North Greenland Arctic Whale Watching Sailing Voyage- Aqua-Firma

Greenland Sailing Voyage - North Greenland, Ultima Thule

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Aboard a beautiful three-masted sailing schooner, this voyage is a true Greenlandic experience, incorporating the enormous glacier front of the Greenland ice-cap - the largest outside Antarctica, beautiful Arctic tundra, an insight into Greenlandic history and some of the best wildlife in Western Greenland. The ship's inflatable zodiacs facilitate in depth exploration of Western Greenland and help to negotiate the maze of icebergs, providing the opportunity for wildlife encounters wonderful scenery and access to otherwise hard to reach places.

This sailing voyage begins and ends in Upernavik (translated as 'Place of Spring'), which although small with a population of just 1,500, is the main town of North Greenland. Due to its small size, everything is within walking distance. The town is home to the world's northernmost outdoor museum, which features original buildings from colonial times, including the church which is well worth a visit.

One of our fist onshore landings on this voyage is on Greenland ice-cap, an astonishing permanent historical monument from the last ice age. This is an area where reindeer can be found in abundance and when sea ice is present, the chances of spotting the king of the Arctic - the polar bear are significantly increased. This area typifies Greenlandic landscapes, dominated by the Greenland ice-cap, which covers around 85% (695,000 square miles) of the island's surface area (14 times the size of England).

Melville Bay is one of the favoured spots to observe narwhals, arguably the most unusual of all whale species due to their single unicorn-like tusk. Their tusks, which usually only grow on males, are used in mating combat: however, so intense as the struggle sometimes is, these tusks have been known to shatter. The longest tusk ever recorded was a tremendous 267 cm in length. Melville Bay is in fact one of the best places in the world where this fascinating whale can be observed, so keep your eyes peeled. There will also be chances to spot the endangered bowhead (Greenland Right) whale, of which the remaining population is estimated to be around 10,000.

This voyage introduces a prolific amount of birdlife, namely at Saunders Island, home to possibly the largest bird colony in Greenland, comprising around 150,000 Brünnich's Guillemots, as well as Kittiwakes and Fulmar. At this time of year, young Brünnich's Guillemots can be spotted jumping from ledges into the sea to commence their southward migration. There will be further opportunities to see ducks and geese at Booth Sound, where breeding colonies can be observed around the lakes.

Meteor Island is likely to be of great interest and in particular Savigsivik, the southernmost Thule settlement. A 2 km inland trek will lead to the location where the famous York meteorite landed, originally estimated to have weighed a colossal 100 tonnes and consequently attracted migrating Inuits to the area. The shoreline mountains of Meteor Bay are a favoured area for Little Auks, which can be witnessed in their hundreds. There are a number of opportunities to explore the Thule culture further, in particular at the northernmost settlement of Siorapaluk, where local inhabitants still depend on the hunting of polar bears, narwhals, seals, seabirds and wildfowl.

For a Greenlandic experience onboard a stunning TallShip, full of dramatic Arctic landscapes, historical and cultural insights, wildlife and marine life opportunities and the chance to walk on the Greenland icecap, this sailing voyage is the ideal choice.

Expedition Cruise - Carbon Climate Neutral - Svalbard - Arctic Voyage - Greenland - Spitsbergen - Climate Change - Rainforest4Climate and Forest Credits Rainforest Concern - Responsible Travel holidays - Rembrandt

Day 1
Weather permitting, your journey begins with one of the most scenically dramatic flights you can hope to take from Iceland across south eastern Greenland to the western town of Upernavik. Upernavik (1500 inhabitants) is the main town in North Greenland, where the people still live from hunting seals.

Day 2
We will go ashore on Kipak, and Kap Shackleton on Agparsuit which still have huge colonies of Brünnich's Guillemots.

Day 3
At the southern end of Melville Bugt we land at Kuvdlorssuaq the northernmost settlement of the Upernavik district.

Day 4
We land at Lille Renland, where Reindeer have been found. Here we can walk on the Greenland ice-cap. In this area we may encounter our first sea ice and, if so, there is a chance of spotting Polar Bears hunting seals at the ice edge. Later we land at Red Head. The coast here is dominated by the vast Greenland ice cap which reaches the sea as a series of enormous glacier fronts, the largest outside Antarctica.

Day 5
Today we sail to the western side of Melville Bugt, calling at Cape Melville and then continuing into Meteor Bugt where the shoreline mountains teem with Little Auks.

Day 6
On Meteor Island we land at Savigsivik, the southernmost Thule settlement. It was on this island that the famous York meteorite provided the Inuit with a source of iron - until Peary removed it and sold it to an American museum.

Day 7
At the west side of Saunders Island we will cruise below cliffs on which nest 150,000 Brünnich's Guillemots, together with Kittiwakes and Fulmars, making it, perhaps, the largest seabird colony in Greenland.

Day 8
We land at Cape Chalon, where we visit old houses of the Thule culture. Then we sail to Siorapaluk, the northernmost Greenlandic village where the people still depend on the hunting of Polar Bear, Narwhal, seals, seabirds and wildfowl. Later we sail into Inglefield Bredning where the icebergs are carved into fantastic shapes by the natural forces of wind and water.

Day 9
Today we call at Thule (Quaanaaq) the main settlement of the area. In the 1950s the inhabitants of Old Thule (Dundas) were forced to move to Quaanaaq when NATO created an air base at their village. We continue to Hakluyt Island to view a large colony of Brünnich's Guillemots. At this time of year the young are jumping from the ledges into the sea to start their southward migration.

Day 10
In Booth Sound we make a trip inland to visit an area of High Arctic tundra. There are many lakes here, with a breeding population of ducks and geese.

Day 11
Just east of Parker Snow Bugt we visit again some colonies with Brünnich's Guillemots and cruise below the spectacular, ice-capped Crimson Cliffs to reach Cape York where, in 1818, the Inuit first met with people from the outside world when Royal Navy ships under John Ross arrived. Today the small settlements on the eastern side of the Cape are deserted, though the mountains behind the shore are still home to thousands of Little Auks.

Day 12
We sail east through the immense Melville Bugt, admiring again the awesome Greenland ice cap to the east. As we sail close to the edge of a nature reserve we have some chances to see Narwals along the ice edge.

Day 13
We will sail as close to shore as we can and hope to land on Cape Seddon near the remains of a Thule culture village.

Day 14
Depending on our schedule we land in the area of Kraulshavn.

Day 15
At Kingigtorsuaq, where 14th Century Viking Ruins were found, we will try to find the place where the Vikings built a cairn with the inscriptions. From there we sail to Upernavik the main town in North Greenland.

Day 16
From Upernavik we fly to Reykjavik by chartered plane.