YESTERDAY WAS A BIG DEAL in Illuysat, a modest fishing village on the west coast of Greenland. The luxurious L’Austral was already in the harbor when we arrived and we had to wait for its tenders to leave before our zodiacs could dock. It was only later we learned that a group of its well-heeled passengers had been rescued from a sinking local tour boat that had struck an iceflow. And this morning, just after we departed, the tiny harbor was completely socked in by floating ice. Things change quickly in the Arctic.
Holey iceberg
Our day, however, was spectacular. After photographing an eroded iceberg outside the harbor we descended on town for some “culture” then hiked inland over the permafrosted tundra to more of the glacier. The exercise was great and the views at trail’s end even better.
A rare photo
Artist-on-board Eric was plein-aire painting at the glacier and later showed us photos from last week when the ice was even more impressive. This glacier races seaward at an impressive 40 meters a day, an ever-changing spectacle.
Art is where you find it
