Iceland, Greenland & North West Passage

Warmed by the Gulf Stream as well as by highly active thermal hot springs and volcanoes, Iceland is somewhat misnamed. While it is a stark and barren country with three huge areas of glaciers, one theory is that early Norsemen sought to mislead other potential settlers by giving a pleasant name to fierce, inhospitable Greenland, and a forbidding name to the imminently habitable Iceland. Irish monks and hermits established themselves here in the 8th century, but left a century later when the pagan Norsemen arrived. Europe’s first Parliament of General Assembly, the Althing, was established in the year 930 and still functions as the legislative body, although it was suspended by the Danes at the end of the 18th century and not reconvened until 1843. Reykjavik was the site picked by the island’s first permanent resident, Ingolfur Arnarson in 874, and is home to more than half of the island’s total population. The world’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik is proud of its virtual lack of air pollution. Both electrical power and home heating are derived from the geothermal activity on the island. The city’s large swimming pools are always warm, and in the countryside exotic fruits such as grapes and bananas are cultivated in greenhouses made cozy with the help of underground hot springs.

Imagine a narrow fjord bordered by rugged peaks, vertical rock walls and serpentine rivers of ice plunging into the sea. This is Skjoldungen Fjord, named by Wilhelm August Graah after the honorific title Skjoldungen which, according to Norse mythology, was given to successors of legendary King Skjold to the Danish throne.

Numerous tidewater glaciers calve during the summer, releasing large chunks of ice that plunge into the fjord. Above, huge crevasses and free-standing pillars of ice, known as seracs, are silhouetted against a blue Greenlandic sky. Barren of large trees, Skjoldungen Fjord is carpeted in colorful dwarf birch and willow forests that may grow several feet high, as well as a variety of low-growing Arctic wildflowers.

This fjord was likely inhabited by Paleo-Eskimo (Inuit) nomadic people as early as 4,000 years ago. Archaeological remains of later historical periods, such as Thule culture graves, have also been found, indicating that Inuit people have lived in the area continuously. Scattered within this stunning scenery are remains of more recent abandoned Inuit dwellings along the fjord’s western shores.

Tiny Aappilattoq is located in the Prince Christian Sound at Greenland’s southern tip, in the municipality of Kullaleq. Its name means ‘red’ in Greenlandic. The sound is enfolded by steep, unglaciated mountains, rising sheer from the water to sharp, shattered peaks. The town’s setting is particularly picturesque, its brightly painted houses scattered across a small peninsula of humped granite domes, under a backdrop of a looming pyramid of stone. The little red town church nestles next to a white-picketed graveyard. The sound itself is dotted with icebergs slowly melting into expressionist sculptures. It is a place where the infrequent visitors routinely fill their camera cards with unforgettable images of Greenland’s spectacular visual splendor.

The largest town in South Greenland with over 3,500 citizens, Qaqortoq was founded in 1775 and still reveals some examples of colonial-period architecture. There is not infrastructure to support shore excursions here, but guests can explore the town and its museum, or possibly arrange a visit to a nearby hot springs. Like other towns in Greenland, there are also possibilities to buy examples of traditional Inuit arts and crafts, including items crafted of bone, soapstone and wild-harvested furs.

Tiny Aappilattoq is located in the Prince Christian Sound at Greenland’s southern tip, in the municipality of Kullaleq. Its name means ‘red’ in Greenlandic. The sound is enfolded by steep, unglaciated mountains, rising sheer from the water to sharp, shattered peaks. The town’s setting is particularly picturesque, its brightly painted houses scattered across a small peninsula of humped granite domes, under a backdrop of a looming pyramid of stone. The little red town church nestles next to a white-picketed graveyard. The sound itself is dotted with icebergs slowly melting into expressionist sculptures. It is a place where the infrequent visitors routinely fill their camera cards with unforgettable images of Greenland’s spectacular visual splendor.

Tiny Itilleq is located on an island in the Davis Strait on Greenland’s west coast. The island has no freshwater source, so the town’s population of just over a hundred inhabitants depends on desalination for their freshwater. The salinity and temperature of water is a subject being carefully studied in the Davis Strait, since it is one of the relatively few restricted bodies of water connecting the Arctic Ocean with other seas, in this case the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The narrow strait between Greenland and Baffin Island experiences dramatic tide changes of 30 to 60 feet, and the differences in temperature and salinity create far-reaching effects on the global oceanic currents and weather patterns. So tiny, isolated Itilleq represents an example of the way unseen forces shape and affect all our lives.

This fishing town is situated on a low-lying peninsula backed by towering black volcanic mountains. There are no shore excursions available for Paamiut, and guests will no doubt enjoy walking into the town and visiting the beautiful church, which is reminiscent of the stave churches of Norway and boasts excellent acoustics. The local museum has photos of the whaling history, and examples of local arts and crafts, which are also offered for sale in the town. The town is the hub of numerous thousand-year old paths leading into the countryside. If the weather is good, guests might wish to take one of these for a while to get the feel of the place. Keep a sharp eye out for whales in the sea, and sea eagles in the sky or on the peaks.

Greenland’s capital boasts some 16,000 inhabitants. Although the town does not offer us any shore excursions, there are several attractions which guests may wish to visit. One is the roofed town market, where the products of the nearby sea and wilderness are for sale, including the meat of whales, seals, birds and fish. The Katuaq Cultural Center offers changing exhibitions. Especially worth a visit is the National Museum, which besides many historic objects, contains the quite famous 500-year old mummies recovered from Qilakitsoq. The nearby Museum of Art has works by both Inuit and Nordic artists. There is also an artisan’s center where guests may purchase locally produced works, and a collection of traditional houses.

Tiny Itilleq is located on an island in the Davis Strait on Greenland’s west coast. The island has no freshwater source, so the town’s population of just over a hundred inhabitants depends on desalination for their freshwater. The salinity and temperature of water is a subject being carefully studied in the Davis Strait, since it is one of the relatively few restricted bodies of water connecting the Arctic Ocean with other seas, in this case the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The narrow strait between Greenland and Baffin Island experiences dramatic tide changes of 30 to 60 feet, and the differences in temperature and salinity create far-reaching effects on the global oceanic currents and weather patterns. So tiny, isolated Itilleq represents an example of the way unseen forces shape and affect all our lives.

In October, 1941 the United States Army Air Force constructed an airbase at the site of Kangerlussuaq. It served as a refuelling stop for single-engine military aircraft being flown to Britain during World War II. Form their last port of call, Goose Bay, Labrador, it was 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to Kangerlussuaq until they could refuel. Kangerlussuaq fjord (‘Big Fjord’), is 170 kilometers (105 miles) long and was often shrouded in fog, providing a serious navigation problem for those aircrews.

Today, with the use of modern technology, navigation is no longer an issue. The landscape was ideal for the site of an airport. A large alluvial plain, deposited by the nearby glacial-outflow river, provided a perfectly flat environment for an airport. Kangerlussuaq is the largest commercial airport in Greenland and supports a population of 500. A little known fact, from 1971 to 1987, 33 missiles from various countries, were fired from Kangerlussuaq for upper atmospheric scientific research.

In October, 1941 the United States Army Air Force constructed an airbase at the site of Kangerlussuaq. It served as a refuelling stop for single-engine military aircraft being flown to Britain during World War II. Form their last port of call, Goose Bay, Labrador, it was 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to Kangerlussuaq until they could refuel. Kangerlussuaq fjord (‘Big Fjord’), is 170 kilometers (105 miles) long and was often shrouded in fog, providing a serious navigation problem for those aircrews.

Today, with the use of modern technology, navigation is no longer an issue. The landscape was ideal for the site of an airport. A large alluvial plain, deposited by the nearby glacial-outflow river, provided a perfectly flat environment for an airport. Kangerlussuaq is the largest commercial airport in Greenland and supports a population of 500. A little known fact, from 1971 to 1987, 33 missiles from various countries, were fired from Kangerlussuaq for upper atmospheric scientific research.

Sisimiut is Greenland’s second-largest town, and large by Greenland standards, housing some 6,000 people. It is located just north of the Arctic Circle, and is a popular base for visitors seeking adventurous pastimes in the surrounding country. Although there are no shore excursions planned for Sisimiut, guests may wish to investigate the local market, where the products of the country are sold, including meat from whales, reindeer, musk oxen and many kinds of fish. Watch for the stocky little Icelandic horses trotting along the highways, and keep an eye out for sea eagles often seen perched on the surrounding mountains. Whales are also often seen in the sea nearby. On the hill above the harbor, there is an artisan’s workshop where they create and sell Inuit crafts, and nearby is the town museum, which has examples of colonial period houses, peat houses and other early buildings.

Located in Disco Bay, Ilulissat is home to Sermeq Kujalleq, the fastest-moving glacier in the world. This tremendous river of ice flows from the Greenland Ice Shield toward the sea, funneling through a narrow opening at nearly 40 meters a day. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the “Mother of Icebergs” that fills its fjord and the bay with great quantities of floating icebergs that parade down the bay and into the Atlantic Ocean. No formal excursions are planned for the town, which is home to about 4,600 people and some 3,500 sled dogs.

Croker Bay is a 35 kilometer (20 miles) deep fjord on the southern shore of Devon Island and is flanked by colorful 450 metre (1,500’) high table-like mountains. The tidewater glacier at its head descends 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the icefield at the center of the island and terminates in spectacular cliffs of ice. Some 3.5 kilometers (2 miles) wide, the glacial front calves huge amounts of ice into the bay. Here polar bears, seals and even a pod of beluga whales can be seen travelling amongst the brash ice.

To the east is the abandoned community of Dundas Harbour. The derelict buildings of the R.C.M.P. post are all that remain and serve as a silent reminder to the 52 Inuit that came here in 1934. Here, set amongst a landscape aglow in the colors of Arctic Autumn, lay the stark white crosses and picket fence enclosure of one of the most northerly cemeteries on Earth. Nearby, 1,000 year old stone remains of earlier Inuit settlers can be found.

Croker Bay is an Arctic waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It lies off the southern coast of Devon Island in the eastern high Arctic. Like Maxwell Bay to the west, it is an arm of Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait. The abandoned Dundas Harbour is 32.1 miles to the east.