Category Archives: _Arctic_

Life is a Bitch … if that’s all you get for breakfast

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The title says it all – right?

Like on my last trip, I ended up being one of the few, who had breakfast on the outer deck almost every morning. This time I had to skip for one morning in the Denmark Strait – the sea was simply to rough and the outside tables and chairs roped up and secured.

Below some photos of the views before and during breakfast this morning. Who needs breakfast, when you get to see this … ?

Disclaimer: I surely did have breakfast this morning … slowly starting with some tea – and then adding in all the other good stuff … makes life even feel bitchier – right? 😀

Hvalsey

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We had covered the 240km from the Ikka Fjord during the night; we were now in a side arm of Einars Fjord – just in front of the Hvalsey ruin site.

Hvalsey is a former Norse settlement. It is believed, that Hvalsey had been founded in the late 10th century by a cousin of Erik the Red; it was inhabited until the early 15th century, when the Norse colony essentially disappeared. Last recorded event here is awedding from 1418.

What remains today is a ruin site featuring a (fairly well preserved) church, the ruins of the great hall and community building. In the area directly around further ruins can be found, though their previous function remains a bit of mystery.

We made it ashore as usual and then had some time to explore the ruin site, but also the surrounding area … below some photographic evidence.

Ikka Fjord – Ikaites here we come …

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After the visit to the former cryolite mine of Ivittuut this morning, another interesting mineral was waiting for us this afternoon – ikaite, also dubbed as the melting mineral – as it decomposes into calcite and water once the temperature reaches around 8°C / 46°F.

The mineral had first been discovered in a fjord close to the Ivittuut mine – the Ikka fjord (hence the mineral’s name ikaite). In that fjord – under water – towers of that mineral of 10 meters and more can be found.

During lunch the ship had moved over to the Ikka fjord, where a local ranger boat was already waiting for us. Hanseatic had to stay outside the area with the ikaite, so zodiacs were prepared and then boarded.

Following the ranger boat an armada of about ten zodiacs made it into the ikaite area. Most eyes were now fixed on the water, aiming to see one of the towers at an expected meter underneath the surface. There was no luck here – with the water still murky from the storm some days back. Also it did not help, that we did the zodiac trip during high tide – the top ends of the columns must have been like a good two meters away from the surface – so bad luck, when combined with with the murkiness of the water.

Nature however did compensate for that – and threw in a load of musk oxen, as well as a brace of sea eagles.

 

What – Cryolite does not ring a bell?

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Indeed – cryolite is probably not part of, what one would consider common knowledge … and – I have to admit, before the landing in Ivittuut this morning I did not really know anything about cryolite either …

Cryolite – in a nutshell (and I don’t even dare going into more detail – feel free to check wikipedia or to ask a trustworthy geologist) – is a rate mineral (Na3AlF6), which was used as catalyst in the aluminum refining industry. The biggest known deposit of cryolite was at what later became the mine of Ivittuut; mining here began in the second half of the 19th century – and came to its height during world war 2 with its ever-growing demand for aluminum. In the late 1980s the deposits were pretty much depleted, also it was now possible to synthesize cryolite, hence the mine was eventually closed and abandoned in 1987 – – leaving the old structures and a small lake (i.e. the water-filled hole from the open pit mine) behind.

There was loads here to explore – from the old mining buildings to the small lake to the surrounding tundra with plenty of plant life. Excavated rock material made the area interesting for those with an interest into geology (with sparkling and colorful stones – often with pockets of white cryonite – lying around the whole area).

I made my turn first through the old miners’ village to the lake and then into the tundra back country. Here two groups of musk oxen had been spotted – and we ended up watching them from a distance.

All in all this turned out a very multi-sided landing … a bit of industrial history, a bit of nature all topped off by some very, very old rocks.

Sisimiut – Dogs & Tundra

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This afternoon another walk was on offer; we took the bus to the outskirts of town and started walking.

We could already hear the dogs at this point – and soon realized, that we were heading for the area of town, where the sledge dogs are kept in their kennels for the summer – we were even lucky enough to witness a feeding.

We continued the street leading away from town … dog kennels were now turning into tundra. Eventually we reached a viewpoint with some view into the valley behind town. Here we turned around and made our way back – through dog kennel country – to the bus stop – and then by bus back to the ship.

Back to Sisimiut

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When I got up this morning (no oversleeping this time), we had already arrived at the pier in Sisimiut. Sisimiut had already been on the agenda of my trip from two years back, so it felt a bit like getting back to a well-known place.

With around 6000 inhabitants Sisimiut is the second largest city of Greenland – and is a nice little city for a leisurely morning stroll – with a good museum, a church with a view, a fish market (that did not even offer fish – only seal and musk ox were available), an artisan cooperative selling local handicrafts, some supermarkets and shopping centers (anyone for a new fridge?) – – and of course the infamous stone & rock guy (making his living by selling – stones and rocks).

This all did sum up for an interesting morning – I made it back to the ship for a late lunch.