Ilulissat and Its Ice Fjord

September 5th

After visiting Uummannaq, our northernmost stop above the Arctic Circle, the ship sailed a bit south. 

We stopped at Eqip Glacier, the most active calving glacier in Greenland. At first I wasn't impressed, as I had seen more dramatic ones in Alaska. But once I realized that the glacier I was viewing was over 5 kilometers wide, I was more appreciative. And as we got a bit closer the glacier made itself known. 

Then on to Ilulissat, translated as "iceberg," third largest town in Greenland and the most visited by tourists, due to its Ilulissat Icefjord. This fjord contains the Jacobshavn Glacier, which produces so many icebergs that they often block passage to the fjord. These icebergs are sometimes so large they cannot move down the fjord and get stuck in the shallower areas. The mouth of the fjord is particularly full of these icebergs. We took small boats to move among them. Cold and impressive! 

The local tour of the town included walking past the public housing, an experiment in moving whole villages into towns. Nuuk also contained much of this type of housing. Greenland is rethinking this approach, as the breakdown of natural villages has led to increased alcoholism and other problems. 

The tour also included the local museum and the Zion Church, built in 1779 and used until 1929. This church sits next to the fjord and provides a view over the iceberg filled entry. The town is known for having almost as many sled-dogs and kayaks as people. It also has shopping opportunities, an essential for tourists. 

Ilulissat was the location for the Arctic Ocean Conference in 2008, which led to the Ilulissat Declaration, which addresses environmental protection, climate change and other issues dealing with the Arctic Ocean. 

We hoped to have an opportunity to walk a path further into the fjord, but another ship - a larger one doing the Northern Passage from Alaska to New York - took away the guides and transportation. Definitely a popular tourist spot!