Peter Shanks shares his personal diary of his latest Expedition adventure to Greenland

I should say at the outset I am not sure what lies ahead of us. Having been on expeditions to Antarctica, the Galapagos, and South Africa, and having sold the Arctic and Greenland for many years whilst with Silversea – what would it be like, and how would it compare? I will come back to that thought when we get to the end of our journey. But for now, we are excited about what lies ahead.

Travelling to iconic expedition destinations always requires a long journey from wherever you start. Our route to Greenland from London was to fly to Montreal (7 hours), where we spent a couple of nights, followed by an included charter flight (3.5 hours) from Montreal to Nuuk. I think it’s good to spend a couple of nights prior to the cruise departure day – there is always a risk these days that your luggage may need to catch you up, and it’s good to have a full day to relax and enjoy a city. Montreal was interesting; I was surprised that French is the first language but should have known that. Wandering around the old city with a relaxing lunch and a boat trip out into the St Lawrence River worked just fine. 

Very efficient arrival in Nuuk; it’s always good when you are on the only aircraft at the airport, and we were onboard our ship less than 30 minutes later. Thankfully, no sign of that chap in America who has been talking a lot about Greenland – but there was an impressive Danish Navy patrol vessel in the harbour for all to see. Our Parkers and Boots were waiting for us in our Suite – we had our first briefing, set sail, a lovely dinner and early to bed in advance of our first landing tomorrow morning. We were headed up the West Coast of Greenland. Excited and Curious!

Straight into it this morning. As you can see from our itinerary, our journey was to take us North into the Arctic Circle, as far as Disko Island, before heading back to the spectacular fjords of South Greenland and finally across to Iceland. 

Well, the Expedition team said it would be an ‘easy’ and gentle first hike to the Flower Valley outside the small town of Manittsoq. Here’s my first tip – whenever you hear the word ‘easy’ on an Expedition, then it’s best to qualify the term. Maybe, as it was early in the season, the Expedition Team had not completed the hike themselves. However, nothing better than some challenging exercise after a long journey and after a lot of scrambling and even climbing over steep scree and boulders, we did indeed find Flower Valley. I found the terrain to be similar to the Falklands: no trees, but if you take the time to look, you can see a wide variety of small and colourful flowers. My favourite is what is known locally as ‘Poor Man’s Pillow ’, which is a cotton-like flower that people used to collect to make a comfortable pillow. We had time to walk around the small town of Manittsoq, with a population of 2,700 and the 6th largest town in Greenland. Fishing is the main source of income in Greenland. Not only are there some larger fishing boats, but I learned that almost every family in Greenland has a boat of their own for fishing and a team of sledge dogs for hunting and transport in the winter.

We did have quite a surprise today – hunting whales is still allowed in Greenland. Doing so for ‘subsistence’ purposes amongst indigenous settlements within very strict allocations is allowed by the International Whaling Commission. Hunting whales is controversial, but being here on the ground in such remote locations and having done so for thousands of years, it is part of the local culture and important for food, especially in the harsh winter months. With our first visit to a local community – I am intrigued to know why houses are painted in such bright and different colours in this part of the world – I am going to find out in the next few days. The afternoon was spent onboard meeting the Expedition Team and a series of briefings and Mandatory Biosecurity Inspections. Looking after and protecting the environment is of course very important in Greenland. Expedition operators follow very strict guidelines as agreed by the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, and these detailed briefings ensure great care is taken of this special place as visitors.

It was only our first day – but as we sailed out of Maniitsoq, I was lucky to be up on deck when we spotted our first two Humpback whales feeding less than 100 yards from the ship. I had that same incredible sensation I had when seeing our first whales in Antarctica – magnificent creatures that trigger an emotional response in me every time I am lucky enough to experience one. Hopefully many more to come in the following days.

It means ‘The Big Island’ and is often known as Disko Island, given it is shaped like a disk. The town of Qeqertarsuaq was established in 1773 and today has a population of just 750. Greenland is proving to be very diverse; today it offers very different scenery, as we are now surrounded by beautiful basalt mountains. In the winter, the town is surrounded by sea ice. But now it’s summer, and the temperature today was a balmy 4 Degrees. Locals enjoy a different view every day as large and small icebergs slowly drift past the town. Three options this morning – a waterfall hike, a more challenging hike along volcanic cliffs to the lighthouse or the opportunity to wander around town with one of our Expedition Guides to see the local community.

We chose the latter to get our first sense of a local community in Greenland. The Church Choir put on a short concert for us. We popped into the one and only shop or supermarket, and it was interesting to see that even in this remote place there was pretty much all you would need, including a good range of fresh fruit and vegetables. Each settlement in Greenland has a well-stocked supermarket that is owned and managed by the Government – it is quite a logistical operation to keep such remote communities stocked with essentials throughout the year. 

Down on the volcanic black sandy beach there were several icebergs washed up and of a good size. I took the opportunity to claim and name one of them after our three granddaughters – their very own iceberg. As an aside – with most ships these days having Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’ Wi-fi –I was able to WhatsApp video our granddaughters with the short video I took of this very important Iceberg Naming Ceremony.

 I continued with my quest to discover why the houses have different colours. I discovered a woman who was up a ladder painting her house – here was my opportunity. I of course waited till she came safely down the ladder – and not being able to speak Greenlandic, I took a deep breath and asked the question – ‘Why are you painting your house bright green’?

And back came the answer ‘Because it was green before’. I am no further forward in my quest and will keep you updated.

Overnight we crossed into the Artcic Circle as we continued north.

Today was all about ice – and a lot of ice. The plan was to sail close to the Eqip Sermia Glacier to observe ice calving up close. We entered the fjord at around 0600 to magnificent views but Captain announced that due to the volume of ice it would be Plan B today and we could only get to within 8 kilometres of the glacier face. Here the ship was surrounded by brash ice, along with small and large icebergs. We had a fascinating 90-minute zodiac cruise amongst the ice.

There are so many things to learn about the ice – and any piece could be hundreds or even thousands of years old. So many different shades and colours as well. The piece I am holding above is one that is almost totally clear – that means it has been deep within a glacier for a long time. The pressure of ice above will have forced out all the air bubbles in the ice leaving it almost totally transparent. When you see a bright blue iceberg, it will be this older and compressed ice that better reflects the colours of the sea and sky. In just 90 minutes our knowledgeable Expedition Guide shared so much with us that I almost feel like an expert on polar ice.

This afternoon I went along to a lecture on the modern history of Greenland – quite topical in today’s world. So, I thought you may be interested in what I learned. Some of it is surprising:

• Greenland is the largest island on earth
• It became a Danish Colony is the early 1900’s
• In 1940 Germany occupied Denmark – but leaving Greenland alone
• In April 1941 the US agreed to defend Greenland and signed a deal to allow the US unlimited bases and resources in Greenland – still the case today
• By 1944 US troops accounted for over 40% of the total Greenland population
• During the Cold War it was evident that potential Russian Nuclear Bombers would overfly Greenland so in 1951 the US came back to Greenland and built a new air base with over 10,000 troops there by 1953
• That air base would allow US Nuclear Bombers fast access to Russian targets
• The US also built a secret and hidden network of tunnels 8 metres under the ice. They had extensive plans for these tunnels but later abandoned them and they remain under the ice today as they built them.
• In 1958 a US B52 Bomber, with nuclear weapons on board, crashed over Greenland. Most of the resulting radioactive material was recovered from the ice but not all.
• In 1953 Greenland became a County of Denmark and in 1972 63% of the Greenland population voted to become part of Denmark. Greenland then by default also became a member of the EU
• In 1982 52% voted to leave the EU
• The most celebrated vote was in 2008 when 76% of the population voted for Self-Governance and that remains the position today resulting in a positive relationship with Denmark in control of citizenship, monetary policy, security policy and foreign affairs.
• The US meanwhile retains the right to place as many military resources in Greenland as they wish. Let’s see what happens next – hopefully nothing.

A busy and informative day today and rounded off by joining 41 other guests by taking the Polar Plunge and jumping into the 4-degree arctic water – which I happily survived with a tot of Irish Whisky on climbing back on board. That gives me the hat trick having plunged in Antarctica, Arctic and Galapagos – and yes, the Antarctica plunge was the coldest at just 0.5 degrees. Now it’s time to finish the day with my routine swim, steam room, cold beer and a lovely dinner. Perfect.

A few tips from our experience. Walking Poles are handy – either one or two, and it’s best to bring your own. You never know what conditions will be like, and having poles will help with balance. Use your binoculars from aboard before it’s your turn to go ashore, and you will get a good idea of the conditions ashore and if you need your poles. You will likely be provided with a water bottle and a rucksack.  Throughout, the landings or zodiac cruises last 90-120 minutes. We did not see the need to take a water bottle or a rucksack – some guests did if they had large cameras. Having too much gear with you can be a faff – but you will soon learn what works best for you. If the sea looks a bit choppy, then try to manoeuvre things as you board, so you don’t sit at the front of the zodiac, as in that position, you will be protecting others by absorbing any splashes that can happen. But the most critical thing in a zodiac is to do what you are told. Your zodiac leaders give clear instructions at all times and will give everyone a chance to get the best views and photo opportunities.

One other essential tip. Photo opportunities are terrific and constant. But - on your landings and zodiac cruises, try first to keep your phone or your camera in your pocket – and just look, listen and take in the remarkable sights you are experiencing – it’s such a special place and the sights, smells and sounds just keep coming. Once you have really soaked up your surroundings, then there is plenty of time to take those remarkable photos and videos.

I thought yesterday was the day of ice – how wrong I was. Prior to joining this trip, I wondered if the Arctic could match the raw majesty of Antarctica. Well – this morning we found icebergs that took my breath away and were every bit as spectacular as anything we saw in Antarctica.

Known as the birthplace of icebergs, the Ilulissat Icefjord produces 20 million tons of ice each day. Around 4,500 people live in the town, which is situated at the entrance of the Icefjord – with the face of the glacier being some 65 km away – as shown in the diagram below. 

The second diagram shows the ice cap that covers over 90% of Greenland from the west coast to the east coast, with Ilulissat on the West coast. The pressure of the ice at over 3 km in depth at the centre causes the ice to spread through the glaciers to the sea, with the geology on the west coast allowing easier dispersal into the Ocean than in the East.

A different approach today – as there is so much ice - rather than our own zodiacs, we were taken directly onto a small local boat with two local guides who thankfully knew their way around the ice. There were only around 12 of us on the boat, and it was to be a stunning 2 hours. At first, we were surrounded by sea fog as we slowly picked our way through and around ice of all sizes. We knew there was something very special ahead of us. On a couple of occasions, the mist and fog lifted slightly to reveal the sunshine above us, but we were not sure if we were looking at clouds or an iceberg. Then it happened: the fog lifted, and we were looking at giant icebergs towering over 100 meters above us. It’s very hard to describe, but I hope the pictures above tell the story better than I can. The icebergs towered above as the true majesty of Greenland was revealed.

In the afternoon we went into town and took a hike across a wooden walkway to view the same magnificent views but from land. 

At this point I need to mention the Mosquitoes. – another surprise. Not the biggest selling point for Greenland – but you need to know. When ashore, and especially when hiking across the wet, green tundra marsh and close to lakes, they are plentiful, large and annoying. However, we were provided with nets to put over our heads and made sure we were covered up – and so far, touch wood, no bites. But they sure are prevalent here in the summer months – be prepared.

We are heading back south. Having spent yesterday surrounded by magnificent ice, today we are in Sisimiut, and it’s a rare and balmy 15 degrees here. Sisimiut is the 2nd largest town in Greenland with a population of around 5,000. Despite being the largest island on earth, Greenland's total population is only around 57,000.

A long 10k hike this morning leaving Sisimiut and circumnavigating a large lake with gorgeous mountains all around us. There is a lot of green in Greenland. It was a Viking called ‘Erik the Red’ (great name) originally from Norway who first arrived in Greenland over 1,000 years ago in 980 – and upon arriving gave it the name ‘The Green Land’.  There are many beautiful flowers on our hike today, but all small and you have to look carefully to see them. There are no trees up here in Greenland as the weather is too harsh. All the wooden houses arrive in ‘flat packs’ – it’s like a giant IKEA exercise. We had a lovely hike in the fresh air, and as we walked back, we passed what is called the ‘Dog Park’.  Every settlement has one; they are all working sled dogs. No other dogs are allowed as pets in Greenland, to protect the pure sled dog breed. They are not kept at home but out in the ‘Dog Park’ and typically fed twice a day.

This afternoon we took a 60-minute zodiac cruise a few miles from Sisimiut at the beautiful Amerloq Fjord. Some of the small islands in the fjord are used for the sled dogs in the summer. They roam alone on the island and are fed every other day, enjoying their summer holiday before another hard winter of hunting and pulling sleds. At one point our zodiac got a little too close, and we thought one of the dogs fancied us as a snack and was ready to jump into the zodiac. All was well. We also spotted a wide range of jellyfish and tiny creatures of many shapes in the water. Our Expedition Guide got very excited given their rarity, colour and size. They were all around our zodiac – tiny creatures worthy of an Attenborough documentary – these unexpected moments are one of the best things about an Expedition – and can happen at any time and any place.

One last surprise for the day. Thanks to the impressive Starlink communications even here in Greenland – we have been watching some of the Football World Cup games live. This afternoon, as we were watching one of the games in our suite, our Butler arrived unannounced with cold beers, tortilla chips, and a delightful, fresh guacamole dip. Marvellous!

Choose your Expedition operator carefully – but I must say that an ultra- luxury operator, along with your own Butler to look after your every need after a day exploring, along with excellent dining each day, has its benefits.

We continue our journey south and, very early this morning, sail 75k into Evighedsford Fjord. It’s light from around 0300, and I was up on deck with my first flat white coffee of the day just after 0630. A lot of excitement over breakfast as the ship was now close to the glacier. There are 7 glaciers coming down to the fjord at this point, but not all now reach the water. They were at their maximum extent in 1870 and have gone through several cycles of advance and retreat. The mountains above were around 2,000 metres high – and it’s a famous heli-skiing destination in the winter.

Another tip – spend as much time as you can up on deck. The scenery in this part of the world is remarkable and constantly changing. Icebergs pass you by, birds curiously observe us, and from time to time there will be excitement as a whale is spotted. If you are not up on deck – and you have the right clothes to spend time up on deck – you may miss out. 

Our 90-minute zodiac cruise took us first to observe a bird colony of Kittiwakes. They were nesting in cracks in the rock, hundreds of them and hundreds of feet above us. Our guide Rosie got very excited when she spotted the first chicks of the season. Sitting just above the nests were the much larger gulls – they too were looking at the eggs and chicks for their own breakfast.

Then what we were waiting for as we approached the glacier face. Happened. I have discovered that when you see large glaciers or icebergs from a distance, they do not look very large or high. But when you get safely up close in a zodiac, they are massive and tower above you. We sat quietly in the zodiac, and then the magic happened – we saw three calving events in about 15 minutes. First you hear a loud crack – then you see large slabs of ice tumble down and splash into the water with a resulting wave. But it’s the sound – it’s like being at home when a loud thunderclap happens above your house - and it felt like the zodiac shuddered. Another magical moment in Greenland – I so love being close to the ice, it’s my happy place – whether here or in Antarctica, the ice has a magical, mystical, majestic and powerful force all at once.

And then as our zodiac cruised alongside towering cliffs and waterfalls towards the ship – hold on - what was that ahead of us? It was the Hotel Director and a few of his team in a zodiac. We went alongside, and they passed us a glass of chilled champagne. Now champagne is a treat wherever you drink it – but here in this magical place and so close to nature was quite something. Then I noticed the music playing out in the Hotel Director’s zodiac as we sipped our champagne – it was Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ – special enough but more so today as that was the song for our first dance at our wedding. Yup.

A quieter day as we continue to head south and past Nuuk, where we had started the journey. We are on our way to spend three days in the fjords of South Greenland. We have an afternoon stop at Paamiut, a population of around 1,700. I climbed up to the watch tower on the hill above the town to take the above photo, taking in the full town. As an aside, one of the most enjoyable aspects of an Expedition cruise is spending time with a wide range of international, like-minded and curious travellers. As I stood above the town, I found myself trying to explain to a fellow traveller from Denmark how on earth it was that we had voted for Brexit. I found it hard to provide a logical or polite answer to that one, but I gave it my best shot and agreed with his question. We then went on to discuss the World Cup and whether Haaland could be tamed by England. By the time you read this, you will know the answer to that question.

We have been to a few towns, and there is a pattern. Large diesel tanks and a significant fish factory by the port – and a lot of fishing boats. A diesel-powered station that provides the power and heat for the town – and a network of pipes pumping hot water around the town. One or two supermarkets – run by the government and pretty well stocked. The locals will supplement this with a lot of hunting in winter. The school building is always well-kept and always a really good sports centre – much needed, I am sure, through the dark winters. 

On quieter days like this, and with a morning or afternoon at sea, time can be filled with a variety of lectures and workshops so you can learn and immerse yourself in the destination, history, wildlife, and culture. The expedition guides are also out on deck, and it’s fun just to walk around the deck with binoculars at the ready. I have also been swimming twice a day as the pool is heated – although a tad chilly on getting out.

An update for you on my quest to find out if there is any rationale or reason behind the many different colours of the buildings and houses in Greenland. I have had many answers but not one I am ready to land on – more to come as I continue that quest. As we wandered back down to the port, we passed the small local hotel. I noticed it was called ‘Hotel Ivaana’. I hope that is not a sign of what is to come…

As a Scotsman myself, it was interesting to discover a Scottish link in Hvalsey. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Arctic farming settlement. We took a short zodiac ride ashore to hike along the coast and visit an ancient church that was likely built by Scottish settlers with their dry-stone wall-building expertise. It was built in the 13th century, and much of the church is still standing today.

The name Hvalsey translates to ‘Whale Island’. I have been very surprised at how very few whales and seals we have seen on our journey– especially in the many fjords we have sailed into. The rather sad reality is that, as I described earlier in my diary, a certain amount of hunting for both whales and seals is still allowed and justified by subsistence in Greenland. It seems these clever creatures are aware of the risk of being hunted and therefore stay further out to sea to feed.

After a very pleasant dinner – we watched another World Cup game before retiring for the night.

We are approaching the southern tip of Greenland. The weather up till this point has been on our side – but this morning we got a taste of how quickly it can change. We sailed into Tassermiut Fjord, one of the ‘10 wonders of the Arctic’. We were in for a ‘wet landing’ on the zodiacs this morning. We learnt all about wet landings in Antarctica. As the zodiac left, the weather was fine, but we could see a large squall speeding down the fjord towards us. We had our waterproofs and boots on, but we were with a small group of Japanese guests who may not have heard the briefing and were sitting quietly and nervously in the zodiac in their trail shoes. By the time we hit the beach – the squall screamed in. Waves rushed into the back of the zodiac, and our Japanese friends looked rather startled with water up to their shins. As we stepped ashore – the rain turned to hail – and it was not long before the Expedition Team radios crackled with ‘Get the Hikers back and suspend further operations’. It was marvellous and exactly why I love Expeditions – nature at its very best and loudest this morning. Our boots and waterproofs kept us dry. As we stood on the beach – the wind, hail, and rain stopped –and the mist rose to reveal we were standing in front of a beautiful waterfall. Above us were magnificent granite peaks towering 1,000 metres above us. If any of you have been to Torres del Paine in Patagonia, then the dramatic landscape was reminiscent of that. The weather calmed down, hikers resumed on a shortened route, and everybody was able to get ashore and back to the ship safely.

That reminds me of the expertise, knowledge and professionalism of the Expedition Team. Along with the Captain and his team, it is abundantly clear, at all times at sea and ashore, that safety is paramount. We were fortunate on this Expedition to make all our planned landings and more – but this morning was a reminder that in these remote destinations the weather is all-powerful. And although bears are very rare in this part of the Arctic, some of the Expedition Team are trained in and carry both flares and rifles should they be needed. On every landing we were very well briefed by the Expedition Team Leader as each zodiac landed – and the team were positioned clearly on the boundaries of where we could and could not wander. We were in very good hands.

And then on Saturday – another treat – but this time in the famous Prince Christian Sound. This, along with our spectacular visit to Ilulissat, was to be one of the highlights of the expedition. The ship entered the fjord at 0630, and we were to spend 4 hours sailing 60 miles through the sound, just 500 meters wide at times. The weather was against us, with Greenland fog and rain. At about 0830, we were up on deck and, so far, had seen very little. The mist and fog disappeared, the sun said hello, and revealed quite stunning scenery. As we stood there, I could hear people gasping out loud at the sight of these towering mountain peaks as they revealed themselves – created billions, yes, billions of years ago. As we continued, the rain and fog came and went. We saw giant glaciers carving their way down through the mountains right down to the water’s edge as they have done for millions of years. This was to be our final and memorable sight of Greenland as we left the sound and headed into the North Atlantic towards Iceland.

After 36 hours in a very bumpy Force 8 North Atlantic storm, we spent a day on the Vestmannaeyjar Islands in Iceland. It was good to go ashore to refresh my sea legs. I went to visit the two Beluga Whales that are being prepared here to return to the ocean. They have been rescued and flown here from Shanghai of all places. They have built them a large aquarium and will later be returned to a large area of a fjord near the harbour before hopefully returning to sea. Many millions are being spent on this amazing project – and the two Beluga whales looked content to me.

People do worry about the sea state. We were very lucky in Antarctica last November with two Drake Crossings, but like Shackleton we had tough seas between Elephant Island and South Georgia and these last 36 hours were close to that. But we had experienced 12 days of almost flat calm seas whilst in Greenland – you get what nature gives you.

There is a lovely pub in the port in Vestmannaaeyjar called Tanginn that I can recommend; I remember popping in there on a previous cruise around Iceland. As my wife had returned to the ship, I called in, got myself a beer and sat outside in the misty harbour. If you are fortunate enough to go on an Expedition, which you absolutely should, I was given some sound advice on my very first Expedition in the Galapagos. That was to take the time each day to reflect on each very special experience. Doing so over a cold beer is also something I can recommend.

The beer was indeed cold, and, despite the weather, I sat outside overlooking the harbour reflecting on our Greenland experience. It was such a diverse experience. We saw magnificent ice, took long and challenging hikes through green tundra, learnt so much about the culture and harsh conditions that the welcoming people of Greenland endure. The fjords, scenery and geology were magnificent and towered above us at all times. Diversity then was my lasting thought – so many varied experiences packed into one adventure.

I have often been asked when selling and experiencing Expeditions what the difference is between Antarctica and the Arctic. Having now been to both in the last 12 months – then as I have always thought – they are indeed ‘Poles Apart’ and so different that a comparison cannot truthfully be made. The solution is – do them both!

And if you really pushed me to say ‘Peter – come on, get off the fence – which is your favourite Expedition?’ - then in a heartbeat I would truthfully tell you – Galapagos!

Cheers! Or as they say in Greenlandic – Kasuutta!