around the ship we also started to see small gatherings of the world’s smallest auk, the Little Auk; they dived or skittered away across the surface as we approached, looking almost like black and white tennis balls with whirring wings. Back inside Andrew and Meike gave their respective talks on the ‘Auks of the Atlantic’.

As the sun began to fall towards the horizon, the early evening light was magical. We went down for our evening recap, followed by another fabulous dinner served up by the brilliant galley team and delivered to us so professionally by the dining room team, always full of smiles. The first huge iceberg of the cruise was seen on the horizon as we settled down to hear Sacha tell us wonderful tales of his time working in the ghost town of Pyramiden.

This morning those of us on the lower decks were woken up by an unfamiliar scraping sound along the hull of the ship. Curious, we peeked outside and were able to see large ice flows and small icebergs floating beside the ship: We had reached the sea ice of the coast of Greenland in the early morning hours. Sadly, the coastline was shrouded in thick fog, so visibility was very limited.

During the leisurely breakfast, the Hondius pushed further into the ice and many of us were out on deck to enjoy this unique ship cruise. Later in the morning, KJ gave an introductory lecture about Greenland, sharing interesting facts about its geology, history, flora, and fauna. He also showed many beautiful pictures of places we might get to see during the following days.

It was a relaxing morning on board, many of us enjoyed some time outside braving the cold, misty air. At 11:00, the hotel department had therefore organized some hot chocolate to keep us warm while we took lots of pictures of the dramatic pieces of ice all around us. The captain kept the speed low, to be able to navigate safely through the increasingly dense sea ice conditions. Many pieces were several meters thick, indicating that it was multiyear ice.

Just after lunch, the fog disappeared quite suddenly, within 15 minutes we were able to enjoy a crystal-clear blue sky and our first views of Greenland’s coast. We continued navigating in the sea ice while always keeping an eye out for wildlife. We saw a few seals swimming in the water and some resting on ice flows. In the distance, some giant icebergs were floating close to shore, and we were heading straight towards them.

The size of these huge pieces of ice, literal mountains, was hard to grasp, but as we approached, we realised that they were actually taller and longer than our ship itself. Some were more than 100 meters long, floating gently in the oncoming swell. It was a phenomenal experience to see them up close.

As quickly as it had lifted, the fog returned later in the afternoon. But the captain and the bridge crew kept it interesting, by deciding to attempt docking next to one of these huge icebergs. Suddenly, we found ourselves face to face with a wall of ice and we watched their expert navigation excitedly. While they sadly didn’t manage to safely dock the ship, it was nonetheless a fantastic experience.

Afterwards, Jerry and Jakub each gave a lecture about Ice and Glaciers in Mandarin and English (with German translation) respectively, giving us some more valuable insights into what we had just experienced and had to look forward to in the coming days.

After dinner, the lounge quieted down pretty quickly, everybody seemed tired after a long day with lots of new impressions.

We were woken by sweet Sara’s Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning. We started the morning slowly as we were still approaching our destination. Challenging navigation through sea ice in dense fog the previous day resulted in an extra hour to enjoy our breakfast. A big day was ahead! Our first landing in Greenland! The arctic weather was playing with us until the last moment.

The first views offered us mainly fog, with some moments of sun and blue sky, and fog again. But today was our lucky day. When we arrived at our planned landing side, Margrethedal, we were welcomed by an amazing view of a colourful landscape lit by sunlight. Hiking was the plan for the day. We had options to do a long 6–7-hour hike, medium 3-hour hike and a short hike. Right after breakfast, the guide team was already setting out to scout the area, which can have polar bears; however, they were able to confirm that it was safe to come ashore.

The terrain was challenging for all of us. There were no paths, the terrain went up and down, sometimes through mud and rivers. There were plenty of flowers. We were able to spot two muskoxen with our binoculars far away on a mountainside.

Our brave long hikers got on shore first and started their way into the mountains. They were extremely lucky to get very close to a group of huge muskoxen feeding just 20 meters from them. A few people even spotted an Arctic fox for a few seconds quickly running between rocks while we were enjoying a view from the top of a mountain plateau. As the long hike took nearly 7 hours, we ate our prepared sandwiches for lunch in nature.

Both medium and short hikes were spectacular. A view towards Kaiser Franz Joseph fjord opened when we reached the first viewpoint. Keiser Franz Joseph is a major fjord system in the Northeast Greenland National Park area.

Our ship Hondius looked small in the distance next to huge icebergs that were floating on a dark blue sea with majestic mountains with sugar tops in the background.

Medium and short hikers returned to the ship for a late lunch between 1:30 and 2 pm. Long hikers joined the ship around 5 pm. Back on board Hondius, lots of excited chatting about our morning experience and picture sharing was going on. We were all nicely tired, happy, and full of the first impressions from the first day in Greenland.

We took plenty of good photographs of flowers, landscapes, and wildlife.

When we gathered for our daily recap, Meike told us about all the plants we were able to see today, followed by Chloe’s recap about life in the sea ice where we spent the previous day. Clouds slowly started covering mountain tops and it was time for dinner. What a fabulous day!!

After the wakeup call from our EL Sara we started this day again with beautiful sunny weather. We first had a good breakfast before we got ready for our full ship zodiac cruise into Renbugten, a stunning area surrounded by mountains up to 1000m high.

The red group was called first to the shell doors followed by the blue group. We had more than one hour to explore our first real Greenlandic icebergs. We managed to go as close as safety allowed to get a full image of these icy giants. The colours, the peace, and the silence left us breathless, just overwhelmed by these powerful products of nature and thousands of years of history. But also, the smaller bits and pieces of ice we saw were just amazing to explore. Listening to some explanations from our guides on how this ice was built and ended up here was definitely interesting – we all learned a lot.

As our Vessel Hondius had a bit of a distance to sail to reach our afternoon landing, we drove back to the ship and had our buffet lunch. While we were on our way to our next location, we enjoyed tea and coffee on the ship with beautiful scenery passing by. At 13:15 it was time for the long hikers to meet at the shell door for their next sportive hike in Blomsterbugten. A lot of excitement was amongst all of us as the weather was still just amazing and we were all happy to stretch our legs.

After the fittest of us started their adventure, the medium hiking group was next to leave the ship towards the landing side, a beautiful beach where Sara, our EL, welcomed us and gave us a quick briefing about the site and where to meet our guides and co-hikers. The short hikers followed and once everybody was ready also this group left the beach to start exploring this marvelous area.

Accompanied by bright sunshine, a clear blue sky, and quite warm temperatures we were all excited and interested in what to find and enjoy. After the first couple of minutes, we all had to stop to adjust our clothing and equipment as it was really warm. Once everybody was comfortable and prepared with cameras and binoculars we continued our way up the first little elevation. We found a lot of interesting plants and flowers as well as lichens and mosses which we could investigate through magnifying glasses. A complete skull of a juvenile musk oxe and even an arctic hare crossed our way.

We looked at the amazing rock formations with their red, brown, and yellow layered colours and couldn’t get enough of the beauty surrounding us. We climbed up to a slope that cost some energy, but we were rewarded with a stunning view over the rocky landscape intercepted by lakes in different colours of water from dark blue to even red. Way in the back we could observe a herd of musk oxen and their small ones which again left us just breathless. As we knew that this amazing hike must sadly come to an end, we slowly started on our way back still enjoying our surroundings and hiking friends. With our ship in sight, we made our way back to the beach happy and safe. Once we put our life vests on and packed away our cameras and binoculars, we jumped into the zodiacs and were brought back to the Hondius. We took our time to relax and get ready for the daily recap where we heard about our next adventure coming up tomorrow. Afterwards we went to our well-deserved dinner, as always delicious and lovely prepared by our kitchen and hotel team. Tired and happy we went to bed this evening….what a day!

Thread my path to Summer’s

End This bequest I leave you – she says

You will see what could be evergreen

Turn to copper and fade to gray.

We woke up in a completely different place than we had planned. That’s the nature of expedition cruises: plans sometimes have to change. Late last night, after receiving the latest weather reports, Sara, our expedition leader, made a joint decision with the captain to change the course and head to a different landing site. The reason was that the area we were initially heading to was expected to be shrouded in thick fog, with nearly zero visibility. Greenland is the land of polar bears, which is why each of our guides carries a rifle on their shoulder and a flare gun on their belt. Lack of visibility is extremely dangerous, and in such cases, our guides have no choice but to cancel the activity. However, if you know about it in advance, you can develop a new plan and make sure the morning isn’t wasted. Greenland is vast, so there’s no shortage of landing sites.

The maneuver was successful, and the plan worked! As we pulled back the curtains to let in the morning light, we could clearly see the towering mountains framing Fleming Fjord. The low clouds only obscured the mountain peaks a few hundred meters above sea level, but the lower layer of air remained clear. At times, small windows of blue sky appeared in the dense cloud cover, allowing rays of sunlight to break through and illuminate the mountain wall on the starboard side of Hondius. This made the colorful layers of rock glow in different shades – yellow, ochre, burgundy, and even hints of blue.

In the monolithic wall of the mountain range, a gap yawned like a gateway. This was destined to be our morning landing spot. Before breakfast was over, our guides loaded all the necessary gear into the Zodiacs and rushed ashore for scouting. Soon, we were given the green light. The first to go ashore were the long hikers – a small group of brave enthusiasts who would trek the longest distance across the tundra during this landing and possibly see more than the rest of us. Then the medium hikers went ashore – those who also enjoyed long walks but preferred them to be less intense, allowing time for stops and photographing the local beauty. Finally, the slow hikers landed – those who preferred a leisurely pace, carefully studying the terrain, vegetation, rock formations, and other features, trying to absorb every shade, scent, and curve of the local nature, as every experience here is unique!

We stowed our life jackets in large white bags, divided into groups according to our preferences, and set out to explore this corner of Greenland. First, we had to climb the slope slowly and conserve our energy. Then a hilly plain covered with tundra vegetation unfolded before us. To our left, a narrow canyon gaped with a river running along its bottom. Just beyond the canyon, a steep mountainside began. To the right, there was also a slope, but less steep, and consequently covered with a colourful carpet of local plants. Somewhere high up on the slope, a musk ox was grazing peacefully – a tough-looking but also quite amusing creature.

According to the calendar, today is the last day of summer. However, the biogeographical calendar of Greenland’s reality told us otherwise. The short Arctic summer here had long since ended. True autumn was upon us. All the flowers had long since bloomed, fruited, and withered, and only occasionally could we spot solitary flowers of the Arctic bellflower, Mountain Avens, and, surprisingly, even the Purple Saxifrage. The Arctic willow was shedding seeds, decorating the tundra with numerous fluffy tassels. Its leaves had turned reddish, yellow, or even brown. The leaves of the dwarf birch had also turned dark burgundy and bright yellow, and its bushes grew mainly on slopes and rarely on flat sections of the plain. The leaves of the bilberry were also dark burgundy. Here and there, we could even see some berries that hadn’t been pecked by snow buntings or nibbled by lemmings. But the most striking feature of the plant world was the bright red patches of barberry, visible from afar and densely covering the ground.

Autumn is the season for mushrooms, and Greenland is no exception. Here and there, mushroom caps of various kinds poked through – some small, some relatively large. Puffballs, resembling eggs laid by some unknown reptile, grew all around. Some were already releasing spores, and if stepped on, a greenish cloud would puff out from underfoot. Russulas, boletes, birch boletes, and many other mushrooms, whose names are known only to mycologists, dotted the landscape.

Different groups chose different routes. The long hikers disappeared into the unknown, leaving no trace. One group of medium hikers preferred to climb up the relatively gentle, tundra-covered slope of the mountain. They managed to reach a considerable height and were fortunate enough to observe the musk ox from a fairly close distance. Another group of medium hikers opted for a walk along the relatively flat terrain towards the opposite edge of the valley. There, descending to the river, they discovered an interesting hydrological phenomenon known as "naledi" (ice patches). In winter, the rivers here freeze solid, and the short polar summer is often not enough to melt this ice completely. In some places, it remains all summer, with the river simply carving a small channel through it and flowing on. It was fascinating to see this naledi.

It’s nice to walk through the tundra, but sooner or later, it’s time to return, and after a good walk, one’s appetite is quite sharp! One by one, all our groups returned to the landing site. We donned our life jackets, boarded the Zodiacs, and, full of impressions, returned to the Hondius.

While we were having lunch, the ship's bow winches hummed heavily as they hauled up the anchor. Soon, our ship set off, leaving the fjord behind for the open sea. We were in for a long journey from the Northeast Greenland National Park to the Scoresby Sund fjord system, so no shore landings or Zodiac cruises were planned for the second half of the day. As the Hondius picked up speed and moved away from the shore, the weather continued to deteriorate. It started to rain, and the wind picked up. These are the moments when the sense of coziness becomes acute. It’s so nice to sit in the warmth by the window, sipping tea, while the weather rages outside.

Chloe, our marine microbiology expert, gave us a fascinating lecture on the all-powerful plankton – the ruler of the seas and master of the waters. In the evening, we had a recap, during which Sara, our expedition leader, briefed us on the plans for the next day. The day came to an end, and with it, the calendar summer ended as well. It’s a bit sad, but there will be a new day that will bring us many new experiences, and someday, a new summer will arrive! The journey continues!

Last night, our ship, the MS Hondius, quietly slipped into Scoresby Sund, a massive fjord system on the east coast of Greenland. As dawn broke, our bridge team skilfully anchored us on the southeast side of Bear Island in Milne Land. Stepping out onto the deck, we were met with a sight that stopped us in our tracks—giant icebergs, stretching out to the horizon, their icy blue shapes glowing in the early morning light. It felt like we had sailed into another world.

Fuelled by excitement (and a lovely breakfast), we geared up for the morning’s adventure—a Zodiac cruise among the icebergs. It was raining steadily, and the temperature hovered around freezing, but nothing could dampen our spirits. We climbed into the Zodiacs and set off into the maze of ice, each iceberg more stunning than the last. Some were towering like cathedrals, others flat and wide, all of them shaped by the elements into unique, photogenic forms. Our guides were fantastic, sharing insights about how these icy giants came to be and what their shapes and colours tell us about their history.

As we cruised, the rain tapped a rhythm on our jackets, but we hardly noticed. A few birds braved the weather with us—juvenile black guillemots and arctic terns, darting in and out of view. The conditions were challenging, but there was something exhilarating about being out in the thick of it, battling the elements and soaking up the raw beauty around us.

When we finally returned to the ship, it was a relief to warm up in the lounge, wrapping our hands around mugs of hot tea and coffee. The morning’s stories flowed freely as we shared our experiences, still buzzing from the adventure. Lunch was a treat, a comforting spread prepared by Chef Ralf and his team that hit the spot after a cold morning out on the water.

The rain hadn’t let up by the afternoon, forcing us to change our original plans. Instead of landing ashore, Sara suggested another Zodiac cruise—a shorter one this time. Captain Remmert expertly repositioned the Hondius to the southwestern side of Bear Island, giving us a fresh angle to explore. The high peaks of Milne Land loomed in the distance, covered in a fresh layer of snow that made them look even more imposing.

And then we saw it — an enormous arch-shaped iceberg, ancient and mysterious. Its size and age were anyone’s guess, but its beauty was undeniable. Everyone scrambled for their cameras, eager to capture the moment. Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, our hotel manager William showed up in another Zodiac, handing out cups of hot cider. It was a simple, but perfect touch—just what we needed to warm up as we continued our cruise.

We spent the rest of the afternoon weaving between towering mountain peaks and gliding through the fog that had replaced the rain. The mist gave everything an otherworldly feel, but it wasn’t cold, and there was so much to see that no one wanted to head back. By the time we returned to the ship, we were all grinning from ear to ear. This had been a day of true adventure, the kind that makes you feel alive.

Later, we gathered to recap the day’s events and look ahead to tomorrow. Dinner was another beautifully prepared meal, but the real highlight was the view—gliding past towering icebergs as the Hondius sailed towards Hurry Inlet. It was the perfect end to yet another unforgettable day in Greenland.

Let’s remember that day as it looked so foggy, and it ended up with some sun at the end of our morning landing in Nøkkedal in Hurry Inlet. But we started disembarking and got shuttled ashore. Because of the fog, it was just a bit of a shorter landing, but the amazing features made by the permafrost were stunning. As we arrived at the beach it was Sara welcoming us as always and after we joined our group of hiking, we hiked uphill and inland. The first bit was a bit steep but after it was going up and down. Already after the first ridge, we could see the patterns formed by the permafrost. Permafrost is defined as ground (soil or rock and including ice or organic material) that remains at or below 0 degrees for at least two consecutive years. The permafrost is in a depth of around 1m and above that, it melts in the summer and freezes in the winter. So, it is always moving. As water is expanding when it freezes it pushes bigger rocks up and to the side and then we get this lovely round pattern. Because of these phenomena, you cannot bury people in permafrost, many years later this effect will bring the bodies back up.

As we were hiking further inland, we tried to see the glacier in the back, but the fog decided to hide it for the day (only in the very end it showed a bit of it). We saw a couple of lakes and streams around. Then we stopped for a moment to enjoy the arctic silence. No movement, no pictures, just listening to the birds, the sound of silence and water. Afterwards, we started slowly heading back. At the beach, some of us were lucky to see the arctic fox passing by and others were not as lucky and got a bit stuck in the mud – not only us but also our guides.

Back onboard we could enjoy an amazing lunch while the ship was sailing towards our afternoon activity to visit the settlement Ittoqqortoormiit. The first sighting of this settlement showed us houses in different colours.

By Zodiac we disembarked and had a beach landing this time with some swell at the beach. So, we had to quickly disembark, the waves were pushing from behind and even managed to splash some of us.

In the city, we weren’t allowed to take any pictures of people without asking for their permission. There was a lovely little church with an electric organ, and a tourist office where we could buy some little souvenirs. We could walk around the town up towards the cemetery where we saw an Arctic hare and a lemming. On top of some of the houses were some skeletons, trophies of hunters. The people who live there make their living by hunting seals, polar bears, and musk oxen. After a stroll in town, we went back onboard to listen to a story by Koen of one of the hunters who lives there with his family.

There’s nothing quite like waking up to see dozens of enormous icebergs outside your window. Massive blocks of ice, true icy mountains of various shapes and sizes — from absolutely gigantic to just big. Each one with its own unique features and possibly its own history. Hondius, gently navigating among the icebergs, approached a place called Sydkap — one of the most scenic capes of Scoresby Sound. The waters around this cape are known as the "iceberg graveyard," though, to be honest, the author of these lines prefers to call it the "iceberg garden." The currents in Scoresby Sound work in such a peculiar way that icebergs, after breaking off from the ice sheet, are eventually herded together near Sydkap. Here, they run aground and gradually dissolve in the seawater.

Our plan was simple: land on the shore and walk through the tundra. Hondius dropped anchor near a shore that sloped gently into a flat plain framed by mountains. Even from the ship’s deck, you could see how vibrant and diverse the local vegetation was, painted in autumn colours. Near a stream happily running down the slope and into the cold sea, there were several hunting cabins. Understanding that people might be there and wouldn’t appreciate a crowd of tourists, we disembarked a respectful distance away. The beach was pebbly and sandy, making it a pleasure to land. The Zodiacs were quickly shuttling passengers back and forth. As usual, the long hikers went ashore first, followed by the medium hikers, and finally, the slow hikers.

Each group set off on their walk according to their preferences. The long hikers, led by KJ and Hana, bounded up the slope like mountain goats and soon disappeared from sight. The slow hikers took their time, as their primary goal was to explore the local nature in detail, which does not tolerate rushing. The medium hikers climbed up to the flat plateau and then spread out in different directions, each setting their own goals, before eventually meeting back at the landing site.

The tundra here was slightly different from what we had seen before. Instead of a flat carpet of vegetation, we saw countless mounds densely covered with dwarf birch and moss. These plants made the tundra burst with colour. At times, we had to leap from mound to mound, as there were so many small ponds in the tundra (it just didn’t feel right to call them puddles).

Some of us were lucky enough to spot musk oxen — massive, ancient creatures, contemporaries of the mammoth! Others had the chance to see Arctic hares — completely white, fluffy, and funny little animals. Ravens circled in the sky, occasionally announcing their presence with loud cawing. Fog swirled in the gorges of the mountains that bordered our valley to the north. The weather was gradually clearing up, and the fog shrank back as the sun's rays finally dispersed it. We climbed higher on a hill to take in the fjord filled with icebergs. The wind, barely noticeable in the early morning, gradually freshened and picked up but didn’t seem like it would cause any problems.

After a long or short time wandering through the tundra, it was time to return to the ship. Luckily, the tables in the restaurant were already set, and the crew was waiting for us for lunch. We donned our life jackets, got into the Zodiacs, and headed back to Hondius.

No further landings were planned after lunch. Instead, we headed to O Fjord — arguably the most picturesque fjord in all of Scoresby Sound. Huge icebergs, sharp mountain peaks towering about two thousand meters high, covered in snow, glaciers, azure waters of the fjord, and the sun — what more could one ask for? We spilled out onto the open decks, basking in the autumn sun of Greenland, admiring the stunning scenery. The expedition team, along with the hotel department, set up a table at the bow of the ship, offering us ice cream and drinks. We took pictures and were in high spirits.

In the evening, we had a recap where Sara, our expedition leader, told us about the plans for the next day. And then…! Ah, what happened next! Afterward, we headed to the open deck for a barbecue! Wow! The crew grilled meat and vegetables for us on open grills, and we sat at tables enjoying the views of the mountains and icebergs. Later, when the tables were cleared, some of us stayed on deck to dance.

Gradually, it grew dark, and the first stars appeared. We all hoped to see the northern lights, but alas, not this time. But no matter — it was still an unforgettable day! May everyone have more days like this in their life!

After a stunning sunset last night, we started our day with the same glorious blue sky. This made for incredible views of the landscapes and the gigantic iceberg graveyard that surrounded us. Those who were up in the early morning were able to enjoy the rising sun hitting the icebergs with a yellow/orange glow. Our morning activities were planned in the Harefjord. A big fjord with many beautiful landing sites. We chose to land on Hofmann Halvø. This place was made up of a small beach and not long after a long and relatively steep hill going up. Sara had given people the chance to enjoy the scenery at their own pace by opening a free-roaming area called a perimeter landing. There were guides on the outskirts of the area making sure everything was safe.

There were still medium and long hiking groups going out for the people who wanted to go and explore the top of the hills. The saddle of the hill was around 250 m tall. From the top you could see into the other fjord called Rypefjord. The hill was quite wide and open where, to our luck many musk oxen were grazing. Every hiking group was able to approach a group of musk ox relatively close during this morning. They were not all as interested in human contact and most groups of musk ox followed the coast going further into Harefjord.

Many hiking groups also stumbled upon Rock Ptarmigan. They are so well camouflaged that the risk of stepping on one is actually possible. Luckily, they always know when other animals are around and flea on time. As they do not fly very far, we were able to take good photos of them. All together this was a perfect morning where everybody was able to take some time for themselves and try to reflect on where we are in the world and how unique our surroundings are.

In the afternoon clouds started to roll in and just before the afternoon activity it started to rain slightly. The cold and wet weather was not very motivating after just having eaten our lunch. Even though our zodiac cruise through the iceberg graveyard just out of the Harefjord started out a bit wet we were all pleasantly surprised as the weather improved a lot during the zodiac cruise. The low hanging clouds hovering in the middle of the red mountains made for a very mystic and beautiful experience. There were icebergs in all shapes and sizes. Some were almost completely transparent which made for amazing photos. On the shoreline many zodiacs were also able to observe musk ox from quite close. For a while they seemed less afraid of the zodiacs than if we would have approached walking. A good chance for the short hikers that had not seen one from very close.

As the cruise progressed, we had the chance to see some extremely rare icebergs. Some were completely covered with organ pipes. These are carved out vertical lines that were created when that part of the iceberg was situated underneath the water. A feature that is created by the melting of the iceberg. You can come for years and years to the polar regions and not see such marvellous icebergs. As the weather was still humid and cold most groups did choose to go back to the ship a little bit early.

During our recap on top of explaining the plans for the next day, Sara answered some questions from the question box. She explained how many polar bears are estimated in the Arctic and specifically in Greenland. Hana answered another question about the life of the Inuit people in Ittoqqortoormiit.

Finally, Chloe talked about Lichens and took the liberty to explain everything there is to know about water bears. The amazing and incredible microscopic animals that can survive in the most extreme conditions. As the sky was open above us many people were waiting for aurora borealis to appear. This was a long wait as the only accounts that were made that evening were at 02:00 and they were only seen as clouds in the sky. It was possible to see the colors after taking a picture of the sky. Let’s hope for more clear nights to come to get a view of this spectacular phenomenon.

Our last day in Greenland will be memorable for many of us!

At night the patience of some of us was rewarded by glimpses of northern lights dancing in the sky as Hondius sailed through Øfjorden to our next destination. Due to low-speed restrictions in this area and, therefore, relatively long repositioning time, we had no activity scheduled before lunch. The morning was filled with another set of interesting lectures.

Just after breakfast, Meike and Chris talked in parallel about dog sledding in the Arctic, respectively in German and English, followed by a lecture by Jakub about the future of glaciers, ice sheets, and Arctic Sea ice. Meanwhile, in the dining room, a large group of our Chinese guests organized a dumpling-making party.

After lunch we arrived in Vikingebugt – our last destination in Greenland. The snow was falling heavily, and the calm sea started to freeze. We could observe the first stage of sea ice formation known as frazil, or grease, ice. Visibility was poor, so Sara announced a delayed standby hoping that the fog would lift. It turned out to be a good decision, as just an hour later the visibility improved, and zodiacs were dropped in the water.

The landscape around us was surreal. Majestic mountains of sedimentary rocks look beautiful, with their countless horizontal cake-like layers highlighted by fresh snow. The other end of the bay was dominated by a big glacier terminating in the sea with a tall blue cliff. The freezing fjord trapped small and large bits of glacier ice floating in the water, like they were flies in a spider’s web. And the weather kept on improving. We embarked in the zodiac around 14:30 and slowly cruised around medium-sized icebergs. With the air temperature near the freezing point, but with no wind, it didn’t feel too cold, so we could truly enjoy the lazy pace at which our expedition team navigated us through the ice, with frequent stops with engines turned off to contemplate the calmness of the arctic scenery for the last time. Slowly but steadily, we approached the glacier. To make this cruise even better, at the right (west) corner of the glacier Sara and other team members served us hot chocolate.

And just as we started to think that this cruise couldn’t get any better, we noticed a polar bear! We immediately pointed our longest lenses and binoculars at a distant mountain slope where some of us saw the king of the Arctic walking towards the glacier. Fresh snow and some 2-3 km distance from the bear didn’t make this observation any easier, but still, we were happy and privileged to share the place with the largest carnivore that you can meet on the lands of the Earth. And then another bear was spotted! The other one was peacefully sleeping nearby.

In line with nature protection regulations in Greenland, we soon retreated towards Hondius to make sure the bears were not disturbed by our presence. Before disembarking, some zodiacs set their course to the basalt rock outcrops at the entrance to the fjord where we admired the fantastic shapes of basalt rocks. These relatively young (“only” some 55 million years old) volcanic intrusions remember the time when the Atlantic Ocean only started to form, as Greenland and Northern Europe finally separated from each other. As the lava cooled down it also shrank a little bit and mineral crystal structure within basalt promoted the formation of columns with hexagonal cross-sections, roughly perpendicular to the cooling front. With several periods of eruptions spanning over a longer time the columns (or “organs”) bend in different directions.

All of us were back onboard by 17.30. Soon afterwards we met in the observation lounge for a recap and then in the dining room for dinner. Many of us agreed that this day was the most beautiful experience of our journey.

After a beautiful sunset and a little Northern Lights activity last night, it was a relaxed morning on board. We were now sailing south towards Iceland on the open ocean. Unfortunately, some of us had to deal with a bit of seasickness, but for the most part, everybody was up and about.

After a leisurely breakfast, we were called to return our boots on Deck 3. It is sad to think that this journey is coming to an end so soon, but what a rollercoaster it has been. Once everybody returned their rubber boots, it was time for the day’s first lecture by Koen about the Northern Lights. He showed a very informative video, explaining how Northern Lights are created by solar winds that collide with the Earth’s magnetic field. The chemical reaction that follows leads to the beautiful green, pink, and red colours dancing in the night sky. Afterward, Koen also explained how to best take pictures of this phenomenon by setting up your camera correctly and showed some impressive examples from his travels in the Arctic regions.

Later, Misha gave a lecture about Marine Mammal acoustics. He explained all about how and why whales use sound to communicate with each other and we even got to hear some recorded sounds of different whales.

Then it was time for lunch and a little rest as the Hondius continued plowing through the waves heading south. The heavy swells from earlier in the morning had died down a bit and the sun was starting to come out.

In the afternoon, Sarah gave an informative talk on threads to marine mammals, explaining how the fishing industry, but also climate change, and plastic pollution affect marine mammal populations and what could and should be done to protect the oceanic giants.

Right on queue, after Sarah had finished her lecture, we received a call from the bridge, that whales had been spotted close to the ship. So, we all grabbed our jackets, by now we were accustomed to getting dressed in a flash of time, and rushed to the bow of the ship. Sure enough, after a few minutes of impatient wait, we got to see a fin whale surface right next to the ship. It came up a few times showing its dorsal fin and then dove down. What a wonderful experience.

Before dinner, we were then invited to this voyage’s last recap, the Captain’s Goodbye ceremony where Misha presented the slideshow, a beautiful summary of this amazing trip. 

This morning Iceland welcomes us with beautiful sunshine. As we sail into Akureyri we enjoy the panoramic views of the rolling hills and the clear blue water of the bay. Iceland’s “Capital of the North” is a bustling town with a picturesque city center and a well-established tourism industry. The perfect final destination for our trip. Yet, getting back to civilization feels foreign to us. For the past two weeks, all our senses have become heightened to absorb the vast emptiness that is East Greenland.

We learned to feel the cool breeze that was our constant companion and the icy fog clinging to our cheeks.

We learned to listen to the Arctic silence, which was surprisingly full of sounds – the crashing waves, the restless birds, the cracking ice.

We learned to smell the fresh morning air, the sweet scent of autumn as we walked over the tundra and let’s not forget the lovely smell of walruses sleeping on the beach.

But most of all we learned to see – landscapes larger than life, mountains, valleys, fjords and ice. Sunrises and sunsets, foggy fjords clearing in a matter of minutes, revealing breathtaking views of snowy peaks and vibrant valleys. Giant icebergs floating peacefully until they suddenly topple over and come crashing down. When we first walked on the tundra, we thought it looked monotone and barren, but now we root for the tiny flowers braving the Arctic cold. We admired the colours and ingenious adaptations of both flora and fauna, always fighting at the edge of survival. We saw musk ox and walrus, seals and birds, and even a pixel polar bear. And finally, we saw peace. Nature as undisturbed by human presence as anywhere.

So re-entering society with the hustle and bustle on shore seems almost a bit overwhelming. It has been only 14 days, yet it feels much longer. Our minds (and memory cards) are overflowing with new impressions, and it will take weeks to process them all.

What an expedition it has been! We experienced the full array of Arctic weather, from fantastic sunrises to unforgiving fog, from sunny afternoons to relentless icy rain. Plan B, C and D were pulled out of the drawer frequently, and everyone’s flexibility and resilience were tested more than once. But thanks to Sara’s careful decision making and our adaptiveness, every day turned into a special experience that none of us are soon to forget. We never know what a trip like this will bring, this one truly was an “expedition”, but I think we can all agree that East Greenland has been spectacular.

For some of us, we will take the bus to Reykjavik and fly back home tomorrow, for others, the trip continues for a few more days in Iceland. As we disembark on the pier, we are sad to say goodbye to the expedition team, the entire crew of the Hondius, who have taken such good care of us these past two weeks and our new friends. Perhaps we will see each other again in the future, in a different part of the polar world.

Whatever your future plans are, we hope that you carry these extraordinary memories with you for many years to come. We hope that you can reflect upon the challenges that life in the Arctic faces, that we ourselves had to face. And that you perhaps take home some of that Arctic silence and bring it to your life.

It's important to every now and then just stop, listen, breathe and enjoy!

In the name of Captain Remmert, Expedition Leader Sara, Hotel Manager William and the entire Crew of M/V Hondius, we thank you for choosing to travel with Oceanwide Expeditions. It was a pleasure to have you on board and we hope to welcome you again in the future, as guests and as friends.

NORTHERN MOST POSITION: 79°48.3’N, 010°17.7’E

DISTANCE SAILED: 2133.4 NM

Goodbye and thank you from the Expedition Team!