Ilulissat Icefjord (aka More Icebergs!!!!)

Hey, great news! We're finally getting up to where the REAL icebergs hang out! 😁 Starting with Disko Bay yesterday and Ilulissat this morning, we are nearing the world's most active glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq. The Icefjord Center and UNESCO worked very hard to lay a boardwalk across some marshy tundra. This leads about a mile out to a viewpoint over a terminal moraine, which is a pile of rocks and gravel carried down and deposited by the glacier as it retreats. This rockpile traps the travelling icebergs so they bunch up into an amazing sight. 

We travelled into Ilulissat via our trusty Zodiacs, but it was a very different experience due to this being a VERY busy port town. We had to wait in a short lineup to let a few working boats pass by


We don't usually get this close to our other Zodiacs. 
Normally, this one would be headed back to the ship before we land.


It was a "dry" landing onto a pontoon dock

As near as we could tell, if you live in Ilulissat, you have a boat rather than a car.

Then a short bus ride took us to the Icefjord Center, where we began the walk out to the coast. 


Just in case you're thinking "boardwalk" means totally flat, easy walking, you can forget that!





Note: that is NOT a glacier, it's a pile of icebergs!








Still not a glacier.


Somehow, the walk back seemed even longer!

Cotton-grass




The Danish architect, Dorte Mandrup, says she was inspired by the wings of a Snowy Owl.

Ilulissat's "Dogtown", where all of the Greenlandic Dogs are kept.
They are the only breed of dog allowed above the Arctic Circle in Greenland.


There are Chamomile flowers absolutely everywhere here!

Yet another view of this spectacular building.

Then we went back to the ship and headed northward toward tomorrow's destination, passing just a few more icebergs along the way.  Hope you aren't tired of them yet!  Because we sure aren't.

Especially when they're like THIS!!


I mean....what the heck???

HOW?!?!?

Captain Heidi even broke off her evening talk to run and take a pic of this one!




And so to bed....







Comments

  1. SusanAugust 20, 2025 at 6:47 AM

    The reason it takes me so long to absorb your posts is that I'm always running off to look something up! Geenland dogs, Dorte Mandrup (wow!)... And oh my goodness: all those stairs in Uummannaq!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ColoHarpareAugust 20, 2025 at 7:47 AM

      Thanks for commenting! We never know if anyone's reading the blog, so it's good to have some confirmation!

      Delete

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