Navigating the icebergs; Ilulissat, Greenland.

During the summer of 2023, I packed all my camera equipment and my drone before I took off in a tiny propeller plane and landed on the frozen landscape that Greenland had to offer. 250km from the Arctic Circle on the Western coast lies a coastal town called Ilulissat, which is famous for Disko Bay and the enormous icebergs that make their way through the Labrador Sea and into the North Atlantic Ocean. Ilulissat means icebergs in the Greenlandic language Kalaallisut. These icebergs are carved from the Sermeq Glacier, which is one of the fastest, most active glaciers in the world. 

The moment I first laid eyes on the icebergs as we began descending into Ilulissat.

Coming to Greenland was a dream come true, I've always had a love for cold climates and watching so many documentaries on glacial landscapes from a young age, going out to photograph the icebergs was such an urge. Being the largest island in the world but very limited travel infrastructure and snow capped land, I knew this trip would require a lot of planning. Going in the summer month of June was my best bet at seeing the icebergs as they begin to retreat from the fjords. 

Just 6 weeks before my flight date I landed in hospital barley able to move. I had an emergency mri scan which confirmed I had three bulging discs, one unfortunately compressing a nerve root. I remember laying in the hospital bed wondering if Greenland would be possible or remain just a dream. I had one month off work and weekly chiropractic sessions and remained headstrong through this difficult time and managed to recover enough to go, yet baring in mind how difficult the ice/ boats and a bad back could be, I was determined to push through.

When arriving, the landscape immediately stole my heart. How could people have coastal houses that overlook humongous passing icebergs? It didn't feel real. 

A view from behind some the Greenlandic Inuit residents houses with the best view imaginable.

Walkng through the town was nothing like I had witnessed before. There were Fin Whale jawbone's used an an archway to an old peat house, locals had whale vertebrae as balcony decorations and having a boat in your garden was the 'norm'. By the harbour is Zions Church, built in 1779, it stood out as such a wonderful structure overlooking Disko Bay.

Zions Church, overlooking the Disko Bay.

Since no roads connect Ilulissat to any other settlement, the only forms of travel are boat, plane or dog sled. Greenlandic dogs are seen all over Ilulissat. The dogs are considered dangerous and are not treat as pets. Almost all adult dogs are chained, while puppies roam free. It was hard to comprehend that these dogs enjoyed being out in the fridgid temperatures with nothing but a wooden box but these dogs are bred for and love the sledding with no qualms to the freezing temperatures which can plummet to -17c. 

A beautiful Greenlandic dog amongst the snowfall. 

Two curious puppies bundle together in the snow.

Hiking through the Sermermuit valley via wooden walkways near the Icefjord Centre brings you out to the amazing icefjord. Listed as UNESCO world heritage site, the formation of the ice cap reaching the sea provides greater understandings of icecap glaciology and climate change. Calving around 10% of all Greenland calf ice means outside of Antartica, it is more than any other glacier in the world!

The walk is just stunning along the oceans edge. An array of colours lined the rocky hiking routes. I had to be extra careful not to slip on the ice with my healing spinal injury, but I knew I had to see the icefjord up close. 

The rocky terrain by the icefjord.

I had my drone with me and decided to pilot it over some of the icebergs in order to get a composition not possible from land. This was actually the first time id used my new photography addition and the nerves ran high as the atmosphere was so cold, draining the battery quicker, along with being over the ocean and ice below, I knew I could not lose it! I was so determined to get the unique shots I had in my head which made it worth the risk piloting in fridgid temperatures as a novice. Once my drone was airborne it was clear how astounding the structures were from above. The ice was caped in a snow which almost looked like frozen waves. I was in absolute awe.

Drone shots of the Ice fjord in Ilulissat.

The following day was one probably my favourite part of the trip. I boarded a large icebreaker boat ready to explore Disko Bay under the midnight sun. These boats are specially designed to be able to slice through surface ice in order to navigate through the arctic waters. I used Disko Line Explorer to book my trip which had so many good reviews (https://diskolineexplorer.com/en/). During this tour we sailed out of Ilulissats town and through the giant icebergs while being educated on facts about the Sermeq Kujalleq and the ice itself. The ginormous icebergs are carved from the glacier before entering the ice fjord and left bobbing through the ocean. However these chunks of ice are made from freshwater and not saltwater. We only see 10% of the iceberg above the waters edge, which is absolutely crazy when you see some humongous bergs. 

Voyaging under the midnight sun meant even though it was in the late evening I had the joy of daylight and sunset colours. The weather was also perfect, enabling me to capture glassy waters and flawless reflections.

The still water reflecting the iceberg beautifully. 

Snapping while on a moving boat in frigid temperatures had its difficulties but I didn't let that affect me with this opportunity of a lifetime. It was challenging wanting to just sit back and admire the impressive landscape but I knew I had to get the shots. 

Sailing through Disko Bay as I shoot the icebergs.

An iceberg revealing its beauty.

Every iceberg is so unique and when you look closer you can really appreciate the delicacy and exquisite appearance. I loved the landscape shot here but also wanted to highlight the smaller details.

Using a zoom lense to capture the detail of the ice.

I knew the different compositions I wanted and had to be fast when swapping lenses as the boat did not stop or wait on its journey. I was rather pleased I managed to capture this shot on my zoom lens shorty after taking a landscape shot. 

As part of the tour we were made exquisite cocktails made with Greenlandic herbs and berries and chilled with glacier ice caught freshly from Disko Bay. The drinks were phenomenal and knowing it was local produce, and the ice couldn't be any fresher than caught with a net out the ocean there and then. The whole experience surrounded by such astonishing landscape was a core memory. 

Holding one of the freshly caught lumps of ice.

The Greenlandic crafted cocktail with a view to behold. 

I never wanted this excursion to end. My passion for exploring the lesser known and arctic regions was thriving. I knew I was made for this. 

The morale was really high among the group after our special cocktails as we carried on sailing through Disko Bay. Every iceberg presented a different opportunity and distinctive shot.

The different striations within the iceberg.

Some of the underwater mass of the iceberg visible from above.

Being surrounded in such amazing beauty was truly captivating. And the tour came to an end I couldn’t wait to return to my hotel and retrieve all my images from my camera.

The following day I embarked on another adventure out of Ilulissat and journeying to the Eqi Glacier. This was another ice breaker boat but relatively smaller than the previous nights. Honestly I did feel nervous going so far out in the ocean on such a small boat that had to embark through the ice ridden waters safely. There were many more wonderful icebergs on route, sculpted by nature. We were informed there was a possibility of spotting whales on this trip, which I was extremely hopeful for. Luckily enough we saw sings of whales, a sign of a blown horn and fins dipping in and out of the water. To our curiosity we learned they were Humpbacks. We stopped the engine and watched for a little before setting back off. The conditions were poor and it was actively snowing on the moving boat but exciting seeing the whales nonetheless.

A humpback whale breaking the waters surface in the snowy landscape.

It was a long drive to the glacier, unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side and snow clouds were blocking our view. As much as I didn’t want to, I knew my only chance of catching a shot of the glacier was an arial shot. The drone was my only hope. The visibility was so poor and there was a lot of risk in setting it off in not only just that but also the snowfall and the distance it would have to go. Not forgetting the freezing temperatures and short battery life these drones have.

I pressed take off, and crossed all my fingers it would survive the journey there and back. Piloting through the snow, it felt like a lifetime before reaching the first glimpse of glacier. The snow was landing on the lens and causing some issues in that sense yet I managed to capture some stills and video footage of the glacier. I promptly asked the drone to return home and stood pin the rocking boat hoping it would make it back to me. The boat had moved naturally with the waves of water so the drones home point originally set was now just a drop in the ocean. With determination and some help from another drone pilot, I managed to get the drone back to the boat just in time. The relief was real. 

The Equi Glacier, barley visible through the snow clouds.

A glimpse of the Equi Glacier from my drone.

On the journey back we were lucky to catch more glimpses of Humpbacks, surfacing the water between the icebergs. Just admiring the views all around and the vastness of the ocean and ice was quite humbling how desolate some places on earth can be.

An icy path carved by the icebreaker boat.

During the evening of my last day the skies looked stormy as the sun pierced through the cloud and illuminated some of the land and ice below. This unique landscape shot was captured on my zoom lens from my hotel room.

Stormy skies in Ilulissat.

Altogether the experience of exploring the vast wilderness of Greenland captured my heart and fed my soul. It only clarified to me the passion I had deep within to be surrounded by nature and capturing these memories that will last a life time. Capturing my experience gives me so much pleasure knowing I can share these unforgettable momements with others. Since being in this amazing country, I yearn to go back and also explore more arctic regions. The dream is to explore Nunavut and learn more about Narwhales and understand how they live in these extreme conditions.

Sailing through the iceberg.