Navigate:

VIRTUAL EXPLORATIONS > ARCHIVED EXPLORATIONS > ELYSIUM ARTISTS FOR THE ARCTIC
​

• 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
  ​
• Part 17: Farewell to a Successful Journey

Part 14: Sunset in Greenland

Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2015

​Well today was our first day in Greenland, and it was fantastic! After almost 72 hours sailing and many bouts of some serious seasickness, we were all anxious to get off the ship. Diving, snorkeling, and zodiac cruising provided everyone with a much-needed change of scenery, and this new location certainly did not disappoint. Huge icebergs, picturesque mountains, and lush gardens of marine macroalgae made up the scenery around us, and despite hosting the coldest water temperatures we’ve encountered, we couldn’t get enough.

The extremely cold water was a bit unexpected by the divers. At the surface, the water temp was about 36 degrees F (3 degrees C) and after they descended through a thermocline at a depth of about 45 feet (15 m), the temp suddenly dropped below freezing to 30 degrees F (-1 degree C). This quick change is quite a shock to our bodies and can be uncomfortable for a minute or two, but it’s well worth the effort. On the ascent, there were lion’s mane jellies to entertain us in the shallows, and the golden rays of a low afternoon sun shone through them to compliment their color and form. We almost forgot we were swimming in water that if it were fresh would have been frozen solid.

Sunset in Greenland

And then there was the sunset. The colors the sky gave us tonight were absolutely spectacular. Pink, peach, and purple clouds streaked across the backdrop of the sky with snow-accented mountain peaks and glowing icebergs in the foreground. It seemed as if this sunset was trying to make up for the last few days of grey and fog, and it succeeded with flying colors. This was only our first evening in Greenland, and we’re already counting the hours until the next one! This was one of those shared experiences that brought us all together and that we’ll talk about fondly for years to come.

Related Oceanscape Features: