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Rocky Football

Posted by: Chris Debicki, expedition leader 

We arrived in the village of Nuussuaq yesterday and plan to head out today with local guides to explore the floe edge north of here where narwhal have been sighted. 

We first heard about narwhal sightings while in Nutarmiut on the weekend. No sooner had we weighed anchor there than six people came out by boat to greet us and invite us ashore for coffee and cookies. None of our expedition members speak Greenlandic fluently. But Alex, who speaks Inuktitut, has found Greenlandic easier to understand as we travel north. And it is Alex whom Greenlanders are most interested in talking to. They feel an immediate connection with Alex, who is from Pond Inlet on the Canadian side of Baffin Bay.

Our hosts gave us plenty of helpful advice during their conversation with Alex. They told us that narwhal had been seen in the area only a week or so ago and they predicted more would be at the floe edge close to Nuussuaq. An older man named Pauluq suggested a potential route to help us skirt a wall of drifting pack ice that will otherwise impede our progress.  As a word of caution, he also told the story of three small hunting boats that got pinched in the ice off the Nuussuaq Peninsula only weeks ago. Sadly, several lives were lost and the rescue operation recovered only two of the boats. 

Their advice about the ice conditions added to the information we’ve gleaned from satellite imagery. We’re lucky to have met these very knowledgeable local residents and will rely on their instructions as we travel north.

Photo above, Alex Ootoowak shows our hosts in Nutarmiut pictures of life in Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet).

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Credit

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Posted by: Chris Debicki, expedition leader 

Thick fog rolled in on Thursday afternoon, halting our progress once we’d completed our CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) studies in the Upernavik Icefjord. That made travel unsafe and we pulled into a small, protected cove for the night. 

The weather made it too risky to try to dodge the usual hazards of icebergs and sea ice. We’ve also discovered that charts in this region are missing critical information. Huge areas have not been sounded and many of the depth readings on our nautical charts are not accurate. This is a mountainous region of sharp cliffs and the sea bottom is similarly rugged. Shallow water appears without warning. 

After 24 hours of work, this break afforded Knut and I some time to seriously discuss the most recent ice reports. The reports do not look good. Melville Bay is not opening up in the way we had hoped. This year may turn out to be the “worst” ice year in a decade in this region. I put “worst” in quotations because it is obviously silly to attach a negative judgment to sea ice. This is the same ice cover that acts as one of the world’s most important cooling systems. That’s because sea ice, with its white surface, reflects much more of the sun’s radiation than does open water. 

The ice also protects migrating whales. Ninety percent ice cover is no obstacle to these marine mammals. What will happen to bowhead and narwhal migration patterns if the icescape continues to change so dramatically? What kind of industries will move in if these regions become accessible? What measures to protect this ecosystem will be in place before this happens? 

Even though there has been a pronounced decline in sea ice extent in this part of the Arctic over the last decade, we knew that climate modeling experts still predict great variability form year to year. This is turning out to be one of those years.  

Our experience with heavier than average sea ice –- at least for recent years — may also serve as a reminder that increased commercial activity in the Arctic must take into account these extreme shifts in ice conditions. That’s essential to lower the risk of accidents in an area without the infrastructure to respond.  

Fortunately, we planned for the possibility of insurmountable ice obstacles. We have plenty of work to do in this northwestern region of Greenland. Over the next few days, we are consulting with locals in the small communities between Upervanik and Melville Bay to learn more about ice conditions and the whale migrations that pass through.

(by adavies)

(by explorerscorner)

Greenland. 

(by adavies)

Greenland. 

“Jason Box’s (Ohio State University / Byrd Polar Research Center) research has shown that surface melt water production on the Greenland ice sheet has increased by 30 percent over the last 17 years.”

Greenland (by HarveNYC)

Greenland (by HarveNYC)

(by explorerscorner)

Whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.

Mark 11:23

(by explorerscorner)

Greenland. 

Over the Greenland Coast by Peter S…. on Flickr.

Icebergs, near Ilulissat, Disco Bay, Greenland (by _Zinni_)

Ilulisat, Vestgronland, Greenland

Greenland 2007 by Mark Lukoyanichev on Flickr.

Rap Group Prussic from Greenland.

Posted by: Kristin Westdal, marine biologist

We arrived in Qeqertarsuaq from Ilulissat at 7:30 am this morning. We had beautiful weather for travelling last night, making the 12-hour crossing a pleasure for those sleeping — and those working the night shift. I had forgotten how comforting the gentle rocking of a boat can be!

Qeqertarsuaq is a quaint fishing village on Disko Island. It’s much smaller than Ilulissat but just as welcoming. Outi Tervo, a Finnish marine biologist and the final member of our expedition team, was at the dock to greet us when we arrived. The Arctic Endeavour had to pull in three boats away from the pier so we have to carefully pick our way up, over and through the crab fishing boats of various sizes to reach the dock.

We met as a full team for the first time this morning and are now ready to plan the scientific work for the coming week. Outi and I will spend this afternoon running through our combined acoustic equipment before the whole crew heads to Outi’s home in town for a much anticipated home cooked meal of Arctic Char and stuffed peppers.

Flying over Greenland on my way to Frankfurt.

History V, King Oscar Fjord, Greenland | photo by Alistair Knock

Over the Greenland Coast by Peter S…. on Flickr.

"She’s just like the summer in Greenland. She’s gone before she’s noticed."

(by Jon Vidar)

Greenland. 

Location: Disko Bay, Greenland

“I went seaswimming last sunday.
The air temperarure was -8 degrees.
There was about 2 cm ice on the surface.”

What a badass.

Spring 1, East Greenland by paul.malon on Flickr.

Kulusuk, Greenland

HD over Greenland. Can’t wait to see this with my own eyes

(by Thalassini)

Greenland.

“Sled dogs waiting to be fed on the coast of an island near Ilimanaq in Disko Bay, Greenland, on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. Around 5,000 sled dogs provide transport for business and pleasure for 4,500 people during the winter in Ilulissat and the surrounding villages . (Photo: Thalassini Douma)”

(by _Zinni_)

Greenland.

“A foggy morning, Tasiilaq, East Greenland”

Helicopter in the Clouds I on Flickr.

Via Flickr: