Iceland, Greenland and the Arctic
Chapter 1
This summer we decided to explore the North Atlantic Arctic. Our adventure started in Iceland where we took a charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and boarded our expedition ship, the Silversea Silver Cloud.
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| Charter Flight to Kangerslussuaq |
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| Silver Cloud |
On board the Silver Cloud, we visited small villages along the west coast of Greenland as we sailed north to the Arctic Circle and beyond.
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| Map Showing Arctic Circle |
The Arctic Circle is the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. It marks the northernmost point at which the noon sun is just visible on the December solstice and the southernmost point at which the midnight sun is just visible on the June solstice. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern Temperate Zone. (Wikipedia)
SISSIMIUT
The first town on our itinerary was Sissimiut, Greenland, a picturesque town located on the central west coast. Immediately, we were struck by the very unique scene in front of us.
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| Itinerary |
Houses were brightly painted in reds, blues, yellows and greens, the primary and secondary colors of a small Crayola box. They were perched on rocky cliffs, as the land was all rock and mountains. There are no trees here, just grasses, moss and wild flowers.
Greenland is part of Denmark; the population is a combination of Danes and Inuit people. The Danes first settled the area in the 1720’s, whereas the Inuit are descendants of arrivals from about 1,000 years ago. A walking tour of the area revealed a larger than expected town with shops, an airport, hospital, and both single-family and multiple housing units. There are also sizeable schools, since there are about 5,500 people living here. All goods are brought in by sea (or air), since the roads end with the town. Beyond the town, there are mountains and wilderness.
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| Greenland |
The last stop on our walking tour on the outskirts of town was a visit with Greenland sled dogs. There were many of them, and they were spread out on a rocky hillside. As we approached the area, we were struck by their large size. They had beautiful coats and started howling as we neared. It was bothersome that they were all chained, but we reminded ourselves that our views on the subject are not always applicable in all situations. Our understanding is that this is the norm for sled dogs.
After visiting Sissimiut, we reboarded the ship and started plying our way north toward the Arctic Circle. By morning, small icebergs started appearing in the water. As we continued north, the bergs got a bit bigger. We haven’t seen too much wildlife yet, mostly seabirds and a pod of pilot whales, but we’ll keep looking.
UUMMANNAQ
About 300 miles north of the Arctic circle, we found ourselves in Uummannaq, a small town that is a hub for halibut fishing. Again, there are brightly colored houses perched on the rocky cliffs. We heard that the color of your house depends on the year it needs painting. Each year, only one color of paint is delivered, and if it happens to be the time you need to paint your house, then that’s the color you will have. This town is quite active, with many of its inhabitants outside on this warm, sunny summer day. The harbor is busy with fishing boats and other watercraft skirting icebergs as they go about their business. As we walked through town, we occasionally heard a loud cracking sound, followed by the calving of one of the icebergs.
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| Town of Ummannaq |
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| Our Ship, Silver Cloud |
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| Large Iceberg in the Harbor |
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| Northern Fulmars |
As we gaze at the surrounding mountains, one thing is very clear. There are numerous glaciers, but they have retreated so much that only a small area near the top of the mountain is still covered in snow and ice. Clearly visible is also the moraine that has been left as the glaciers receded. The town is named for the heart-shaped mountain that is its backdrop.
After a day at sea, our next chapter begins at Pond Inlet, Nunavut in Baffin Bay.
(Due to the weak internet signal we have in the arctic, quality and timing may be limited.)
