Zooming around in a zodiac is an inherent part of any expedition. And this was definitely true for our voyage around Svalbard. Except when the weather was atrocious, we were out on the zodiacs every day, sometimes twice a day.

The Vikingford had two zodiacs which meant there was a maximum of 6 guests on each zodiac at any one time.

The weather had to be pretty bad for us not to venture out. Freezing temperatures, accompanied by mild rain, did not constitute a reason for cancellation. It just meant that we donned our survival suits, with the maximum number of layers underneath, and went out anyway. I hate to think how the early explorers, scientists and hunters managed!

Most of the zodiac trips involved staying on board, cruising the coastline or waterways looking for wildlife or simply just cruising. Occasionally we would venture ashore, but only after the guides had scouted to make sure there were no polar bears!

Of course, the advantage of the zodiacs was that we could explore places the ship couldn’t go. It also meant that we got a sense of the magnitude of everything. When you look at a glacier or ice formation from a zodiac, you begin to realise just how grand the landscape is… in every sense of the word!

Now for the kayaking…….

Actually, I had decided to brush up on my kayaking before I’d even left Sydney. It had been many (many!) years since I’d been kayaking. And I didn’t fancy ironing out techniques (especially my balance! 😲) while paddling in freezing waters.

I should haven’t worried. It’s a bit like riding a bike. Nevertheless, it did mean that when I felt confident on my trip.

It was from Disko Island that we did the kayaking. Disko Island is not far from Ilulissat on the west coast of Greenland.

The first step was to put on our survival suit. It’s not as easy as it sounds! This suit was different from the ones we wore on our zodiac expeditions, because this one was designed to keep out the water, not just keep us warm. So, there were rubber fittings at the wrists and at the neck, which had a great deal of resistance when trying to push through!

The preparation completed, (including a safety briefing) off we went.

In addition to two guides, on separate kayaks, there was also a support vessel – a little runabout which was at the ready to zoom over and pluck someone out of the water should the worst happen.

That morning, the weather was threatening to change, and there was already a breeze a little way offshore. So we all decided to potter around near the launch site rather than paddling on an expedition down the coast.

It was a good decision.

We had a great time kayaking around the enormous icebergs… keeping our distance, of course, as they can flip unexpectedly. And you don’t want to be close when that happens!

The weather did change, and some fog rolled in. Because we were already close to shore, we stayed out to experience the eeriness.

And this brings me to the end of my boating stories.

Wait, there is another one…

…but I’m keeping that one for another time. 😉