Day 25
A final early breakfast before we left our cabins and said goodbye to the crew and the ship. We have learned a lot, dived deeper into the fascinating Inuit culture of the north and made new acquaintances. These memories will stay with us for a lifetime.
Day 24
A last sea day on board. It was time to reflect upon the previous weeks and all the memorable events. The captain gave his farewell speech, the Expedition Team presented their personal highlights of the trip, and we watched the video of our journey, which captured the individual stages in touching i...
Day 23
Newfoundland greeted us warmly. Three Newfoundlanders joined us on board in the Explorer Bar and played music and songs and shared a few stories about events on this island. We then headed into town, with many of us strolling through the green spaces along the Corner Brook Stream Trail, either guide...
Day 22
The picturesque little fishing village of Red Bay, with just 142 inhabitants, was glowing in sunlight as we drove into the bay. As we travelled around the town, some of us with a local guide, some on our own, we were met with friendliness from all sides. We felt very welcome, and the home-made taste...
Day 21
The sun spoilt us with its warm rays during the day. It is clearly noticeable that we are further south than in recent weeks, and the temperatures are climbing. Nevertheless, some rain fell in the evening. The last groups had their guided tour of the bridge today, and in the evening, we could ask th...
Day 20
What a spectacular night – an unexpected treat! We were outside on deck to view magical auroras (Northern Lights) in the sky, moving brightly above our heads. But even more, the day started with a beautiful sunrise, and the sun kept us company and warmed us throughout the day. Moderate wind and swel...
Day 19
Our second day in West Greenland was sunny again. A picturesque city panorama could already be seen from the ship lying in the harbour. Whether on foot or by bus, the town, with all its colourfully painted houses, showed us its most beautiful side. It was surrounded by graceful mountains whose peaks...
Day 18
Ilulissat was covered in rain when we arrived. The energetic waves coming directly from the sea made using the large tender boats impossible, so we were taken ashore in the Zodiacs a short time later. Fortunately, the raindrops were limited and visibility was pretty clear. This meant we could explor...
Day 17
We were travelling on open water again with clear visibility to the end of the horizon in all directions. Apart from some nice clouds in the sky, the sun's rays were unobstructed. An extensive cultural, scientific and historical lecture programme kept us busy. However, some of us used the day to rel...
Day 16
Our immense good fortune followed us again today - a few fair weather clouds interrupted the otherwise sunny sky as we sailed past a marvellously rugged mountain landscape. A varied cultural and historical programme was available on board. In the afternoon, we stopped briefly at Pond Inlet to take o...
Day 15
We were treated to spectacular views as we travelled in and out of Croker Bay. Majestic glacier tongues calving into the sea, some whitish, some bluish, glistened in the sunlight. A few seals were playing in the water in front of the glacier front and were not disturbed by us, and we also spotted a...
Day 14
The day kicked off spectacularly with Prince Leopold Island. We marvelled at 300 metres of cliffs rising almost vertically out of the water. The cliffs are used as breeding grounds by thousands of seabirds. The journey continued to Beechey Island, a historic site since the failed Franklin expedition...
Day 13
After manoeuvring through a stretch of large sea ice floes during the night, there was almost no ice in sight in the morning. Instead, we spotted the first polar bear on land during breakfast. As we travelled through the narrow Bellot Strait in the afternoon, we observed more polar bears and musk ox...
Day 12
We arrived in the morning in Gjoa Haven, a place of historical significance. None other than the legendary polar explorer Roald Amundsen spent two winters there with his crew from 1903 to 1905 to learn from the local Inuit. Today, we went on a guided tour led by the local Inuit to learn more about l...
Day 11
The evening before, our captain, Terje Willassen, had already prepared us for today's special event: the attempt to set foot on Borge Island, named after the birthplace of Roald Amundsen, also our esteemed captain's birthplace. The day started off windy and wavy and initially we couldn't launch the...
Day 10
Awakened by rays of sunshine, the excitement of the visit to the community of Cambridge Bay was already growing. Once there, we went on a guided tour with the locals, who eagerly introduced us to their way of life in the area. We could see the Canadian High Arctic Research Station and the visitor ce...
Day 9
During a windy yet sunny nature landing on Murray Island, we took a short hike through the grasslands and up a hill. Not only a marvellous view but also some animal bones (definitely some caribou and lemmings) presented themselves to us. The island looked barren from the sea, but once on land, a sur...
Day 8
Before we went ashore, we were greeted by around 40 locals in the Explorer Bar, who introduced us to various music, dances, songs, games and sports. We then went ashore, meeting many welcoming inhabitants of this small but warm-hearted community. We could choose between a guided tour of the village...
Day 7
This day at sea had some highlights to offer. After lunch, we encountered our sister ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen. A lot of shouting and cheering, waving and smiling went on, Norwegian flags blowing in the wind. We witnessed how both ships exchanged some goods and zodiacs. In the evening, a second highl...
Day 6
After the first four sea days, as entertaining and educational as they were, we were happy to finally set foot on land again. A beautiful sunny day awaited us on Herschel Island after crossing the border into Canada at night. We strolled around the buildings that date back to whaling times. Close to...
Day 5
While sailing the Beaufort Sea today, we prepared for the first stop on our route. We received our patches, which divided us into boat groups, vacuum-cleaned our outdoor gear and backpacks, and were equipped with rubber boots. We also attended the AECO briefing to learn the rules for behaving in thi...
Day 4
Another day at sea, close to Point Barrow, was filled with an onboard programme, much of which centred around Inuit topics so we could better understand the indigenous people of this area. We learnt of a fascinating lifestyle that has evolved over thousands of years in order to survive in the rough...
Day 3
While we sailed further north, the weather improved. The fog cleared up, and we even got sunshine in the afternoon. This can certainly be traced back to the visit of the sea god Njord, who paid us a visit at the bow of deck 6 in the morning. Many guests wanted to conciliate Njord and willingly let h...
Day 2
We waited in the port of Nome until the swell had calmed down, and we finally left at 10 am. We were sailing north with all the joyful anticipation of what was to come. Not many people have ever sailed where we are going over the coming days and weeks. For now, it was a foggy day; we certainly felt...
Day 1
The adventure started as soon as we arrived in Nome. Very strong winds came directly from the sea and drove the waves right into the port. Although lying alongside in port, the ship with its gangway was pushed back and forth by the winds and waves. At some point, the gangway needed to be closed and...