Northern sea - Page 8

Ilulisat

Already at 5 o'clock we drove into the ice off Ilulisat, the third-largest town in Greenland. Most of the 5500 inhabitants live from fishing for Greenland halibut. The ice here comes from the Jacobshavn Glacier calving into the Ilulisiat Icefjord (Kangia in Greenlandic) and is therefore fresh water. Here, with about 43,000 km³ per year, the most icebergs of the northern hemisphere. This corresponds to the amount of drinking water needed to supply New York. Carefully, the captain navigates his way through the ice labyrinth with the support of the ice pilot. Again and again, the course had to be changed because large icebergs were in the way. At some point, however, we were able to anchor.

We had booked an ice fjord boat trip today, besides that there were helicopter excursions among others. With blue skies and a summery 14°C, each excursion was an extraordinary experience. Our excursion boat drove slowly through the huge icebergs shining in all colors, ingenious. It also smells different here, as ancient air escapes from the ice. On the way back we chased 2 humpback whales, which crossed in front of our bow from starboard to port and back. In the afternoon we walked through the city, for the local conditions relatively clean and beautiful city, but here brings just the ingenious location. In a cafe I bought me for 50 Greenlandic kroner WLAN (about 1:7 the conversion in €). Otherwise, we afforded us on our shore excursions nothing, it is by the dependence on ship deliveries everything very expensive.

Even the departure at 9 p.m. was an experience, the captain sailed just past one of the ice giants. And all this during a breathtaking sunset. Well, it set again in the meantime, days before it was continuously bright or dusky at night.

Sisimiut

The MS Albatros arrived on schedule shortly before noon in Sisimiut, the second-largest city in Greenland with 5600 inhabitants. There were a few excursions, we had booked nothing, because whale safari hold I for very vague in the success. Afterward I learned that whales were sighted, but none other than the ones we saw from the Albatros. Also, the visit of native families had probably little to do with the original life of the Inuit. There was a house furnished according to modern standards. But we went ashore and had a look at the small town in sunny weather. Well, Paul's enthusiasm was limited, but we had negotiated in the morning. The morning belonged to him with sports and games, now the old man was allowed to look at his stuff 🙂. In the afternoon we were again tuned by our lectors for the following day. In the evening, there was self-caught fish, the staff captain and parts of the crew were fishing in the meantime, especially halibut and cod.