Meeting the KING OF THE ARCTIC
Sara Macefield experiences the icy Greenland wilderness (and its inhabitants) on a luxury expedition cruise
To the naked eye, it was just a small white blob slowly moving between a jumble of rocks. But peering through binoculars, I soon realised that this was the polar bear we’d all been waiting to see. Lumbering lazily across a large boulder, the young male raised his head and yawned sleepily before settling down for a quick nap, oblivious to the excitement he’d sparked across the decks of our ship.
The hiking trip scheduled for that morning was swiftly abandoned as the expedition team readied a fleet of Zodiac boats to take us closer to shore for a better view. As our boat motored in, we were instructed by our guide to keep quiet to avoid distracting the bear, now greedily tucking into the carcass of a musk ox. But he knew he was being watched, pausing to sniff the air as a bevy of enthralled cruise passengers headed his way. It was the latest – and some might say the ultimate – thrill of this two-week cruise along the isolated, rugged shores of Greenland aboard luxury expedition ship Seabourn Venture.
Adventurous cruising, especially on sumptuous ships like this, has boomed in recent years, with a string of new vessels launched to take travellers to some of the planet’s most remote spots. Ships are smaller, often with only two or three restaurants, and entertainment comes in the form of spotting wildlife or exploring remote landscapes rather than extravagant West End shows or water slides. Daily activities are usually led by an on-board team of expedition guides and range from hikes and Zodiac rides to kayaking trips or helicopter jaunts.
This was certainly true of our cruise as we ventured into Scoresby Sound, a network of craggy fjords situated high up on Greenland’s relatively unexplored east coast, with no permanent human settlements.
Stretching for nearly 70 miles, Scoresby Sound dwarfs the better-known Norwegian fjords, with towering cliffs separated by the icy tongues of glaciers and immense winding waterways that make this fjord system the largest in the world. For much of the year, these waterways are encased by sea ice, rendering them impassable, but milder summer temperatures bring a brief respite as it starts to thaw, enabling ships like ours to gently nudge into the frozen inner sanctum.
Heavier ice floes than usual meant Seabourn Venture was the first vessel of the year to access the fjords when we arrived in mid-august. Upon entering the sound, we were rewarded with incredible views of this icy wonderland. I sat mesmerised as our ship cruised past a procession of icebergs, resembling gigantic gnarled teeth whipped into jagged shapes by the wind and waves, gleaming ivory white under the warming rays of the Arctic sun. Weaving between such statuesque snowy obelisks on a Zodiac trip gave us a closer view of these floating giants that stretch up hundreds of feet, with some taller than New York’s Empire State Building.
One afternoon, my daughter, Holly, and I paddled towards the Eielson Glacier, reaching across one end of the mirror-like waters of Rypefjord. From a mile away, it looked no more than 10m tall, but as we neared it in our
Zodiac, this icy precipice revealed its soaring beauty as it towered 70m into the sky. We’d already done a three-mile hike across the Arctic tundra – springy birch and willow thickets freckled with pastel-shaded alpine flowers and distinctive fluffy wisps of cottongrass – leading us to the tumbling torrents of a waterfall carrying the pure fresh melt of the nearby glacier.
In the distance, small dots far across the terrain turned out to be grazing musk ox (the ones who didn’t end up as our polar bear’s dinner). We also stumbled across an Arctic fox bounding across the rocky hillside, its dark coat subtly blending in with the late summer palette of khaki. In winter, its pelt will turn white to match the snowy landscape.
Every day brought a new highlight, even if it was simply sitting on deck as we sailed southwards along Greenland’s coast spotting spouts of humpback and fin whales in the distance or gazing at seabirds dipping and gliding alongside our ship like an ocean escort, skilfully skimming over the waves.
Whether we were on land or at sea, Seabourn Venture proved the perfect partner to explore this remote part of the world, taking us into unexplored corners with ease, thanks to its fleet of Zodiacs and double-seater kayaks, plus two futuristic-submersibles that explored beneath the waves to depths of up to 300 metres.
We were shielded from the elements in the ship’s stylish interiors and served delicious haute cuisine (think lobster and chateaubriand washed down with fine wines) in the ship’s two restaurants.
Evening briefings by the expedition team set out our schedule for the next day, and if we weren’t on a Zodiac or kayak, there were plenty of places on board from which to admire the dramatic vistas – the piece de resistance being our gorgeous Panorama Penthouse Suite, with its curved line of floor-to-ceiling windows, guaranteeing spectacular views from the moment we woke up. Even its marble-draped en suite, with a pampering line-up of Molton Brown toiletries, had a large picture window, adding even more indulgence to already extravagant bubble baths.
Carrying just 264 passengers, Seabourn Venture has a house-party feel, with flowing conversations and a cosy camaraderie between guests – a mix of mainly Americans, interspersed with a few Brits and Australians. My 20-year-old daughter was the youngest passenger and I did initially fear my avid nightclubbing offspring might find nature’s wild side rather tame. She relished the on-deck hot tubs and toasty warm waters of the outdoor infinity pool, although that was a given. But what I hadn’t counted on was the stellar cast of natural thrills, such as spying a pod of killer whales as well as our polar bear friend – the King of the Arctic – that had her excitedly ticking off her bucket-list goals.
But it was the appearance of the Northern Lights one evening that completed her hat-trick of must-see moments, as Mother Nature proved that when it comes to putting on a dazzling late-night show, nothing else can compare.
SAIL AWAY
Seabourn (seabourn.com) offers an 11-day Fjords Of East Greenland cruise on Seabourn Venture from £6,749pp in a Veranda Suite or £11,879pp in a Panorama Penthouse Suite, departing 5 August 2024. Includes meals, most drinks, gratuities and excursions.
Excludes flights.