Today we were to have been landing on south Baffin Island and so entering Canada but the weather gods thought otherwise. The approaching weather pattern looked a bit rough to the EL decided to head for Ataa Sund a little north of Disko bay where the synoptic chart promised calm waters. And it was – totally delightful.
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| Our ship, Sylvia Earle, hiding behind an iceberg. |
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| Sky sea and ice - exquisitely tranquility |
We were out early in zodiacs (and some in kayaks) exploring the shoreline, weaving between icebergs, and visiting an abandoned settlement although we didn’t land. The settlement of Ataa was established around 1830 and by 1900 it housed ~100 people.
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| This berg had ground rock incorporated into it |
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| Our crazy leader posing for a fun shot. |
They engaged in the most bizarre industries – yarn making and bacon processing (where the meat came from is anyone’s guess). The settlement was abandoned in 1960 but I think it might be used as a summer camp these days. We were in the EL’s zodiac which was fun but I wished I had been in Alex’s because the rocks along the coastline were intriguing. C’est la vie!
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| Fascinating patterns in the rocks caused by volcanic intrusions |
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| Massive waterfalls cascaded over the cliffs |
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| Reaching way over the side to capture samples of the crystal waters |
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Ashley clambered ashore to collect this rope washed up
and tangled in the rocks |
Aurora has a commitment to the environment so no rubbish found is left uncollected, that goes for everything from the tiniest fragment of plastic to large stuff washed off ships and fishing vessels (if it can be moved.)
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| The face of the glacier Eqip Sermia |
Back on board we did a ship cruise to see Eqip Sermia, a huge glacier draining Greenland’s massive ice cap. Then we headed back to sea to head westward to Canada (with slowly building seas).
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| Someone brought back a lump of iceberg ice for the Bar. |
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