Jim Cundy shared his latest COOL Adventure.
This time to it was to SVALBARD and GREENLAND.
A journey he shared with his wife Maria.
The archipelago Svalbard recognizes Norwegian sovereignty, Spitsbergen, is the its largest
island and Svalbard's main settlement is Longyearbyen. The islands were first used as a
whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries, after which they were abandoned.
Coal mining started at the beginning of the 20th century, and several permanent communities were established. Now they are primarily tourism, research and Arctic survival training. Travelling around the coast on our small Russian ice-strengthened vessel.
We saw magnificent glaciers and Icebergs. There was an abundance of birds and some
Polar Bears and Walrus.
After coming close to the Polar Ice Cap we turned to cross the Greenland sea to Greenland.
This involved 2 days of dodging icebergs. Making landfall at Myggbukta, which is one
building kept for the Sirus Patrol and anyone else seeking shelter. Travelling through the
extensive Fjord system, with breathtaking scenery.
Ittoqqortoormiit is remote. So remote, in fact, that it bears the distinction of being the
remotest inhabited community in the western hemisphere.
We travelled up Scoresby Sund, the longest fjord in the world at 350 km. Filled with
incredible icebergs.
We visited a site that is used by the locals to hunt whales and saw evidence of their success.
There were numerous untouched Paleo-eskimo sites (2,500BC) which included housing,
meat safes, artefacts and burial sites. However we always returned to the comfort of our
ship with excellent company and food.