Back to Report Index
Top of SectionTwo dozen different types of species from the surrounding hillsides were collected for later identification by the botanists at Copenhagen (who forgot to collect specimens for their own project). These flora included Sphagna (mosses), Bryophytes, Pteridophytes (ferns, etc.) Graminoids (grasses, rushes, sedges, etc.) and a general selection of Vascular plants indicative of the surrounding tundra habitat.
Though there were often great expanses of Arctic Willow along the fjord - strictly speaking these are trees - these plants were never more than a few feet high. The general impression, then was a treeless landscape.
Land Fauna As far as mammals were concerned, evidence was seen for arctic foxes and hares. A largish herd (about 30) of Musk Ox was also seen in the area, towards the latter stages of the expedition. Musk were best described as looking like Thewells shaggy ponies, though considerably bigger and with large horns. According to the locals, the musk ox are considered more dangerous than polar bears, and can run up hill faster than they can down!
Very few birds were seen in the fjord, one notable visitor though, was a sea eagle.
Insects were the bane of our existence for most of our stay in Greenland. For the first three weeks, this was due to the ubiquitous mosquito, which more or less disappeared over night, only to be replaced a few days later by even more black flies. These flies lasted about a week, before disappearing after a full moon.
Marine Fauna The substrate supported abundant marine life. We saw anemones, crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers, cotton spinners, sea urchins, sea slugs, boring bivalves, (edible) muscles, sea squirts, filamentous algae and coralline algae (lithothamnium). On one occasion we saw a sea hare.
Fish common to the fjord included Arctic Char, Plaice, Lumpsuckers and Sea Scorpions, who followed us around inquisitively wherever we roamed - and particularly when we were digging around in the mud. Jellyfish were also often painfully too common. Cod and eels were seen on occasion.