Umivik Bay, Greenland

July 29, 2025

After a day at sea, we arrived in Greenland. Our first stop was Umivik Bay where we went on our first zodiac ride. Because we had joined Image Masters, we got to take the first zodiac out and stay a bit longer. Umivik Bay is special because it less rugged than most of the Greenland coast which allows the Greenland Ice Sheet to come all the way down to the shore.

On the zodiac, we had some amazing views of the ice sheet, its glaciers and the stunning landscapes.

As we explored, we maneuvered around amazing diverse ice bergs formed as chunks of ice broke off. Although huge, the icebergs float on the water because they come from the fresh water of the glaciers which is less dense than the salty ocean waters.

Close up shots of the ice bergs were fascinating.

Our zodiac pilot fished a small piece of sea ice out for use to touch and look at up close.

Even the bare rock faces were interesting with the striations in the rock, and at times veins of a dark rock creating stripes in the brown hills. Brent thinks they are possibly onyx or obsidian.

An abandoned hut was the only sign of human presence besides our ship.

We spotted a harbor seal as we came to the far point of our journey where the way was blocked by ice bergs.

Brent missed the seal because we dropped him off at the ship early so he could do the submarine ride. Sadly, he was not with the group that spotted the rare Greenland shark (who can live up to 500 years!). However, he did see a variety of small creatures.

As we made our way from Umivik Bay to Skjoldungen Fjord, the landscapes continued to be stunning.

We were lucky enough to spot a large group of humpback and fin whales feeding.

The fulmar gulls were present as well.

We entered Skjoldungen Fjord that evening, passing by more impressive icebergs and scenery. We will do our first hike there in the morning.