We went hoping to see some of Greenland’s polar bears rather than expecting to, and were lucky enough to see an amazing 15 different bears on our trip. We had only one opportunity for really close-up bear shots thanks to an obliging young and healthy male. He was incredibly chilled, first of all having a little body shake and then strolling nonchalantly along on the ice.
If you are into music, imagine Beethoven’s Fifth, Wagner’s The Ring Cycle and Meat Loaf’s Bat out of Hell being played in a wild vortex of sound. This is what travelling by boat through the fjord system of Scoresby Sund feels like. Trying to do it justice with a camera is a bit like trying to bail out a leaking aircraft carrier with a whisky glass.
“Epic” is an overused word and one I don’t like to throw around without just cause. Having been fortunate enough to travel the world with my camera and witness some of nature’s most grandiose moments, from the annual wildebeest migration on the African plains to the endless ice and penguin-filled bays of Antarctica, I feel I’m well placed to know when this word can be dropped into a sentence without fear of contradiction.
Towering basalt mountains plunging vertically into deep dark-blue water, vast icebergs sculpted by nature into extraordinary shapes, strange animals that look like extras from a Stars Wars film and mile after mile of raw, undiluted geology that makes you feel as if you are experiencing a time before Man started scarring the earth.
In 10 days cruising quietly through pristine fjord after pristine fjord, we saw barely any sign of human encroachment. One sailing boat and an aeroplane high in the sky, as tiny as a mosquito that could be swatted away in an instant. Otherwise, the connected world vanished. We were off the grid and in a blissful state where the demands of email, Facebook and Instagram are utterly forgotten. You should try it, at least once a year.
Having painted such a verbal picture of Greenland I now need to back it up with images, so here, hopefully for your enjoyment, are my top 10 favourite photos from the trip.
Comments
Phil Abraham
21/9/2018 3:59 PM
If you need a second opinion, read this blog twice, I was a paying guest on this trip and can wholeheartedly echo every word written, only I would add a few more superlatives NWS had picked just the right ship... the crew were as passionate about the trip as we were, nothing too much trouble, and the Captain a regular arctic traveler. The guides were superb, knowledgable, communicative, and with a good eye for an image. An unforgettable experience