Days 7: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

1

Days 7: Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Artic Canada

From Paul Bryers, August 23, 2025

A stunning sunrise welcomed us as we completed our crossing of Baffin Bay, arriving at Pond Inlet around 7 am.

The inlet’s surrounding mountains were magnificent with many white capped ranges and glaciers ploughing their way down to their tidal termini and releasing icebergs.

The town itself, Pond Inlet, is part of Nunavut, the largest and northernmost territory of Canada.  It was separated officially from the NW Territories via varies Acts in April 1999. These Acts, provided the Nunavut territory to the Inuit for self-government.

The town is small with a population of around 1550. The buildings are predominantly cabins with additional community structures.

In the afternoon, some of us embarked on the Zodiacs to land away from the town and walk along a beach to the Salmon River.

The best part of this excursion was the view towards the mountains.

The hike itself was quite disappointing as it just involved trudging along a smelly sea weed beach to the outlet of the Salmon River. To be fair to HX, these excursions are new and very difficult to organize with the locals – it takes a lot of time and patience. There is clearly an opportunity for improvement.

Nevertheless, the Salmon Creek was pretty and we were offered tea by a woman who just happened to be sitting in the Arctic Tundra – unfortunately she had only boiling water, no tea or cups; it’s the thought that counts.

We spotted a lemming…

…some loons…

…..some nice shells….

….some nice stones…

….and some pretty lichens and ground plants…

All in all, another great day in the Arctic.

Days 5-6: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

0

Days 5-6: Cruising from Ilulissat, Greenland to Pond Inlet, Canadian Arctic

From Paul Bryers, August 21-22, 2025

We spent the last 2 days cruising from Ilulissat, Greenland to Pond Inlet in the Canadian Arctic.

We encountered a mix of weather with regards to sun but the whole crossing has been boringly calm. One moment complete fog then we burst out of the fog like a naughty Haggis on a hot date.

Fog!!
Escaping the fog bank!
Sunlight!
Dating Haggi

A few sea birds accompanied our voyage – notably the Glaucous Gull and Northern Fulmar with his stubby, yellow beak..

Glaucous Gulls
Robust Northern Fulmars

Day 4: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

1

Day 4: Ilulissat Town, Disko Island, Flyover of Greenland Ice Cap and Jakobshavn Glacier/Icefjord and Hike along the Icefjord

From Paul Bryers, August 20, 2025

This day was dedicated to exploring glaciers and ice formations near Ilulissat, Greenland.

We started early in the morning, entering the calm waters near Ilulissat and Disko Island, which were adorned with icebergs of various shapes and sizes.

Some whales quietly passed by..

And these guys cast judgement on us….

A select group of us, including myself, then embarked on a 60-minute fixed wing flight.

We witnessed:

– The tidal terminus of the Northern Glacier, measuring 17 km ( 11 miles) in width.

– The vast and seemingly endless Greenland Ice Cap. This cap goes from the West to the East Coast and the South to the North Coast. The Greenland ice cap or sheet is an ice sheet which forms the second largest body of ice in the world. It is an average of 1.67 km (1.0 mies) thick and over 3 km (1.9 miles) thick at its maximum. It is almost 2,900 km (1,800 miles) long in a north–south direction, with a maximum width of 1,100 km (680 miles) at a latitude of 77°N, near its northern edge.

Monstrous!

– The terminus of the Jakobshavn Glacier

– The Icefjord and open sea

It was an awe-inspiring experience.

The Jakobshavn Glacier holds the distinction of being the fastest-flowing glacier in Greenland. It terminates in the Icefjord. The glacier significantly contributes to global sea level rise, and its rapid speed, thinning, and retreat have made it a subject of intense scientific research. The fjord itself is a deep, glacially carved trough where enormous icebergs calve from the glacier’s terminus.

After the flight, a fellow guest and I embarked on a humble 6-mile hike along the Icefjord.

Day 3: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

0

Day 3: Sisimiut, Greenland

From Paul Bryers, August 19, 2025

What a spectacular location. The houses remind me of the West Coast of Scotland; Tobermory, Tarbert, Barra….

Quite incredible…..esp. liked Dog Town where all the town dogs and their pups stay as they are worker dogs and not pets..

The town is impressive. While steeped in history it is very progressive. Schools for neurodivergent and Down’s, etc…no one left behind.

Our hike up the mountain was fun but the wee insects were as bad as midges. Still, we got great views ….

Day 2: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

0

Day 2: Overnight Cruising from Nuuk to Evighedfjord

From Paul Bryers, August 18, 2025

During the night, our cruise from Nuuk to Evighedfjord encountered rough seas in the Labrador Sea. However, upon entering the fjord in the morning, the sea became significantly calmer, although mist and light rain persisted.

The fjord is characterized by picturesque steep mountains and stunning tidewater glaciers. Notably, the Evighedfjord Glacier is situated at the far end of the fjord, featuring two distinct prongs, one of which has carved a path through the center of a 1500-meter mountain.

Google Maps of Fjord
Google Maps: The Evighedfjord Glacier

My group, Bearded Seals, embarked on a Zodiac excursion to the face of the glacier, where we observed a striking display of blue hues, comprising both transparent and compacted blue ice. The glacier face stands approximately 50 meters high and was actively calving, producing a loud roar and splash that were audible and visible from a distance of 500 meters.

Interestingly, our Zodiac guide was Dougie Wainwright, son of Robert Wainwright, a renowned rugby union footballer who was capped 37 times for Scotland and once for the British and Irish Lions. Coincidentally, Rob and his family reside on the Isle of Coll, a location that holds great personal significance for me.

Dougie Wainwright

Day 1: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

0

Day 1: Flight from Reykjavik, Iceland to Nuuk, Greenland

From Paul Bryers; August 17, 2025

Our entry to airspace above Greenland was very impressive. We quickly descended from 33,000 ft to below mountain ranges; mountains still smattered by snow and towering about the fjords. The airport and surrounds were barbaric, reminding me of living in a Scottish quarry. We are now happily enclosed within the bosom of MV Fridtjof Nansen.

PS Bryers, August 17, 2025
PS Bryers, August 17, 2025
PS Bryers, August 17, 2025
PS Bryers, August 17, 2025

Day 1: North West Passage Expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen, August/September 2025

Posted by

0

Day 1: Reykjavik, Iceland

From Paul Bryers; August 17, 2025

Today, we embark on an expedition to Southeast Greenland and attempt to navigate a sea passage through the ice flows of the Northwest Passage (NWP), a journey scheduled to take 26 days.

The NWP is a maritime route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Arctic Ocean, adjacent to North America’s northern coast, utilizing Canadian Arctic Archipelago waterways. Essentially, we will sail from Nuuk, Greenland, to Nome, Alaska.

Sourced from internet; unknown author.

This endeavor is termed an “attempt” because, although Arctic sea ice recedes sufficiently during late July and August to enable strengthened vessels to pass, the remaining ice continues to move and accumulate, posing a risk of ships becoming stuck and damaged.

Our vessel, the MV Fridtjof Nansen, is a hybrid-powered expedition ship operated by HX Hurtigruten, featuring reinforced hulls designed to withstand impacts from ice flows and small icebergs. While capable of icebreaking, the F Nansen is not designed to break through thick, multi-year ice found in the Arctic.

Courtesy of HX Hurtigruten

I have complete confidence in HX and their new vessels, having sailed with them to Antarctica twice, and while they are bold in their expeditions, they prioritize safety.

Antarctic and Falklands Cruise – Day 7 – Whale Watching

Posted by

0

Paul S. Bryers, January 2, 2020

We saw loads of large icebergs and were lucky enough to see ten’s of Humpback whales feeding over a period of several hours.

Antarctic and Falklands – Day 6 – Danco Island (2)

Posted by

0

Paul S. Bryers, January 1, 2020

Our zodiac landing was far easier today. However, the walk up/down the snow covered hill to see the Gentoo Penguins was quite challenging – worth it though for the magnificent views!

And at last we saw a Chinstrap Penguin.

We did our landing at 1.30 pm, it’s now 7.49 pm and there’s still folks on the hill.

What a way to spend the first day of 2020!

Antarctic and Falklands – Day 6 – Danco Island (1)

Posted by

2

Paul S. Bryers, January 1, 2020

We arrived at Danco Island about 12.30 pm after cruising around the area enjoying the magnificent scenery and seeing blows and tails of quite a few whales.

See 2nd posting on Dante Island for more photos.