The Icebergs Cometh

July 23, 2018 - 5 minutes read

Greenland’s icebergs have been much in the news recently, especially an 11-million-ton frozen monster near Innaarsuit that has made headlines and television news shows around the world.

The vast Greenland Ice Cap produces 250 million tons of icebergs each summer and their final journey begins when they break off from tidewater glaciers and plunge directly into the island’s crystal-clear fjords.

During its annual summer voyages to Greenland, Iceland ProCruises offers some cool shore excursions that get passengers up close and personal with some of the most amazing icebergs anywhere on planet Earth.

Among our top iceberg viewing spots are:

Narsarsuaq

At Narsarsuaq in Southern Greenland, our 1.5-hour Qoroq Ice Fjord boat trip takes you as close to the glacier as ice conditions permit. Edging ever closer, the captain cuts the engine so passengers can enjoy the Arctic scenery as it was meant to be enjoyed — in silence!

Our seven-hour Hike & Kayak Tasiusaq combines a four-mile hike through the beautiful Arctic landscape between Qassiarsuk and the remote former sheep farming community of Tasiusaq, where you start paddling through iceberg filled waters with amazing views of glaciers.

Dramatic views of icebergs and glaciers from a much different perspective are possible on our Helicopter Tour to Eqaluit Glacier. This 1.5-hour adventure includes half an hour on the glacier, allowing time for you to walk around and take photos. Flying low and slow, Greenland’s spectacular natural features (like glacial moulins and icebergs) seem right below your feet and you’re able to get a sense of the island’s immense size.

Ilulissat

Often called the “Town of Icebergs,” it’s no wonder that our City Walk Ilulissat includes a walk to the Sermermiut iceberg area. This 4.5-hour tour includes the most famous sights of a town located 200 miles above the Arctic Circle. Originally founded in 1741 as a Danish trading post, Ilulissat is now the third largest town in Greenland, with over 4,500 inhabitants. After a visit to the icebergs and a chance to appreciate the beautiful scenery, the tour ends at the Knud Rasmussen Museum.

The physically demanding Hike to the Sermermiut Icebergs traverses spectacular terrain en route to “Holms Bakke” for great views of the Jakobshavn Ice Fjord. Taking five to six hours to complete, the tour includes the Inuit ruins at Sermermiut, where you can learn more about the culture and lifestyle of the first people to settle the area, around 4,000 years ago. You’ll see relics and hear stories about Inuit life and traditions before Europeans arrived in Greenland.

Our scenic Ice Fjord Cruise takes passengers on a unforgettable two-hour voyage to the mouth Ilulissat Ice Fjord, where an underwater moraine catches many of the large icebergs. The only way to cross the moraine is via pressure from behind — therefore you always see a multitude of huge icebergs directly in front of Ilulissat.

There’s also an aerial option — a 30-minute Ice Fjord Roundflight above the world’s most active glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq, which moves at an astounding rate of 72 feet per day through the UNESCO World Heritage fjord. The aircraft flies low over the fjord and circles the majestic icebergs, which can reach 3000 feet in height and stretch several miles in length. Every passenger gets a window seat and an Active Noise Reduction Headset.

www.camillahey.dk

Qeqertarsuaq

Our three-mile Hike to Blaesedalen leads from the town of Qeqertarsuaq (the only settlement on Disko Island) to the stunning “Valley of the Winds” with its waterfalls, local flora and fauna, and views of some of the world’s largest icebergs drifting past the coast.

A much more audacious way to explore the Qeqertarsuaq area is our Helicopter Flight & Dog Sledding adventure. A short panoramic flight takes you to Lyngmark Glacier, where you embark on an exciting 30-minute dog sledding ride across the Greenland landscape.

Further details.

 

Tags: , , , , ,