Greenland 7 - Hunting for Polar Bears and headed for Iceland

 

Arctic Expedition

Hunting Polar Bears in Romerfjord

&

At Sea to Iceland

Previous:  Greenland Day 6 - Bjorne Island ( A Kingdom of Ice & Dramas )

Photo Album:  Romerfjord Polar Bear Hunting

Video: Romerfjord & at sea to Iceland

Through the Icebergs to Rømerfjord

The boat motored into Rømerfjord through a maze of towering icebergs under a crisp blue evening sky — some so bizarrely shaped they looked like drunken art projects.

Overnight, the ride got a little swelly, suggesting we’d slipped out of Scoresby Sound into the open sea before sneaking into the fjord.

Wake-up Call: Polar Bears at 6 A.M.!

At the unforgivable hour of 6 a.m., Gary, our fearless Expedition Leader, blared over the loudspeaker:

"Five polar bears spotted onshore — zodiacs ready in half an hour!"

Cue mass panic and a flurry of zippers as we wrestled ourselves into layers of cold-weather gear.

First Bear Encounters

Down at the water, we spotted one bear sprinting and a mother with two cubs trailing the shoreline, clearly not looking for brunch company.

We launched the zodiacs, but Gary, sensing that chasing a scared bear family wouldn’t earn us any wilderness karma points, steered us deeper into the fjord.

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Bobbing Toward Adventure

Slowly gliding into the fjord, we spotted two more lone bears perched above us on the hillsides. After a quick glance at our bobbing armada, they wisely headed for higher ground — but not before our cameras went into overdrive.

One bear lingered near some steaming hot springs.
Note to self: Hot springs landing later?

Swimming Bear and Waterfall Views

As we moved further in, another polar bear was spotted swimming across the fjord toward a waterfall, its head bobbing rhythmically above the water.

After an hour or so of paddling and snapping photos, it was time to head back for breakfast and a rethink.

Morning Brightens, Drama Continues

By the time coffee hit our bloodstream, the sun had fully clocked in, revealing a stunning blue-sky day.

From a distance, we watched the swimming bear climb up a steep hill and collapse into a nap near the waterfall. Meanwhile, the kayakers launched for a morning paddle.

Kayakers vs. Bear: A Narrow Escape

Shortly before lunch, the kayakers returned, still breathing heavily. The swimming bear had trailed them for a bit — but luckily, kayaks have the edge in a sprint.

Cue binoculars flying into action again: the swimming bear made another move toward the hot springs...and another bear reappeared too.

Both kept their distance, acting like they were at a very awkward family reunion.

Bear-Watching 2.0: After Lunch Adventures

Since hot springs landings were now a big "nope," unless we want to feed the bears,  we switched to Plan B: Bear Hunting — with cameras, of course.

Off we zoomed after lunch, cameras at the ready.

Our favorite swimming bear swam towards us again — curiously but cautiously, maintaining a polite 200-meter distance. Perhaps just to recon us out for lunch.

The clicks of camera shutters sounded like popcorn popping.

The Curious Case of the Abandoned Snack

Near the hot springs, the second bear — a smaller juvenile — was enthusiastically chewing something on the rocks. We edged to within 30 meters; he kept munching, occasionally shooting us anxious looks.

Meanwhile, the bigger swimming bear crept along the shore. The younger one decided not to wait around and dashed off into the hills.

Curious, we moved closer to inspect the meal. At first, we thought it was a walrus...but closer inspection suggested a narwhal without its tusk. A mystery still unsolved.

Final Sightings: Walrus and Iceberg

With the bears retreating into the hills, we explored nearby.

On a tiny island, a lone walrus was blissfully snoozing on a rock, living his best life.

After admiring one final massive iceberg in the inlet, we wrapped up our last excursion of the trip.

Quiz Night and Rough Seas

Back aboard, we enjoyed dinner, a spirited quiz night (chocolate prizes!), and rolled our clocks back an hour to match Iceland time.

Meanwhile, seasickness bags quietly appeared on all the handrails — just in case.

 Sailing Along Iceland’s West Coast

Morning revealed the rugged northwestern mountains of Iceland under relatively gentle seas.

We sailed along the western coast toward Reykjavik, the majestic scenery unfolding the whole way.

In the afternoon, Snæfellsjökull — a magnificent snow-covered volcano — grew larger and larger on the horizon.

The weather was surprisingly kind for this famously fickle coast...but tomorrow? Well, that was anyone’s guess.

Docking in Reykjavik and New Adventures Begin

And another round of big applauses for our hardworking and dedicated crew and the wonderful chef and cooks.

Just after 6:30 a.m., the harbor pilot hopped aboard to guide us into the final docking spot.

The boat slid into Reykjavik harbor under a calm, cloudy morning.  Cloudy!  That's excellent for Iceland.

Then came hugs, handshakes, goodbyes — and a blur of buses whisking everyone off to hotels and airports.

Seven Polar Bears Later...

After 24 days in the High Arctic, with plenty of polar bear sightings stacked up in just our last day, we couldn’t help but laugh:

Seven polar bear fixes in 24 hours, after struggling to spot them earlier.

Now, if someone could just hand over a newspaper...

"Hello world — we’re back!"

And the adventure continued...on Iceland .....link below "Lost in Iceland"

And our footprint ....

.....read more

Index:  Table of Content

Next:  Lost in Iceland ( videos )

Previous:  Greenland Day 6 - Bjorne Island ( A Kingdom of Ice & Dramas )

Greenland Day 6 - A Kingdom of Ice and Drama

 Arctic Expedition

A Kingdom of Ice and Drama – The Bjornoer Islands

Previous:  Red O the Ice Wonderland

Photo Album:  Bjornoer Islands and Calving Drama

Video: Greenland 6 Bjorneoer & Sydkap

We anchored in the early morning, shrouded in a mist that gave everything a hushed, mysterious feel. Visibility was low, spirits were high, and somewhere beyond the fog lay the jagged silhouettes of the Bjornoer Islands—our icy cathedral for the day. 

They revealed themselves slowly, like dramatic stage curtains parting to a fantastical set: tall, sharp, theatrical peaks rising straight out of the sea like the frozen teeth of some ancient leviathan. That was my first glimpse of the Bjornoer archipelago—and it did not disappoint.

The kayakers were slated for an ambitious 06:30 start, but nature had other plans. The mist said, “Nope,” and kept them on standby until it graciously lifted around 07:30—just in time for us to have breakfast and pretend we’d always planned it that way.

We took to the zodiacs and set off on a spectacular three-hour cruise weaving between the spiny islands and their icy companions—icebergs of every size and personality. The sea was calm, glass-like, giving us postcard-perfect reflections in a hidden lagoon tucked between towering cliffs. If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to float through a fantasy painting, this was it.

Then came the icebergs.

About 200 meters out, we sidled up to one particularly handsome berg—tall, dramatic, a real diva of the ice world. We paused to admire it, cameras clicking away. Then, the silence cracked: a distant rumble. A calving. I turned in time to catch a small chunk tumbling from the far side—and maybe something larger slipping from its backside. 

The iceberg began to lean, slowly at first, then more deliberately. You know that moment in a horror movie when you know the monster’s about to move? That was this. Instinct screamed “Something’s coming!”—and then, crack! A huge slab flaked off with theatrical flair and slammed into the sea. The wave that followed was impressive. And yes, the camera was rolling. Nature served us a front-row seat to one of her great spectacles.

Ice Calving video here ( full screen )....or this small one ( at time 2:44 for the calving ).

Of course, just after we turned the video off, another massive chunk fell. Classic. Timing: 0. Mother Nature: 1.

Eventually, we rendezvoused with the ship about 10 km away and called them over to scoop us up—kayakers included—just in time for lunch. A very civilized wrap-up to a morning that flirted with chaos.

The afternoon took us back through the iceberg maze toward Sydkap, where we landed and went for a walk. Honestly? Bit of a letdown. The terrain was rocky, steep, and thoroughly unimpressed by our curiosity. No wildlife, no historical relics, just... rocks. Maybe we’ve just been too spoiled by the glacier theatrics and iceberg opera earlier. Tough crowd, us.

That night, we sailed through the grand hallway of Hall Bredning in Scoresby Sound, slipping past Ittoqqortoormiit—our familiar little settlement from earlier—under clear, sunny skies. The sea sparkled, and the icebergs, ever the show-offs, glowed with evening light. It felt like we were gliding through a frozen dreamscape.

And yet, the most elusive actor of all still hasn’t made an appearance. Yes, despite our best efforts, the Greenland bear count remains a big, defiant ZERO. Tomorrow’s our last shot before we head to Iceland.

Dear polar bears: if you could make a dramatic, last-minute entrance, now would be a great time. We’re ready. We’ve got cameras. And snacks. Just saying.

And our footprints....after 6 days in Greenland.

.....read more

Index:  Table of Content

Next:  A day of polar bear kills

Previous:  Red O the Ice Wonderland