August 2025 – Page 3

Greenland – fjords and scenery

We spent most of our time in Greenland in the extensive fjord systems that shape its southern tip.

[part of a series of posts beginning here]

Although our route sometimes had the Endurance sailing offshore overnight south along the eastern coast, and sailing north along the western coast, most of our time in Greenland was spent in the extensive fjord systems that shape the southern tip of Greenland. In this landscape, a visitor can understand why the early Norse settlers named this land Grœnland (green land) when the Norse, led by Erik the Red, settled here in 982. Although these fjords have steep walls and deep waters, their shores and (rare) shallow glacial plains are covered in a green, grassy tundra sprinkled with heather, dwarf willow, dwarf birch, crowberries, blueberries, and a variety of wildflowers. Although “Iceland’s landscape is the world’s youngest and most dynamic, the rocks of Greenland are the oldest yet discovered on the planet.” [NatGeo] Read on for more…

Arrival in Greenland – entering Skjoldungensund fjord.

Greenland – whales

Exciting encounters with whales, three evenings in a row.

[part of a series of posts beginning here]

Shortly after dinner on our first night aboard, as we cruised the Iceland coast toward its western peninsulas, the ship’s naturalists – always on the lookout – announced we had come upon a group of whales. It turned out to be a pod of minke whales and a bubble-feeding humpback whale. The ship paused as passengers enjoyed watching the humpback, right next to the ship, repeatedly blew a circle of bubbles, and then surfaced in the middle to swallow a massive gulp of fish that it had ‘trapped’ in the confused circle created by the bubbles. I stood on Deck 6 forward, capturing snaps of the smaller minke whales in between sightings of the humpback. Check out the gallery of my images, and watch a video, including some from the moment below captured by National Geographic photographer Nick Cobbins. Read on for more…

Humpback whale, surfacing — Humpback whale, bubble feeding – off the coast of Iceland. Still from a Video by Nick Cobbing.

Greenland – natural history

First in a series of posts about natural history experienced during our Greenland cruise.

[part of a series of posts beginning here]

One of the wonderful aspects of a National Geographic expedition is the opportunity to travel to remote places – places only accessible by ship, completely uninhabited – and to explore the tundra, fjords, and deep seas for some of the incredible wildlife that calls this wilderness its home. As part of our ten-day cruise from Iceland to the southern fjords of Greenland, we had ample opportunity to watch whales feeding, trek across treeless tundra, lock eyes with caribou, beachcomb remote shores, boat among the berglets that emerge from tidal glaciers, and even glimpse the aurora borealis. In the next several posts I’ll share a sample of each. Meanwhile, a special tidbit from the last night of the trip!

Aurora Borealis, from the ship’s balcony, offshore Greenland. (click for full-res view)

Greenland

A ten-day cruise from Iceland to the southern coast of Greenland.

Recent trips to the Antarctic [South Georgia, 2023] and the Arctic [Finland, 2024] whet my appetite for exploring further in the polar regions, so I jumped at the chance to cruise southern Greenland in late summer. Indeed, because this cruise began and ended in Iceland, it gave me a chance to expand on my prior visit to Iceland [2024] to explore its southeast coast. Finally, this cruise was aboard the National Geographic Endurance, the same ship we’d sailed on our cruise of South Georgia and the Falklands in 2023, and which I found to be a terrific experience. Read on!

Photo of The Endurance, seen from the icy water near Thryms glacier; Skjoldungensund fjord, Greenland. — The Endurance, seen from the icy water near Thryms glacier; Skjoldungensund fjord, Greenland.

Middle Sister

Another peak on a hazy day.

Despite the stagnant weather – which has left us to suffer without rain for two weeks, in hot, hazy, and humid conditions suffused with smoke from distant Canadian wildfires – I was itching to get out for one more hike. Today I scampered up a small peak with an unassuming name but a fantastic view: Middle Sister. This granite-topped peak formerly hosted a stone firetower, offering nearly 360º views of the southern high peaks’ region of what is now White Mountain National Forest. One of three bumps on a ridge connected to their more famous neighbor, Mount Chocorua, the Three Sisters have views nearly as good but with far fewer people. Indeed, it’s possible I was the only visitor to Middle Sister and First Sister today. Read on!

Photo of Mount Chocorua from First Sister peak — Mount Chocorua seen from First Sister peak – White Mountains NH.

Lyme wildlife – July (part 2)

The second installment in a two-part post of July/August wildlife videos.

Over the past two years, most of my wildlife videos have been captured by cameras placed on a hill near my home. In this post – my final post of wildlife-camera video until next year – I have some pretty neat stuff to share. Lots of bobcats and black bears! Read on to watch both videos.

bear cub crossing a log right in front of the camera…

Bald Peak

Another smoky summit.

A friend and I were eager to get out hiking, today. The forecast showed a risk of thunderstorms in early afternoon, so we opted for a short hike: to Bald Peak. As one of the peaks on the “52 with a view” list, it promised some nice views from the shoulder of the Kinsman Range toward the west. Unfortunately, the lingering smoke from Canadian wildfires left us with a hazy view at best. Still, it was a worthwhile hike to a nice viewpoint.

David and Ken on Bald Peak, with a hazy view.
Mount Moosilauke is high in the haze and clouds in the left distance.

Hiroshima

Never forget.

Earlier today, Japan recognized the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima – a date one can never forget. When we visited Hiroshima in September, I was struck by the simplicity of the commemorative park’s design – and by the tremendous emotional power conveyed by that similarity.

Hiroshima Peace Park, Japan (September 2024).

Lyme wildlife – July (part 1)

The first of two installments of video from my wildlife cameras.

It felt like we had a slow start to summer here in Lyme, but my wildlife cameras nonetheless captured bears, bobcats, and more. In this post, I’ll share two videos spanning July 1 through August 5.

California hiking

Not my normal environment!

I was in San Francisco all week for a conference and some meetings. Today, I had a spare day to spend with my two sons. So, in the morning Andy and I had the chance to visit the famous Exploratorium science museum (on a pier where the city meets San Francisco Bay); in the afternoon John and I took a hike in the hills above San Carlos (further down the peninsula) overlooking the Bay.