At the head of Øfjord is a scenic group of low lying rocky islands known as the Bear Islands. Sydkap (South Cape) situated at the north end of Scoresby Sund is set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Stauning Alps. Here colossal icebergs, some in excess of 100 meters (330’) high and 1 kilometer (.6 mile) wide, have run aground in the shallow water.
Expansive areas of lowland are carpeted in the reds and yellow hues of autumn foliage. On many of the barren rocky outcrops sit huge solitary boulders, delicately balanced as if carefully placed by a giant. Known as erratics, they were carried here great distances by moving ice, and are a testament to a time when all of the land was buried deep under glaciers. Early peoples known as the Thlish culture established a small settlement here. The stone ruins of their houses are silent reminders of these pre-historic whale hunters. Whale bones can still be seen as well as the occasional muskox skull.