A Taste of Greenland

Sailing towards Greenland is a sight to behold. Welcomed by towering mountains, carved out by glaciers and ice, and clouds suspended over the Greenland ice sheet, make this island one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen.

Meeting the pack ice as we neared East Greenland

The summers in Greenland are short, but everything comes to life and thrives out here in three short months. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 10° Celcius, but all it takes it a little sunshine after months of darkness, and the coastline flourishes.

Flowers start to bloom from the end of May, and the oceans come alive with algal and phytoplankton blooms covering the surface.

Flowers in bloom in small village called Nanortalik

Migrating whales, like fin, humpback and pilot whales, follow shortly as they're after the abundance of food the Arctic ocean offers in the spring time.

Female seals have just about finished nursing their pups, resting on the last of the winter sea ice, and sea birds are flocking in their thousands to the fjord cliffs to nest and raise their chicks.

Black-legged kittiwakes and Brunnich's guillemot nesting on cliff faces

The local Inuits are so well adapted to their life in the Arctic, and adapt their lifestyles as the seasons change. They use sled dogs in the winters to go out hunting for seals, as they provide the much needed nutrition and sustenance required for the long, cold winters. While in summer, both commercial and subsistence fishing are the main source of food and income for local communities.

Fleet of fishing vessels in Qaqortoq village

Hiking in these landscapes is not for the faint hearted or those on unsteady feet. The trails are very rocky and uneven and most the time, very boggy under foot. But the biggest challenge of all is the mosquitoes! I thought we had huge amounts of mosquitoes at home in the African bush, but my goodness the number of mozzies in Greenland is insane! But all that being said, the views are incredible and so rewarding when you do you make it to the top that you completely forget about everything else!

Overlooking fjords behind Qaqortoq village

We've spent nearly three weeks sailing from the East coast of Greenland from Scorsby-Sund around to the West coast up to Ilulissat, stopping at various villages and fjords along the way, but there is still much left to see in the upcoming weeks and no matter how many times we stop at a site, there's always something popping out and catching my eye.

I look forward to sharing more tales about Greenland with you soon!