Chasing Whales and Chasing Claims: A Day at Sea in the Arctic

Life on a polar expedition ship is a curious mix of interesting science, unpredictable Arctic weather, and quiet downtime. Today was one of those ideal days at sea where the agenda slowed down just enough for us to catch our breath—and take in the vastness of the ocean around us.

Here is a glimpse into what a day on the water actually looks like when navigating the far reaches of the North.

Slow Starts & Heavy Lifting

Following a run of early alarms and chilly shore excursions, we treated ourselves to a rare luxury: a lie-in. Sleeping in whilst being gently rocked by the ocean swells is hard to beat. We eventually rose and got ready to go down to Aune restaurant, where we fuelled up with buffet breakfast and a nice cup of tea. It was then back to the cabin for a while to let our breakfast settle. I also collected our passports from deck 4, as they were no longer needed for customs. 

Later on, we headed straight over to the gym for a weight session. Working out on a moving vessel is always an exercise in keeping your balance, never mind doing weight training. 

After we’d showered and dressed back in the cabin, it was time for lunch. Once we’d filled our bellies, we wrapped up warm and headed outdoors into the crisp air. I burned off a few breakfast calories by completing a brisk 3 km walk around the promenade deck. Clocking up laps out on deck I feel is the best way to clear the head.

Deck Laps & Marine Life Spotting

Not long after arriving back at the cabin, we heard an announcement that whale blows and dolphins had been spotted ahead of the ship. So it was warm jackets and hats at the ready and back up to the observation platform on deck 11.

It was not long before the surrounding waters put on a display:

• Whale Blows: Tall mist plumes erupted above the horizon. As a large whale surfaces to exhale, air blasts out from its blowhole at over 300 mph, condensing instantly in the freezing maritime air into visible white spouts.
• Playful Dolphins: A lively pod joined us near the bow, leaping out of the water and nosediving as we moved alongside them.

Navigating the Unexpected: The Air Greenland Story

Mid-afternoon brought a classic task typical of polar travel: dealing with administrative fallout from Arctic logistics. I spent half an hour putting together an online claim to HX – they’d sent an email asking us to do this. This was for the delay to our voyage caused by a lightning strike on the inbound Air Greenland aircraft that was taking us from Reykjavik to Nuuk.

Did you know? Aviation across Arctic regions is a unique operation. Air Greenland relies heavily on specialised aircraft like the Airbus A330-800neo for transatlantic routes and rugged Dash 8 turboprops to reach isolated, ice-bound landing strips. Although modern planes safely channel electrical current across the outer skin away from passengers, any direct strike requires mandatory, comprehensive maintenance checks. In remote northern hubs, sourcing specialist engineers and replacement components often takes days, making unexpected schedule changes an accepted part of northern travel. We were lucky with only a day’s delay in Reykjavik.

Watching the World Go By

By late afternoon, our schedule was entirely clear. We settled into the cabin, watching the open water slowly drift past in the sunshine. Out on the open ocean, time seems to stretch; free from phone signals and daily routines, you quickly rediscover the simple pleasure of doing very little at all.

We finished the day with a nice dinner in the Lindstrøm restaurant. Just as we were waiting for our main course, I noticed something out of the window—a couple of dolphins leaping through the warm evening light about 100 metres from the ship.

It was a brilliant backdrop to end another memorable day at sea.