After our sailing through Prince Christian Sound, we woke bright and early to the most insatiable views of Greenland, just north of Nanortalik.
After a little briefing, we heard we would be making landfall in Greenland, anchoring off-shore and taking to the coast via the onboard zodiacs. I was so excited, especially as there was mention of visiting the natural geothermal pools of Uunartoq Hot Springs in Greenland. They’re as natural as they come.
After a quick breakfast, we headed to the ‘Mud Room’ where you pop on your waterproof boots and life vests before boarding the zodiac. It was finally time to set foot on land at Uunartoq Hot Springs in Greenland.
Sailing to the shore would take 7-10 minutes, and the views were already spectacular. We weaved through the icebergs and even spotted a humpback on the shores around Nanortalik.
As soon as I reached the coast, I hopped off the Zodiac and touched the ground. I felt a need to actually ‘feel’ the ground itself. Grab the dirt, stroke the grass and feel the actual ‘thing’ that makes Greenland, Greenland. Does that make sense?
Anyway, after my ‘need’ to touch Greenland, we trekked across the island of Uunartoq. It’s just a few hundred metres from mainland Greenland and is untouched, except for a modest wooden changing hut for the natural hot spring.
After around a 20-minute (easy) trek, with our Polar Bear chaperone by our side, we made it to Uunartoq Hot Springs in Greenland.
You see, in remote areas in Greenland, there is always a risk you *might* come into contact with a polar bear, and truth be told, they are very dangerous.
They are some of the only animals on the planet that would actually hunt humans if the opportunity arises. So, our polar bear chaperones, armed with flare guns and live ammunition, followed us around – just to be extra safe.
Spoiler alert: we saw no polar bears here, which I’m kind of glad about. Though, I would have scared them off instantly at the sight of me in a swimsuit.
After removing our waterproof clothing and thermals, we hopped in our bathing suits and took our first dip in Uunartoq Hot Springs in Greenland.
The temperature was around 38c, like a warm bath. It was sensational, especially with the chilly Greeenlandic breeze that was crossing the island.
We spent a good few hours chilling in Uunartoq Hot Springs and savoured every second of it. I mean, it’s not every day you get to bathe in a geothermal pool with icebergs floating by.
We spent around 90 minutes enjoying the views and just listening to nature. It was a really surreal feeling, as we saw very little in terms of birds, seals, or trees—but that’s what made it special—just the sound of the wind, lapping waves, and the occasional calving iceberg.
After what felt like minutes, it was time to hop back on the zodiac and board Ocean Albatros. The trip back was even more special, as we saw so many icebergs on our trip back from Uunartoq Hot Springs in Greenland to the ship.
After our little Zodiac tour, we quickly headed to lunch, which is a buffet-style service where we fueled up before heading back to the room to watch the icebergs sail by. It was incredible.
Yaya was definitely enjoying the sunshine and views.
We spent the rest of the day savouring the memories of our first landing at Uunartoq Hot Springs in Greenland and learning so much more about our next stop, Qassiarsuk (Brattahlíð). The expedition team has us prepped and excited for our next day on land.
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