Travel Scandinavia Baltic Tours Antarctica Expedition Cruises

Categories Small Ship Cruises Schooner Cruises North Atlantic Islands Arctic Cruises Adventure & Eco Travel Cruises

The itinerary is reversed on the September 6, 2012 departure.

Greenland or "Kalaallit Nunaat" ("Land of the People") in the Greenlandic language, is the largest island in the world, it stretches from 60º to 83º north latitude. Kap Farvel, its southern tip, is located at almost the same latitude as the Shetland Islands in Scotland. The extreme north of Greenland is the northernmost point of land on our planet. Greenland is dominated by the second largest ice-sheet in the world; more than 80% of its surface area is covered by ice reaching a thickness of over 3000 meters (10,000 feet) in the interior. Although huge in size (2,166,000 km²), it is inhabited by less than 60.000 people. Greenland is geographically a part of the North American continent but has more social and political ties with Europe.

The coastline of Greenland is spectacular. Heavily indented with numerous fjords, the coastline consists of spectacular high mountains, 2000 meters (6500 feet) high cliffs and innumerable glaciers. The large glaciers produce the huge, cathedral-like ice-bergs that are abundant in Greenlandic waters. The largest fjord is Scoresby Sund and is more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) long. Our voyages focus on East and North-East Greenland, among the most isolated, sparsely populated and scenically superb parts of the island.

The name Greenland was given by Eric the Red, a Norwegian-born Icelandic settler who was banished from Iceland around the year 982 after committing a murder. He found refuge in Greenland. When his exile was over, he returned to Iceland with stories of a green and fertile land to the north-west to lure potential settlers, hence the name Greenland. Although initially flourishing, the Icelandic settlements disappeared from Greenland around 1400, probably due to a climatic change, the Little Ice-Age. But the Norwegian settlers were certainly not the first humans to have lived on Greenland. For thousands of years Palaeo-Eskimos (the Dorset culture) had been living on the coasts of Greenland: they were finally replaced by Inuit (or Kalaallit as they call themselves in Greenland) around 1300 A.D. The Inuit now make up the majority of the Greenlandic population. The Inuit, the word means "men" in the Inuit language, are nowadays seen as the indigenous people of the North American Arctic. Inuit are traditionally subsistence hunters, living primarily from whales, walruses, Caribou, Musk Oxen, Arctic Foxes, Polar Bears and seals.

Climate

Our expeditions in North-East Greenland are planned in August and September. The reason is that access to this wild coast is dependent on the ice conditions. For much of the year the region is locked in by pack-ice, which only by late summer has broken up sufficiently to allow vessels such as ours to reach land.

Please note; although we expect to be able to reach Greenland, nature does not give us a guarantee. Pack-ice is unpredictable and may prevent our ships to complete the planned itinerary.

The Greenlandic weather varies enormously depending on where you are on this vast island. Influenced by its high latitude, the gigantic ice-cap and the surrounding oceans and seas, Greenland has an Arctic to High Arctic climate. Still, East Greenland has on average 300 days of sunshine in the year. In August we can expect surprisingly warm daytime temperatures. In Scoresby Sund the average daytime temperatures are between 5 and 9ºC (41 and 48ºF) with the highest observed temperature being 21ºC (70ºF). On a sunny, windless day even 9ºC feels quite warm. By September, autumn rapidly begins to take a hold. Temperatures drop below zero, the sea in sheltered fjords begins to freeze, the winds strengthen and snow can be expected. Still, the low sun gives spectacular sunsets and the snow adds to the Arctic feeling.

Itinerary

We arrive in Ilulissat from Reykjavik by chartered plane.

Ilulissat (5000 inhabitants) is an important West Greenland town, with museums, institutes, bookstores, etc.

Today we sail along the large Jakobshavn Glacier with its enormous ice-bergs. South of it we climb the hill at Avangnardlit from where we have a fantastic view across the Jakobshavn Isfjord, which is a World Heritage site.

At the north side of Disko Island we land at Kugangup ivnarta, a seabird cliff at the east side of a valley with a row of Pingo's (periglacial phenomena), where we will take a walk into the valley.

At Uummannaq, we approach High Arctic waters. Seal hunting is still an important source of income for the local people and they also have many dogs which haul their sledges in winter. We will also visit the nearby Qilakitsoq site, on the north coast of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, where some years ago a family of mummified Thule culture people from the 15th century was found.

In Karajak Isfjord we see the Karajak Nunatak, where Drygalski did his geographic research and wintered at the end of the 19th Century surrounded by enormous glaciers and ice-bergs.

Through a maze of fjords and straits with huge ice-bergs and among high mountain sides we work our way north looking for opportunities to make a landing at Ukalik or Iliarssuit where remains of Thule culture dwellings can be found.

In the settlement Uvkusigssat, the German explorer Wegener had his base from where he ventured to the Greenlandic ice-cap. Later that day we will land at the head of the fjord, where he began his ascent of the ice-cap. The glacier Scheideck which 80 years ago ended at the coast has retreated about 10 km inland. In the same area we will see Marmorilik with the Black Angel Mine for zinc and lead high in the mountains.

Today we circumnavigate Upernivik ø and sail through narrow fjords surrounded by mountains of over 2000m and glaciers at all sides. We land in Illorsuit on Ubekendt Ejland, where the American Rockwell Kent made his famous painting of Greenlandic life, a century ago.

We reach Svartenhuk Halvø, where we land at Svartenhavn. We will walk on an extensive tundra, dotted with lakes, where we will encounter ducks and geese and Muskoxen. Later we land at Lille Fladø, where a big colony of Arctic Terns and small colonies of Puffins, Black Guillemots and Little Auks survive.

At Agparssuit at the south side of Qaersorssuaq we visit two small colonies of Brünnich Guillemots and on Hvalø a Puffin colony. In these waters we often have seen whales. From there we sail to Upernavik the main town in Northwest Greenland, where we will have an opportunity to experience Greenlandic culture.

Upernavik and return flight to Reykjavik by chartered plane.