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The story begins four days earlier. I was on the plane to Copenhagen to meet Morten Beier, who runs Arctic Dive Travel, which brings divers hungry for new experiences to Greenland. After staying the night at Mortens place we were on our way and four long hours later we landed on the worlds biggest island. After a change of aircraft and another 45 minutes of flying we arrived in Ilulissat at the mouth of the Ice fjord. The weather was as you can only wish for, still, sun and minus 18 degrees. It struck me that in spite of the low temperature it wasn’t particularly unpleasant to walk bare handed for a few minutes. The air in Greenland is dry and the climate better in Norway where I come from.
After checking in at the hotel Morten wanted to show me the Ice fjord. It is on the UNESCO world heritage list and the place is really special. Icebergs around to 500 meters thick are birthed into the fjord from the world’s fastest moving glacier. At up to 3 meters per hour it slides into the fjord at a volume of between 20 and 300 million tonnes each day. The ice is 100.000 – 300.000 years old and has a characteristic blue colour due to the high pressure and low oxygen content. Here the enormous icebergs break off and spend up to 8 months drifting on their way out through the fjord. An iceberg probably caused the tragic loss of the Titanic from the Ice fjord. From the fjord the icebergs move north, make a turn and drift south along the east coast of Canada. These enormous icebergs often create huge waves in the fjord. This happens when they turn upside down after melting in a way that shifts the centre of gravity. As a tourist the best way to see the Ice fjord is probably from one of the boats providing guided tours. In this way you can get really close to the icebergs. We took this trip and got useful information from the captain/guide in addition to a great nature experience.
In the evening we enjoyed a meal of musk ox meat and shared a bottle of wine while we admired the amazing sunset over the sea towards Qequertarsuag, where the mountains rise in the distance – more than 80 km away.
After two days in Ilulissat we flew to Aasiaat and from there further on to the spectacular town of Sisimiut. With 5000 inhabitants it is considered a big town in Greenland. Bo picked us up at the airport in his big American diesel hungry pick-up. Bo owns and runs Sirius Greenland, which sells and lends diving equipment, makes diving and charter trips and lots more. After lunch in Bo’s home we went to the dive shop, we had to collect and pack the dive equipment, which was sent by air cargo some days before. We then went to the harbour where we loaded everything on board the dive boat and picked up two tourists who were coming along for the ride. It was a little strange to be at a place with three meters tide, but this tide creates strong currents, which results in a very rich marine life.
There was crust-ice on the fjord as we sailed from the harbour. We had planned our first dive at one of the two icebergs, which were stranded just a few kilometres away. The weather was brilliant and the light conditions could not have been better. After a trip around the iceberg, which Bo was declared 100% safe and untiltable, we anchored and made ourselves ready for diving. I slipped into the -1,7 degree cold water and right from the surface I could see the bottom 23 meters below me. My regulator didn’t really like these temperatures, spit freezes at minus degrees, which creates problems for the second stage therefore it is important to have two regulators and change during the dive as it begins to free flow slightly. It took 10 minutes for this to begin happening, which meant a few changes during a dive.
We swam to the iceberg, not one of the biggest but it stood solid on the ground and rose 10 meters above the water. We glided down the ice wall and reached the bottom. A fantastic sight with incredible blue and green colours. I got Bo in position and prepared for the first picture. No flash! My seven year old Hartenberger had a tough time in these temperatures, the O-ring around the glass had probably shrunk because of age and too little lubrication, and so the flash was severely flooded. Well, not much to do about it, better to just enjoy the dive and the experience. At the ice wall I noticed the small crustaceans or ice fauna to use the generic term. The Amphipods are dependant on the perennial ice and have created their own little world on the icebergs. We continued all the way around the Iceberg and reached the melt water channel with its incredible blue colour. The channel went all the way to the bottom and from here I could see it continued oboe the water, an incredible sight. The computer showed we had been diving for 25 minutes, and the temperature was beginning to tell. My left index finger especially wasn’t very comfortable. I managed another few minutes until the pain reached a level, where it was sensible to stop.
The conversation after the dive was lively. There was rich sea life, round the iceberg, on the sandy bottom and around the rocks. We decided to stay and make another dive. I had my other flash connected and this dive turned into a more cosy experience since both camera and flash worked without any problems. In the sand the where beautiful digging anemones and on the rocks I saw unknown starfish, annelid worms and various other animal life. I’d put hot water in my gloves before this dive, which made it possible for me to be under almost 40 minutes. But by that time my index finger was non-existent – at least it felt like that.
For the next dive we moved to a small bay with a cliff wall, which went to a sandy bottom 25 meters down. Here the marine life was totally different from what we saw around the iceberg. Big forests of seaweed, sea anemones, sea squirts, Icelandic scallops, lumpsucker, sea cucumbers and lots of other interesting stuff. It was also weird to see the land-ice continue underwater to well below 1 m. This can happen when the water temperature is as low as -1,7 degrees and very close to the temperature where the water turns to ice.
After the dives, we spoke about the difference between the diving we experienced in April compared to summertime. Bo and Morten said that during the summer you see a great deal of fish, which were almost absent during our first three dives. The summer water temperatures at 3-5 degrees are more comfortable; the visibility is not quite as good but still excellent.
Back on land we took care of the equipment and settled ourselves at Bo’s hostel for the night. A great place to rest and recuperate for next days diving.
We woke up to good weather; Bo had the plans ready so we sailed north to the entrance of a bigger fjord, where we dived at Mussel Island. Here the cliff wall dropped to terraces more than 30 meters down. After some anchoring problems I slid into the sea. I had learnt that you don’t breath through the regulator before you go underwater and that panic breathing is not a good idea. Morten gave the signal and we glided down through a forest of seaweed. Amongst the seaweed were half-meter long sea squirts on long thin stalks looking like creatures from another planet. Boltenia ovifera is the scientific name and they were unlike anything I had ever seen. At the vertical wall the sealift was spectacular, along with the sea squirts where thousands of beautiful red sea cucumber, in the crevices were Icelandic scallops, brown sea cucumber and small shrimps. On the rocks there were huge amounts of six-armed starfish, many of them curled up like a plate. Why?
The water temperature wasn’t proving to be a big problem although I envied Morten his dry gloves.
After the dive we evaluated the conditions. I felt like another dive on soft ground so we sailed to Sertafloq Island a few nautical miles from Sisimiut. Here the ice covered the entire bay, but the boats 40mm hull cut easily through the ice. Again the visibility impressed me, it was 16 meters deep here and the seafloor was clearly visible. We sank through the hole in the ice behind the boat several times I looked up to make sure it was easy to see the opening. On the seafloor there were once again big crowds of digging anemones, this time I had the macro-lens on my camera. We drifted silently around looking at the marine life that had chosen this location for their home. I thought that these creatures must have defroster in their blood otherwise they would have frozen stiff. It is an incredible world full of life no matter where you are.
On board again Morten and I were very pleased. Two dives were enough for the day so we went back ashore.
The next day we got up early as we were heading south on an overnight trip. Bo took us out to the open sea into the meter high waves. There was heavy snow and the first half hour ride were very strenuous. It improved the next hour as we sailed into the lee of some cliffs. Our first destination was the wreck of the ”Borgin” but it was not to be. As we came into the Itivdleq fjord it was full of ice. Even with 600 HP and 40mm of hull it was impossible to move through it. I said that a wreck is a wreck and nature is as good, which didn’t really please Bo and Morten who wanted to show me the perfect wreck.
We decided to dive a sloping cliff that dropped down a 150 meters. Here the life was different from a bit further north. There were more fish – father-lasher, butterfish and lump sucker, also starfish and stalked jellyfish. For the first time on the trip all my equipment worked perfectly, so I just enjoyed the dive. After this we sailed into the small village Itilleq that with its 120 inhabitants is more like an outpost. But even this small place had a school, a church and its own danish teacher who had moved here three years ago with his wife and 2 children. Unbelievable! Bo made an arrangement with him to borrow a dogsled and an ice pick. He had a plan.
We went back to the Itivleq fjord where we found a vertical cliff that went really deep. With rich biological life a fantastic place to dive. We decided to stay and make a night dive as well. We went into the water at half past ten and I was amazed how the sea life changed between day and night. Suddenly there were shrimps and fish! Several new kinds, which I hadn’t seen before, were lying around and consented to have their photo taken. Night diving is just great, but not possible during the summer, since there is midnight sun in this part of Greenland.
After the dive Bo took us to the little village where we moored for the night. Next morning we woke once again to perfect weather. Bo got the dogsled, the ice pick and a lot of optimism on board and we sailed back to the edge of the ice. The plan was realised. Morten was equipped with a snow shovel wrapped with aluminium foil, he walked across the ice and we followed him on the radar. By comparing the radar signal with the GPS position on the map, we could direct Morten via the portable VHF – left, right and back. After a quarter of an hour Bo shouted stop! Mark the spot! He was sure Morten was over the wreck. We packed the equipment on the dogsled. Our two tourists were ”volunteered” to be the dogs, but pulling the heavy sled was a hard job, so everybody had to work.
At the spot a triangle was marked out and we began hacking at the ice. After half an hour we had a hole big enough to get through. Then Bo marked out 4 50cm wide paths approximately 8 meters from the hole, so that a circle with a diameter of 16 meters was made. On one line he marked an arrow pointing to the hole.
I was a little dubious. After decades of diving wrecks I thought we would be more likely to find a needle in a haystack than to actually find the wreck. But the idea was crazy and an ice dive would great for the article, so I agreed to the madness. The water in the hole turned to ice in a few minutes there was a thick brash as I jumped in. With camera in hand everything was properly photographed for this had to be documented. I followed a rope we’d dropped from the hole to the seafloor at a few meters depth I passed the back-up tank, which was there in case someone needed air or ran into freezing problems. At ten meters I saw two masts towering right in front of me. What?
At 18 meters I saw the bow of the ”Borgin” the rope was only one meter in front of the bow. This could not be true! What luck or was it only luck? The question turned in my mind, but soon the joy of diving the wreck took over. Here was a complete wooden ship of a 110 feet, loaded with 350 tonnes of salted cod, sunk in 1954 – the year before I was born – almost as intact as the day she sailed. I swam round the back to where the fire had been and turned around to see if I was still in control of where I went down. Then I understood why Bo had marked the circle round the hole. Even at 40 meters distance the hole sent rays of light towards me. I thought briefly about freezing regulators and other inconveniences.
After a bit of cruising round the bow and along the starboard side I was satisfied. I was an incredible experience. I gave the signal that I was going up, Bo and Morten followed. After a safety stop and more photographing just under the ice I crawled up through the hole. I couldn’t stop laughing and saying stuff like ”this is not possible” and ”amazing, amazing!”
The equipment was packed and we pulled ourselves back to the boat for lunch. Bo and Morten asked if we should take another dive at the wreck or at a wall on the way home. I politely declined it wouldn’t do to spoil this fantastic experience which had just printed on my brain. A story that will get better and better as time goes by. Great it was photographed, so the documentation is there for the future.
We arrived at Sisimiut during the afternoon. A fantastically successful overnight trip had come to an end.
Next day a new adventure was lined up. Dog sledding. After dressing in sealskin trousers and jackets, Marius Olsen welcomed us. 64 years old brown and fresh after a long life spent outdoors, we had been told he was one of the best. Up into the foothills we went. 16 dogs fought their way through the most incredible places with three men and equipment on the sled. What are these animals made of? Marius told us that they could pull their own weight even on the steepest of places and in loose snow! Earlier that year after a hunting trip they had pulled ten musk ox carcasses and Marius.
For seven hours we went through the stunning landscape. And got a good idea of what Greenlandic nature has to offer. It was a worthy end to a fantastic trip.
At the end I can only warn those who consider going to Greenland:
If you don’t like adventures – Stay Home
If you don’t like beautiful and untouched nature – Stay Home
If you don’t like nice open hearted people - Stay Home
If you don’t like exceptional, different diving – Stay Home
So this is not the place if you are tempted by beaches and relaxation but exactly the place where adventures are the focus and you come back with a mind full of experiences to digest and memory cards full of incredible pictures.
Enjoy the trip!
I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible, and who gave everything they had to make the adventures complete as they were. Thanks!
After checking in at the hotel Morten wanted to show me the Ice fjord. It is on the UNESCO world heritage list and the place is really special. Icebergs around to 500 meters thick are birthed into the fjord from the world’s fastest moving glacier. At up to 3 meters per hour it slides into the fjord at a volume of between 20 and 300 million tonnes each day. The ice is 100.000 – 300.000 years old and has a characteristic blue colour due to the high pressure and low oxygen content. Here the enormous icebergs break off and spend up to 8 months drifting on their way out through the fjord. An iceberg probably caused the tragic loss of the Titanic from the Ice fjord. From the fjord the icebergs move north, make a turn and drift south along the east coast of Canada. These enormous icebergs often create huge waves in the fjord. This happens when they turn upside down after melting in a way that shifts the centre of gravity. As a tourist the best way to see the Ice fjord is probably from one of the boats providing guided tours. In this way you can get really close to the icebergs. We took this trip and got useful information from the captain/guide in addition to a great nature experience.
In the evening we enjoyed a meal of musk ox meat and shared a bottle of wine while we admired the amazing sunset over the sea towards Qequertarsuag, where the mountains rise in the distance – more than 80 km away.
After two days in Ilulissat we flew to Aasiaat and from there further on to the spectacular town of Sisimiut. With 5000 inhabitants it is considered a big town in Greenland. Bo picked us up at the airport in his big American diesel hungry pick-up. Bo owns and runs Sirius Greenland, which sells and lends diving equipment, makes diving and charter trips and lots more. After lunch in Bo’s home we went to the dive shop, we had to collect and pack the dive equipment, which was sent by air cargo some days before. We then went to the harbour where we loaded everything on board the dive boat and picked up two tourists who were coming along for the ride. It was a little strange to be at a place with three meters tide, but this tide creates strong currents, which results in a very rich marine life.
There was crust-ice on the fjord as we sailed from the harbour. We had planned our first dive at one of the two icebergs, which were stranded just a few kilometres away. The weather was brilliant and the light conditions could not have been better. After a trip around the iceberg, which Bo was declared 100% safe and untiltable, we anchored and made ourselves ready for diving. I slipped into the -1,7 degree cold water and right from the surface I could see the bottom 23 meters below me. My regulator didn’t really like these temperatures, spit freezes at minus degrees, which creates problems for the second stage therefore it is important to have two regulators and change during the dive as it begins to free flow slightly. It took 10 minutes for this to begin happening, which meant a few changes during a dive.
We swam to the iceberg, not one of the biggest but it stood solid on the ground and rose 10 meters above the water. We glided down the ice wall and reached the bottom. A fantastic sight with incredible blue and green colours. I got Bo in position and prepared for the first picture. No flash! My seven year old Hartenberger had a tough time in these temperatures, the O-ring around the glass had probably shrunk because of age and too little lubrication, and so the flash was severely flooded. Well, not much to do about it, better to just enjoy the dive and the experience. At the ice wall I noticed the small crustaceans or ice fauna to use the generic term. The Amphipods are dependant on the perennial ice and have created their own little world on the icebergs. We continued all the way around the Iceberg and reached the melt water channel with its incredible blue colour. The channel went all the way to the bottom and from here I could see it continued oboe the water, an incredible sight. The computer showed we had been diving for 25 minutes, and the temperature was beginning to tell. My left index finger especially wasn’t very comfortable. I managed another few minutes until the pain reached a level, where it was sensible to stop.
The conversation after the dive was lively. There was rich sea life, round the iceberg, on the sandy bottom and around the rocks. We decided to stay and make another dive. I had my other flash connected and this dive turned into a more cosy experience since both camera and flash worked without any problems. In the sand the where beautiful digging anemones and on the rocks I saw unknown starfish, annelid worms and various other animal life. I’d put hot water in my gloves before this dive, which made it possible for me to be under almost 40 minutes. But by that time my index finger was non-existent – at least it felt like that.
For the next dive we moved to a small bay with a cliff wall, which went to a sandy bottom 25 meters down. Here the marine life was totally different from what we saw around the iceberg. Big forests of seaweed, sea anemones, sea squirts, Icelandic scallops, lumpsucker, sea cucumbers and lots of other interesting stuff. It was also weird to see the land-ice continue underwater to well below 1 m. This can happen when the water temperature is as low as -1,7 degrees and very close to the temperature where the water turns to ice.
After the dives, we spoke about the difference between the diving we experienced in April compared to summertime. Bo and Morten said that during the summer you see a great deal of fish, which were almost absent during our first three dives. The summer water temperatures at 3-5 degrees are more comfortable; the visibility is not quite as good but still excellent.
Back on land we took care of the equipment and settled ourselves at Bo’s hostel for the night. A great place to rest and recuperate for next days diving.
We woke up to good weather; Bo had the plans ready so we sailed north to the entrance of a bigger fjord, where we dived at Mussel Island. Here the cliff wall dropped to terraces more than 30 meters down. After some anchoring problems I slid into the sea. I had learnt that you don’t breath through the regulator before you go underwater and that panic breathing is not a good idea. Morten gave the signal and we glided down through a forest of seaweed. Amongst the seaweed were half-meter long sea squirts on long thin stalks looking like creatures from another planet. Boltenia ovifera is the scientific name and they were unlike anything I had ever seen. At the vertical wall the sealift was spectacular, along with the sea squirts where thousands of beautiful red sea cucumber, in the crevices were Icelandic scallops, brown sea cucumber and small shrimps. On the rocks there were huge amounts of six-armed starfish, many of them curled up like a plate. Why?
The water temperature wasn’t proving to be a big problem although I envied Morten his dry gloves.
After the dive we evaluated the conditions. I felt like another dive on soft ground so we sailed to Sertafloq Island a few nautical miles from Sisimiut. Here the ice covered the entire bay, but the boats 40mm hull cut easily through the ice. Again the visibility impressed me, it was 16 meters deep here and the seafloor was clearly visible. We sank through the hole in the ice behind the boat several times I looked up to make sure it was easy to see the opening. On the seafloor there were once again big crowds of digging anemones, this time I had the macro-lens on my camera. We drifted silently around looking at the marine life that had chosen this location for their home. I thought that these creatures must have defroster in their blood otherwise they would have frozen stiff. It is an incredible world full of life no matter where you are.
On board again Morten and I were very pleased. Two dives were enough for the day so we went back ashore.
The next day we got up early as we were heading south on an overnight trip. Bo took us out to the open sea into the meter high waves. There was heavy snow and the first half hour ride were very strenuous. It improved the next hour as we sailed into the lee of some cliffs. Our first destination was the wreck of the ”Borgin” but it was not to be. As we came into the Itivdleq fjord it was full of ice. Even with 600 HP and 40mm of hull it was impossible to move through it. I said that a wreck is a wreck and nature is as good, which didn’t really please Bo and Morten who wanted to show me the perfect wreck.
We decided to dive a sloping cliff that dropped down a 150 meters. Here the life was different from a bit further north. There were more fish – father-lasher, butterfish and lump sucker, also starfish and stalked jellyfish. For the first time on the trip all my equipment worked perfectly, so I just enjoyed the dive. After this we sailed into the small village Itilleq that with its 120 inhabitants is more like an outpost. But even this small place had a school, a church and its own danish teacher who had moved here three years ago with his wife and 2 children. Unbelievable! Bo made an arrangement with him to borrow a dogsled and an ice pick. He had a plan.
We went back to the Itivleq fjord where we found a vertical cliff that went really deep. With rich biological life a fantastic place to dive. We decided to stay and make a night dive as well. We went into the water at half past ten and I was amazed how the sea life changed between day and night. Suddenly there were shrimps and fish! Several new kinds, which I hadn’t seen before, were lying around and consented to have their photo taken. Night diving is just great, but not possible during the summer, since there is midnight sun in this part of Greenland.
After the dive Bo took us to the little village where we moored for the night. Next morning we woke once again to perfect weather. Bo got the dogsled, the ice pick and a lot of optimism on board and we sailed back to the edge of the ice. The plan was realised. Morten was equipped with a snow shovel wrapped with aluminium foil, he walked across the ice and we followed him on the radar. By comparing the radar signal with the GPS position on the map, we could direct Morten via the portable VHF – left, right and back. After a quarter of an hour Bo shouted stop! Mark the spot! He was sure Morten was over the wreck. We packed the equipment on the dogsled. Our two tourists were ”volunteered” to be the dogs, but pulling the heavy sled was a hard job, so everybody had to work.
At the spot a triangle was marked out and we began hacking at the ice. After half an hour we had a hole big enough to get through. Then Bo marked out 4 50cm wide paths approximately 8 meters from the hole, so that a circle with a diameter of 16 meters was made. On one line he marked an arrow pointing to the hole.
I was a little dubious. After decades of diving wrecks I thought we would be more likely to find a needle in a haystack than to actually find the wreck. But the idea was crazy and an ice dive would great for the article, so I agreed to the madness. The water in the hole turned to ice in a few minutes there was a thick brash as I jumped in. With camera in hand everything was properly photographed for this had to be documented. I followed a rope we’d dropped from the hole to the seafloor at a few meters depth I passed the back-up tank, which was there in case someone needed air or ran into freezing problems. At ten meters I saw two masts towering right in front of me. What?
At 18 meters I saw the bow of the ”Borgin” the rope was only one meter in front of the bow. This could not be true! What luck or was it only luck? The question turned in my mind, but soon the joy of diving the wreck took over. Here was a complete wooden ship of a 110 feet, loaded with 350 tonnes of salted cod, sunk in 1954 – the year before I was born – almost as intact as the day she sailed. I swam round the back to where the fire had been and turned around to see if I was still in control of where I went down. Then I understood why Bo had marked the circle round the hole. Even at 40 meters distance the hole sent rays of light towards me. I thought briefly about freezing regulators and other inconveniences.
After a bit of cruising round the bow and along the starboard side I was satisfied. I was an incredible experience. I gave the signal that I was going up, Bo and Morten followed. After a safety stop and more photographing just under the ice I crawled up through the hole. I couldn’t stop laughing and saying stuff like ”this is not possible” and ”amazing, amazing!”
The equipment was packed and we pulled ourselves back to the boat for lunch. Bo and Morten asked if we should take another dive at the wreck or at a wall on the way home. I politely declined it wouldn’t do to spoil this fantastic experience which had just printed on my brain. A story that will get better and better as time goes by. Great it was photographed, so the documentation is there for the future.
We arrived at Sisimiut during the afternoon. A fantastically successful overnight trip had come to an end.
Next day a new adventure was lined up. Dog sledding. After dressing in sealskin trousers and jackets, Marius Olsen welcomed us. 64 years old brown and fresh after a long life spent outdoors, we had been told he was one of the best. Up into the foothills we went. 16 dogs fought their way through the most incredible places with three men and equipment on the sled. What are these animals made of? Marius told us that they could pull their own weight even on the steepest of places and in loose snow! Earlier that year after a hunting trip they had pulled ten musk ox carcasses and Marius.
For seven hours we went through the stunning landscape. And got a good idea of what Greenlandic nature has to offer. It was a worthy end to a fantastic trip.
At the end I can only warn those who consider going to Greenland:
If you don’t like adventures – Stay Home
If you don’t like beautiful and untouched nature – Stay Home
If you don’t like nice open hearted people - Stay Home
If you don’t like exceptional, different diving – Stay Home
So this is not the place if you are tempted by beaches and relaxation but exactly the place where adventures are the focus and you come back with a mind full of experiences to digest and memory cards full of incredible pictures.
Enjoy the trip!
I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible, and who gave everything they had to make the adventures complete as they were. Thanks!
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