Wednesday 8 September 2010

It's tougher in the East

A seaday. Normally this means lectures from dawn till dusk. Not so today, and for a good reason: At 7am we reach the entrance to one of the most magical natural mazes on this planet - the Prins Christian Sound. The network of steep and deep fjords is labyrinthine and huge, looming around us with high spires and glaciers that are reaching towards the water. Waterfalls slosh down from 700m altitude, clouds and sunlight are playing with each other. Nearly everybody is outside, frantically taking pictures or simply taking a deep breath and taking in this unbelievable scenery. A little later a prominent visitor, the ruler of the seas, finds slightly mischievous pleasure in bathing the brave guests with ice-cold water. Some say he is rather the king of the galley, but what do they know…!? In the afternoon we reach the end of this wonderland and now we are on the eastern side of Greenland! As if the weather wants to emphasize the difference the winds pick up, and FRAM starts rocking on the waves, while valiant lecturers share their knowledge on Greenlandic life and whales. Not a moment to soon, because just a little later we are surrounded by a variety of whales, Minke, Humpback and Fin. The inland ice of Greenland is the backdrop to this marine mammal performance, everybody is amazed.
And the day ends as spectacular as it began. Say what you like about taking pictures of sunsets - this one was worth it!