Sunday, August 21, 2022

Whales!


The most exciting whales we saw on our trip to the Arctic last week were the humpback whales in front of the gigantic icebergs in the Ice Fjord in Greenland. They were roaring as they came up and spouted, and their bellowing cries echoed off the huge walls of ice, which dwarfed the enormous beasts.





The blue whales that we saw a few days earlier were also very amazing -- the largest creatures ever to live on earth, it's believed. We saw them in the middle of our passage across the Straits of Denmark, which would normally be a very rough crossing but we had extraordinary luck with the conditions. They were very close to the ship so that we could see their enormous blow-holes, tails, and fins.



Whales in Art in Greenland

The people of Greenland are obviously also fascinated by the whales they see — at least as fascinating as we found them. Outdoor art works with whale images on the rocky cliffs were visible in two of the towns we visited. These are modern works of art, not traditional or historic works, and they are still being created and added to.

A whale carved into the stone of a cliff in Sisimuit, Greenland.

Another wall of carvings — mostly faces, but some whales too.
This large set of carvings is in another town, Qaqortoq, where we visited on Aug.7.



Blog post and all photos © 2022 mae sander

15 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

These are amazing!
I went whale watching with my estranged brother back in a previous life. Around Tofino. There were 7 in a row sleep swimming.
This brings back a lovely memory. And the art! Wow!

DVArtist said...

Wow stunning photos. What a wonderful trip.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

The tail of the humpback whale reminds me of times I went whale watching off San Diego. When they flap their tails, it makes a very distinct pattern which is hard to capture on camera.

I enjoyed seeing the wonderful paintings. The make great murals. Clever and very different, too. So nice to see such diversity.

Sami said...

What an amazing trip Mae! Love the stone carvings, I wonder if they are quite old.
Thanks for participating in Monday Murals Mae.

Iris Flavia said...

Great pics and murals - a very special trip!

Tandy | Lavender and Lime (http://tandysinclair.com) said...

Wish I could be a fly on the wall when those whale carvings are discovered in some future millennia.
The whale sightings must have been amazing.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
I love the whales, whale watching is a fun experience. The carvings in the rocks are amazing too, great photos. Your trip sounds awesome.
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead

My name is Erika. said...

Seeing real whales is always a thrill, especially with icebergs in the background. The whale art is truly amazing. Thanks for sharing Mae. hugs-Erika

Klara said...

amazing, both whales and whales' art. this is such and exceptional trip.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Mae

I just love whales, they are a thrill to see. Awesome series from your whale watching outing. The carvings of whales on the rock are amazing too.
Wonderful sights to see. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

To get to travel and see them is just wonderful! I know you had a marvelous trip!

Anu said...

Hello. Seeing the whales must have been exciting. I've never seen a whale.
Wonderful photos.

Yvonne said...

The whales in art in Greenland is really exciting. What an interesting trip. Seeing whales in the ocean... the thing I've always dreamed, and you've done it. I'm glad you had a good time.

Breathtaking said...

Hello Mae, :=) What a wonderful experience to watch whales swimming near the Explorer. The whale carvings are very well done, and no doubt will be enjoyed by many generations.

Linda said...

Awesome animals! Here in Virginia, art on rocks is frowned upon as graffiti unless it’s ancient, in which case it is considered a national treasure.