The View From Palasip Qaqqaa

View From Palasip Qaqqaa Sisimiut

At 11:00 we slowly cruised into the fog beset harbour in Sisimiut.  When cold sea meets warm summer air and there is very little wind, seafog  is often the result.  Such was the case today.  The damp sea air was quite chilly as many people gathered on the dock, the meeting place for either a hike to the top of Palasip Qaqqaa mountain or a hike to Tele Island.  Still others boarded a fast boat at the ship for an excursion to the abandoned village Assaqutat.

Greenlandic children on a tour of the ship!

Throughout the day the fog pulsed in and out of the harbour but the heaviest fog lay at sea.  For those that took the 5 hour hike to the top of Palasip Qaqqaa the fog was a bonus.  For  most of the day we were on top of the clouds.  The views were stunning.  When we looked out to the west we saw a vast ocean of fluffy cotton while we basked in the sunshine.  

The elevation gain on our hike was 470 metres.  It was enough of an elevation change that it should have caused a substantial drop in temperature.  Instead the reverse was true.  The further we got inland, the warmer it got, despite the gain in elevation.

Sitting in the captain's chair!

Not everyone that starts the hike to the summit of Palasip Qaqqaa finishes.  It's a tougher hike than many people expect, despite the fact that we do our best to inform everyone of the degree of difficulty.  Those that manage it always have a real sense of accomplishment having made it to the top and back.  As you can see in the photos, the views are spectacular, which is of course also very rewarding.

One of the highlights of the day was a visit by 41 children from Sisimiut.  On Fram we try to give back to the communities we visit as much as possible.  We donate clothing to villages, we raise money at auctions and give it to the children in Greenland and we do small thing like invite bright-eyed children for a tour of the ship.  This morning 41 excited kids boarded Fram and were given a 5-star tour.  They even got to sit in the Captain's chair.  They each received a big bowl of ice cream with fresh strawberries. Is there anything more universal than a child's love for ice cream?  The biggest thrill was when they attended a special lecture - just for them -  by a real live astronaut. Claude Nicolier!    

It is now 21:00 and we are heading further north.  Tomorrow our port of call will be Qeqertarsuaq.

Kangerlussuaq

Our charter Greenland Air jet touched down in Kangerlussuaq at 15:40.  We disembarked the plane into 14˚C brilliant sunshine.  Could this really be Greenland?  We just flew over the second largest ice sheet in the world  (the views were spectacular)!  There is 2.6 million km³ of ice in Greenland.  Shouldn't this be a cold place? It seemed more like landing in Phoenix Arizona than the second largest ice machine on earth.  In the summer Kangerlussuaq is the warmest inhabited place in Greenland.  In the winter it is the coldest inhabited place.

We walked the 200 metres across the tarmac and into the small airport. The Expedition Team from the ship was there to greet us and to show us to three waiting motor coaches. It was a short twenty minute ride to the ship.  The road we travelled is the longest road in Greenland.  In all of Greenland there are only 150km of roads!  This road ended abruptly at the head of the fjord.

We were each issued a lifejacket and shown how to put them on. We hopped in the Polar Cirkel boats and enjoyed  short ride to the ship.  Once on the ship we were issued ID cards and then shown to our cabins.  Then it was time for a delicious buffet dinner. By the time we finished dinner and returned to our cabins our luggage had been delivered.  

At 20:30 we all dressed warmly for a mandatory safety drill outside on deck 5.  Following the drill we were invited to the Observation Lounge for the Captain's welcome cocktail.  The Captain gave a speech and then introduced us to key members of all of the departments of the ship.  We were then introduced to the team from Kontiki and the Expedition Team from Fram.

It is an absolutely gorgeous evening to sail down this long and very beautiful fjord. 

It will take about 9 hours for Fram to travel the length of Kangerlussuaq Fjord.  It is the third largest fjord in Greenland.  It has been a very long day but now our adventure in Greenland begins!  

Kaffeemik and Soccer and the Circle

We arrived in Itilleq at 13:00 which meant our morning was free for briefings about the day's activities and an important briefing on how disembarkation day, tomorrow, would happen.  

As we approached Itilleq a heavy sea-fog set in, marring our near perfect record for sunshine every day.  With the mist it felt more remote.  Somehow it felt a little more like Greenland.  It felt more like what we imagined it might be like in the Arctic.

The Arctic.  Itilleq is in the Arctic by about 200 metres.  The Arctic Circle passes two hundred metres south of the village's edge.  You could walk to the imaginary line from the village except the Circle passes through a small adjacent island.  You could swim there but the water is 5.50˚C.  But for all intents and purposes we spent the afternoon right on the Arctic Circle!  Now that is extremely cool!

After we dropped anchor, we had a short boat ride to the pier where we were given colour coded tickets to a kaffeemik.  We were all invited into the local people's homes for tea, coffee and cakes. The tickets insured we arrived to the correct house.  

At 13:00 we started the traditional soccer match of Fram vs Itilleq.  We had an excellent start by scoring the first goal but by the end of the 1st half we were behind 5-2.  From there it went steadily downhill.  The final result was Itilleq 10, Fram 3.  Despite the lop-sided score everyone had fun.  I think there were well over thirty players on the small gravel pitch at once!  There was over 200 hundred people cheering for both teams on the sidelines.  

During the second half Rasmus Lyberth entertained everyone right beside the soccer field which of course drew an even bigger crowd.  It was a really fun festive atmosphere.

By 16:30 everyone was back on the ship and at 16:45 we heaved the anchor and turned our bow to the south. At 17:30 we all gathered in the Observation Lounge for the Captain's farewell speech.  Much of the ship's complement was gathered from every department.  After a toast by the Captain; the crew, officers and the Expedition Team joined together to sing some farewell songs.  It was a nice way to wrap up the voyage but the voyage isn't over. Our next stop is Kangerlussuaq.  Then the Circle will be complete.

Flexibility is Paramount While Expedition Cruising

 Once again we were stymied by the Ilulissat ice.  The reason one goes to Ilulissat is to see ice.  The main reason Ilulissat is a Unesco World Heritage Site is because of the glacier Sermec Kujaleq.  It calves more ice than any other glacier in North America.  I wish it would slow down just a little.  There has been just too much ice the last three weeks for us to get there.  But, even though we didn't get to Ilulissat, we still had a terrific day!

We came to see ice.  Well, we certainly saw a lot of ice today.  If we couldn't see the ice in Ilulissat we could certainly see the ice from Ilulissat!  At 07:30 we dropped the Polar Cirkel boats and started ice cruises shortly after. It was uninterrupted clear blue skies once again and little to no wind.  Absolutely perfect conditions.  

The best way to experience an ice berg is at sea level.  That is when you get the true feeling of the immensity of some of the ice.  It is also when you can really examine the detail and all of the wonderful shades of blue in glacial ice.  It is superb for photography.  We each had approximately a thirty minute tour of the icebergs which was just about right as it began to get a little chilly on the water speeding around in the Polar Cirkel boats.  It was really a nice experience.

In the afternoon we visited the town of Qasigiannguit.  It was the first time that Fram had visited this community of 1200 people.  They really out did themselves in preparing for our visit.   They arranged various guided hikes for us.  They opened the museum which was also a good place to purchase crafts.  A dog feeding was arranged.

The choir sang for us in the church which was followed by Rasmus Lyberth performing outside for everyone.

There was plenty for us to do.   Of course everything was optional.  A few people chose to hike on their own and the terrace at the Discobay Hotel did a thriving business.  We were kept busy from 14:30 until 20:00. 

In the evening there was a charity auction in the Observation Lounge to raise money for the children of Greenland which was followed by Rasmus's final performance.

We may have had to cancel Ilulissat but we still had a fantastic day.

Eqip Sermia

Travelling by ship can be a very relaxing experience.  On Fram there are plenty of places both indoors and out on deck where you can sit by yourself and watch the scenery glide by. The distance from Ukkusissat to the glaciar Eqip Sermia is 212 nautical miles, so we never arrive before 17:00.  That means there is plenty of time during the day to attend lectures, to go on a bridge tour, or on a day like today, sit in the sun and watch icebergs.

Shortly after 15:00 we had a visit by King Neptune.  It was time for everyone to pay the toll to king Neptune for crossing the Arctic Circle.  The toll for crossing the Circle was ice cold water poured down the back of your neck.  I was amazed at how many people lined up for the privilege!

At 18:00 we arrived at Eqip Sermia.  It was another really beautiful day.  We had clear skies once again and virtually no wind.  Once on shore you could climb a small hill for an excellent view of the glacier or you could climb a much higher hill also with a great view of the glacier and the surrounding scenery.

There were a few mosquitoes humming about.  But if you had mosquito repellant or a mosquito net hat they really weren’t much bother at all.

By 21:00 everyone was back on Fram enjoying a delicious Barbeque on deck seven aft.  Great food combined with more amazing scenery!

At 22:00 there was a demonstration of fruit and ice carving in the Observation Lounge.  What a fun way to wrap up a very relaxing day!

An Evening That Would Inspire Poets

Combine perfect weather with giant landscapes that stir the soul and cultural experiences that warm the heart and you will be left with a day that you will not soon forget.  Our day today could not have been better.

By 10:00 we had dropped anchor in Uummannaq and the first excursions boats picked up their passengers at the ship.  Soon as the excursion boats were away the Polar Cirkel boats started shuttling people to shore.  A group of people went off for a talk with a local hunter while others explored Uummannaq on their own.  At 12:00 a large group of epicureans met at the Uummannaq hotel to sample the Greenlandic cuisine.  Just a few of the items on the sumptious buffet were: reindeer, minke whale, narwhal, muskox, harp seal, smoked halibut, crow berries, blue berries, ammassat (capelin) and various salads.  M-m-m-m-m!!!!

At 1:30 a large group met at the landing site to go on a 5 km hike to the other side of the island.  There was a long line of blue jackets stretched across the rolling hills behind Uummannaq.  Our destination was Santa’s hut.  Greenlandic and Danish children believe that Santa Claus lives here in Uummannaq because of a television series that ran in Denmark in the “90’s.  When we arrived at Santa’s Hut we were surprised with some very welcome snacks and beverages – tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water (and even a shot of whisky in your beverage was available if you wished)!  The hotel staff had whisked everything around the island in the polar ?cirkel boats!  There was even a surprise visitor, hmmm... we were the visitors and were surprised that the owner of the hut was home!  Santa Claus showed up (he looked an awful lot like our chef).

By 16:00 all of the hikers were back and at 16:30 the last polar Cirkel left shore.  As we cruised towards Ukkusissat we encountered more and more ice.  It was incredibly beautiful under nearly clear blue skies.  The ice became so thick that we were forced to reduce speed in order to navigate safely.  We were scheduled to arrive in Ukkusissat at 19:30 but the heavy ice dictated our arrival time.  We dropped anchor at 20:00 and transferred many of the people from the village to the ship.  These aren’t strangers.  These are our friends.

In the Observation lounge the people from Ukkusissat entertained us with folk dances and songs by their choir. Some of the people were dressed in traditional clothing.  Anja Erdmann gave an expalnation of the work and materials involved in the clothes.

At approximately 21:00 it was our turn to visit the village.  Rasmus Lyberth is a folk music hero in Greenland and is well loved wherever he goes here.  Everyone in the village gathered around while Rasmus gave another stirring performance.

 At 23:00 the last polar Cirkel boat left shore.  We waved goodbye to our friends and turned our bow to the south.

Now as I finish writing the blog for today (yesterday) it is 00.30 and it is the type of evening that inspires poets.   Fram is surrounded by icebergs.  Thousands of them.  We are picking our way through a maze of ice on a slow, weaving, zig-zagging course.  The sun has dropped behind a large dark mountain on our starboard sun.  It hasn’t set.  It won’t set. The light is warm.  The sea is calm.  Each piece of ice is a new ephemeral work of art.  We are all so very lucky to be here, to see this, to have experienced a wonderful day like we did today. 

Qeqertarsuaq

The weather today was perfect!  A balmy 10˚C and for much of the day there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The number one thing to do on our visit to Qeqertarsuaq is to hike into the Valley of the Winds.  It is not a difficult hike and the landscape is majestic.  It is now prime time for the wild flowers of Greenland.  Small splashes of bright colours decorate the somber tones of the landscape.  Some of the more beautiful flowers like the Flame-tipped Lousewort and the Wooly Lousewort are easy to over look.  Lots of people were seen huddling over wildflower field guides and crawling on the ground to photograph the flowers.

Once again Humpback Whales were spotted amongst the giant icebergs in the bay.  That makes three weeks in a row!

At the waterfall one of the Canada Geese that we spotted last week was still sitting on its nest.  We are all hopeful that we will soon be able to report the successful hatching of some Goslings.

In town a few local people were selling handicrafts.  The open-air meat and fish market was also open for business.  We stopped in for a peak to see what they might be selling.  Lots of fresh minke whale meat and blubber!

By 15:30 everyone was back on the ship.  The lectures in the afternoon were just nicely underway when Humpback whales were announced! Who wants to sit in a lecture room when there are whales to see on a gorgeous sunny afternoon?  Uh...  no one.  Soon the railings on deck five were crowded with people eager to get a glimpse of a whale.  There were three humpbacks.  One of them was probably a calf as it was quite a bit smaller than the other two.  We followed them for several minutes and then it was time to steer our course for tomorrow's landing at Uummannaq and then Ukkusissat.

Palasip Qaqqa

We offer a wide range of activities/excursions in Greenland.  For example there are many great hikes at various destinations.  One of the best is in Sisimiut, our port of call today.  From the ship the hike looks intimidating.  The mountain Palasip Qaqqa looms over the harbour.  Our goal was to reach the top and the top looked very far away.  Forty adventurous souls signed up for the hike.  When everyone became aware of exactly where we were going, you could see a few people swallow hard.  We do our best to inform everyone in great detail as to the nature of all of our excursions.  If the hike is difficult, we say so.  We want everyone to have a great experience.  Once it was made clear that they could stop half way if they wished, you could see a collective sigh of relief.

First there was a ten minute shuttle ride to the base of the mountain after which we set off in three groups of 13 or 14 people, plus guides.  The weather was perfect.  Sunny and cool.  Cool enough to keep the mosquitoes grounded.  The beginning is quite easy.  There are a few glacial melt-water streams to ford and there is a gradual incline.  After about 45 minutes it gets steep enough that the guides need to assist folks over some scrambly bits.  

Half way up we reached a small grassy plateau.  A perfect place to take a breather and also the perfect place to stay, have your excellent packed lunch, admire the incredible view and relax while the keeners set out for the top.  It turned out that most people wanted the satisfaction of going all the way.  Of the original forty, 28 made it to the top.

As you can see in the photos, on a day like we had today, the view is stunning.  Sisimiut lay far below us to the south.  To the north and east lay nothing but mile after mile of rocky, mountainous landscape.  It was surprisingly warm with little to no wind.  We enjoyed our lunch and then began the descent.  With the aid of the guides, the hike back down was accomplished easily.  Many of us paused at the glacial stream and filled our water bottles with some of the best water in the world - straight from a Greenland glacier.   When we reached the rendezvous point at the bottom we all felt a great sense of accomplishment

The Stress of a Vacation

Part of the great fun of any vacation is the anticipation leading up to the day of departure.  The excitement builds until finally, the taxi is waiting and it is time to go to the airport.  But for some people the tension  builds and travelling can be quite a stressful time, "Where are the plane tickets?  Where is my passport?  Did I turn off the stove?  Did I pack my contact lenses?  What did I forget?  Did I leave the key for the cat sitter?"  After a while the journey seems to be one queue after another.  Wait for the checkin machine.  Wait for the baggage drop off.  Wait for security.  Wait at the gate. And then wondering, "Where's my boarding pass?  Did I leave my passport back at security?  I hope Fluffy doesn't starve while we're away."  Some people may go through three or more airports on the way to Greenland.  Endless queues.  Endless struggles with luggage.  The stress of it all.  Does it ever end?

Yes. Finally.  The last flight.  Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq Greenland.  After our Greenland air charter jet touched down in Kangerlussuaq, we walked 100 metres across the tarmac into the Kang' airport.  There to greet us were six members of the Expedition Team from the MV Fram.  Incredibly, they told us we didn't have to worry about our luggage.  The luggage would follow us to the ship in a truck. There was no lineup.   In fact, all we had to do was walk outside to a waiting motor coach and enjoy the 20 minute ride to the ship.  Indeed, you could define that as the precise moment when our holiday had well and truly started.  From now on we wouldn't have to wrestle with our luggage.  No more waiting in airports.  No more stress.

At the harbour there was coffee and snacks.  There was a team of people to help us into life jackets and then into nifty little craft called Polar Cirkel boats.  Okay.    There was a teensy little bit of stress for some people.  There were a few mosquitoes at the harbour checking people for blood type. But really, it's hardly even worth mentioning in a blog. A short brisk boat ride brought us to the ship. Once on the vessel we were efficiently issued our ship's ID and cabin keys and then escorted to our new home away from home.  Before a delicious buffet dinner we were each issued blue wind breaker jackets.  

At 20:30 we all attended a mandatory safety drill which was followed by the Captain's welcome cocktail in the Observation Lounge on deck seven where we were introduced to many of the key personnel on the ship.

Wow.  That was a long day!  But now you can kick back, relax and get ready to meet Greenland.  

A Special Day In Itilleq

Our visit to Itilleq was special today for a couple of reasons.  There was a wedding in the settlement!  It was a very special day for the happy couple, Frode and Najaaraq Jensen.  It was special for us because we had been invited, along with the rest of the community, to the reception. The reception was held in the brand new school (not a year old yet).  In some respects the setting was typical of what you might find at many wedding receptions in North America or Europe. A table laden with gifts was on one side of the room.  Children gathered in groups.  The teenagers huddled covertly together.  The youngest children were running around or playing games in another room. And, there was lots of food.   People were sitting at a half dozen tables casually helping themselves to a really fine buffet.

The sweets table was loaded with familiar looking delicious desserts.  The main course table was filled with Greenlandic delicacies which included: Harbor Porpoise and Mattak (skin and blubber from the porpoise) roast reindeer, dried Narwhal, Humpback Whale (in sort of a soup), Greenland shrimp, dried cod and halibut. 

The bride and groom were dressed in their beautiful traditional Greenlandic clothing.  They were very obliging hosts and quite happy to pose for photographs.

It was also a special day in Itilleq because we won our weekly soccer match.  Last week the two teams were fairly evenly matched but Itilleq won by two goals.  This week MV Fram reined victorious with a score of 5-2.  Let's see what happens next week.  Somehow I think it will be a much tougher match

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Spider Town

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray (Robert Burns).  In Expedition Cruising sometimes it seems you create a plan in order to have something from which to deviate.  You can plan all you want but if the weather or ice are against you, the old plan goes out the window and it's time to be spontaneous.  And that's exactly what happened today.  Like last week, today there was too much ice for us to even get near Ilulissat. 

Well... 

What were the options?  

Hmmm...  

The town of Aasiaat was fairly close by and in the right direction... 

Aasiaat is the fifth largest community in Greenland with a population of 3100.  Aasiaat means "spiders" in Greenlandic.

It was amazing how quickly a new plan was put together by the Expedition Leader Anja Erdmann.  By mid-morning key people in Aasiaat had been contacted and a nice program arranged for us. At 14:00 we began landing operations. The museum and tourism office opened for us.  Coffee and cakes were available in the community centre at 16:00 as well as crafts for sale and a performance by the local people. At 17:00 the church opened and the choir sang for us, after which we were free to roam on our own until 20:00.  At 21:00 we were entertained in the Observation Lounge by a drum dancer from town.  It was quite impressive that so much had been arranged on but a moment's notice.  This was Fram's first visit to this delightful town.  They were so cooperative I couldn't help wondering if we would see them again?

The Aasiaat coat of arms is a stylized spider web on a blue and white background.  Blue representing the oceans surrounding Greenland and white representing the Greenland ice sheet.

Things That Make Navigation Officers Tense

There are some forces of nature that can put navigation officers on edge.  High winds.  Low visibility due to weather such as heavy fog or snow.  Lots of ice.  Put any two of these factors together and you might find a quiet tension on the bridge that you can cut with a knife.  Today we had lots of ice and lots of fog for most of the day.  If either of these factors are heavy enough, the ship will reduce speed.  The thicker the ice and the denser the fog, the less progress we make.  In heavy fog the navigation officers rely on radar and the GPS.  There is also an extra AB (Able-bodied seaman) on watch in low visibility conditions.  Usually it means that the Captain spends many more hours on the bridge.

For the rest of us, today's fog and ice translated into a nice relaxing day.  It was really great to see large icebergs suddenly appear out of the mist.   Our experience was pretty much the opposite of what the navigation officers were experiencing.

Our day was filled with lectures in three different languages: English, German and Danish.  In the afternoon King Neptune made an appearance on the bow and demanded we pay a price for crossing the Arctic Circle.  The price?  Ice cold water poured down the back of your neck - followed by a shot of whisky.  Maybe we should have asked him if there was something he could do about the fog.

Eventually if became clear that we would not be able to reach our destination, the glacier Eqip Sermia.  The ice was too thick and we had lost too much time.  The decision was made to launch the Polar Cirkel boats and go cruising amongst the icebergs.  Meanwhile the chefs and galley staff were busy barbequing our dinner on deck seven at the stern.  When we returned from our ice cruise we were treated to a delicious buffet of various barbequed delights in the dining room.

At 21:30 the ship's officers and expedition team put on a fashion show in the Observation lounge.

By 23:00 the fog had mostly cleared.  Most of the ice now lay on our port side.  We cruised past literally thousands of icebergs as we make our way south towards Ilullissat.

A Time To Reflect

The dominate feature of Uummannaq is the looming heart-shaped mountain for which it is named.  It is not a large island.  Only 12 sq. km. but it feels big.  Wandering around the barren landscape which begins on the edge of town, there is a feeling of  large, open, empty space.  But it is only empty if you don't pause to listen, if you don't take the time to see.  Snow Buntings sing their cheery song.  Ravens croak and gurgle.  Insects whine and buzz.  A soft wind caresses the land. Every patch of sand or soil in the mostly rock environment supports plant life.

Time passes differently here.  For those of us from a western culture time seems to pass us slowly.    A Greenlandic friend says that time does not pass us but it is always coming towards us.  I think about these thinks on our guided hike to the other side of the island.  The land seems heavy. Perhaps there is a psychological impact from all of that rock on my western psyche, used to grass and trees.

In town there is a juxtaposition of past and present.  I pause to photograph some Greenlandic dogs and in the background is a tarpaulin-wrapped snowmobile parked right beside a dog sled.  Past meets present but both the snow mobile and the dog sled have their different uses.  Climate change is effecting how much use people can get from their dog team. There are fewer days when a hunter can get out on the ice with his dogs.  

In the early evening we visited the village of Ukkusissat.  Icebergs surrounded the peninsula on which the village is situated and invade the small harbour.

We invited the people from the village to the ship where they entertained us with Greenlandic folk dancing and singing.  Some of them were dressed in traditional clothing.  Obviously there is a lot of skill and time required to create the intricate detailing in the clothing.

After the singing and dancing we jumped into the Polar Cirkel boats and visited Ukkusissat.  We were free to roam at our leisure.   We watched a woman feed her hungry dogs raw halibut which the dogs enthusiastically gulped down.  

There was plenty of time to explore. 

By 21:00 we were all back on the ship and under way once again.  It was a very full day.  There is a lot to reflect upon.

Greenland's National Day & the 1st Day of Summer!

We arrived in Qeqertarsuaq at 09:00.  There isn't a large pier here so, as usual we dropped anchor in the beautiful natural harbour just outside of the marina.  Soon Polar Cirkel boats were zipping to and fro, from ship to shore, each carrying a cargo of eight passengers.  Everyone arrived on shore by language group.  First to arrive this morning were the Scandinavians.  As soon as they were all assembled, the entire group set off on a hike through town and then out to the beautiful countryside.  And so it went for   six different groups.  

As we walked through the small community three canons were fired to commence the celebrations and events for Greenland's National Day.  Many people were gathered to sing in front of the community centre, some had Greenland  flags and some were dressed in traditional costume.

It took only a few minutes to walk through the centre of town to a beautiful dark sandy beach.  There were lots of bergy bits washed up on shore and many large icebergs lay just offshore.  It was a perfect place to stop for a few photographs.

 Carrying on, we soon left the town behind.  We had just crossed a small river when one of the expedition team announced that there were Humpback Whales just off shore.  The whales were feeding in the exact same place as the week before.  It was almost like Hurtigruten had these Humpbacks on the payroll.  They even obligingly moved closer to the beach as we oh-ed and ah-h-ed from the hillside.

It was difficult to tear ourselves away, but after awhile even the most ardent whale watchers had satisfied their desire to see whales.

The hike ended at a beautiful waterfall.  The Expedition Team pointed out a pair of Canada Geese nesting on an isolated pinnacle of rock adjacent to the falls.  Some of the Team had been coming to this same location for several years and it was the first time any of them had seen  Canada Geese nesting there.

On the way back into town we could see many local people picnicing and barbequing on the edge of town.  There was also a demonstration from the town firefighters.

At 15:30 the last Polar Cirkel boat left Qeqertarsuaq.  We heaved anchor and set our course for Uummannaq and Ukkusissat.  

Our afternoon was filled with lectures and briefings about our plans for tomorrow.