Today we visited Isafjordur, the capital of the Westfjords of Northwest Iceland. It was wet and windy, but this did not deter us from a great morning. Guests were offered a range of activities. Some of us hiked to the Valagil Falls at the back of a huge valley filled with the colours of an arctic autumn, and some of us stopped to pick succulent blueberries along the way. Others went to explore one of the many large fjords in this part of Iceland and one of Iceland’s oldest arboretums at Skrudur, complete with a whale arch made from the jawbones of a large fin whale. Yet another group took a walking tour of the historic fishing port of Isafjordur, rounding off the morning in the local microbrewery. In the afternoon, we turned our thoughts to home and sailed south of Reykjavik after an amazing adventure in West Iceland and East Greenland.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 01 Oct 2022
Isafjordur, Westfjords of Northwest Iceland, 10/1/2022, National Geographic Endurance
- Aboard the National Geographic Endurance
- Arctic
Share Report
Iceland's Wild West Coast to East Greenland
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
7/28/2024
Read
National Geographic Endurance
Hurry Inlet and Ittoqqortoormiit
What a beautiful morning to head to shore for our first landing in Greenland! We landed near a hut midway up Hurry Inlet to enjoy hikes of various lengths. We caught sight of barnacle geese, signs of lemmings, and a skull amongst the arctic tundra floras. After lunch, we began to see sea ice and bits of small icebergs broken up by the long summer days. As we made our way amongst the ice, we navigated expertly to Ittoqqortoormiit, where we had the privilege of going ashore and meeting the local community. What kind and welcoming people, and what a beautiful place they call home.
7/27/2024
Read
National Geographic Endurance
The Denmark Strait
Yesterday, travelers from many places and ages came together in Reykjavik, Iceland to board National Geographic Endurance . The ship is both our comfortable home and exploration tool for the next ten days. It will take us deep into the Arctic where extreme wilderness and complex cultural history intersect. In fine weather, we sailed west and north with views of Snæfellsjökull, the glacier and mountains made famous by Jules Verne as the gateway to the center of the Earth! Today was spent at sea with a smooth crossing. As we approached the Greenland continental shelf, we found a blue whale cruising the waters. There were plenty of activities. We listened to important orientations and fascinating presentations, and we cleaned our field gear to avoid introducing exotic species to the areas we plan to visit. By evening, we were getting views of ice, seals, and the dramatic coastline of East Greenland.