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• Part 1: The Epic Begins
  
  
• Part 2: The Team Has Assembled
  
  
• Part 3: First Day on the Ice
  
  
• Part 4: Morning with the Moon and Sun
  
  
• Part 5: The Most Stunning Landscape Available on Earth
  
  
• Part 6: Eighty-one Degrees
  
  
• Part 7: About Those Bears
  
  
• Part 8: Sailing Through the Ice Pack
  
  
• Part 9: Three Amazing Artists
  
  
• Part 10: He Walked Right Up to the Ship...
  
  
• Part 11: Updates from September 5
  
  
• Part 12: Updates from September 6
  
  
• Part 13: Wednesday Evening, September 9
  
  
• Part 14: Sunset in Greenland
  
  
• Part 15: Saturday Night with David Doubilet and Jen Hayes
  
  
• Part 16: An Image That Will Forever Be Impressed Upon Our Collective Memories
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• Part 17: Farewell to a Successful Journey

Part 16: An Image That Will Forever Be Impressed Upon Our Collective Memories

Posted:  Monday, September 15, 2015

​We had a really beautiful last full day in Greenland. From the gorgeous tundra walk in the morning to the snorkeling, zodiac cruising, and hiking around Red Island in the afternoon, it was a sun and fun-filled day. The entire landscape was bathed in warm light from about 11 o’clock on, and it accentuated the already vivid red mountains and blue icebergs. Being in the water with these gigantic blocks of water-sculpted ice is a humbling experience few people are lucky enough to have. Sharing the water with these magnificent creations of our planet’s geological history makes us feel insignificant yet at the same time vitally important. We are physically tiny and weak in comparison to the immeasurable power of this much solid water, yet each one of us contributes to the forces that ultimately warm our climate and melt these icy giants. It is our hope that the images and art we create can help convince the unconvinced of the importance of protecting this critical and unique polar region.

The aurora borealis (northern lights) as seen over Greenland).

The evening “Farewell Greenland” bbq out on the deck was at least as enjoyable as all the amazing nature experiences we had during the day. The food was great, and the company was even better. It’s hard to imagine a more inspirational group of people, and having them all in one place is a true privilege. We’re already planning for the next Elysium expedition in a few years!
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Our epic day ended in a perfectly fitting way by treating us to our first sighting of the famed Northern Lights, aurora borealis. According to the crewmembers who have all seen these lights many times before this was a mild display, but for those of us who had never seen them, it was absolutely spectacular. Wisps of glowing green light danced across the night sky, mixing with the majesty of our Milky Way visible just overhead. It’s an image that will forever be impressed upon our collective memories.

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