After three days of travel and four mandatory briefings, we woke to blue sky and calm water. Hurray! We’d be cleared for kayaking on Uummannaq Fjord! Where is Uumannaq Fjord, you ask? It’s about half way up the west coast of Greenland (part of the Kingdom of Denmark).
Sea Kayaking Greenland vs Antarctica
Our first Greenland kayaking expedition took place July 17, 2024, with Quark’s Ultramarine anchored within view of the town of Uummannaq. From the start, it was clear that our Greenland kayaking experiences would be quite different to our first round of sea kayaking experiences in Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands/Malvinas:
- For one thing, Quark Expeditions offers a very small kayaking group activity option for their Gems of West Greenland itinerary. So we were two of eight passengers who paid extra to enjoy sea kayaking on the fjords of west Greenland. We were two of sixteen kayaking passengers when traveling with Aurora Expeditions in the southern polar region.
- Because Greenland is part of polar bears’ range, we always had an armed lookout with our group. Travis also piloted our zodiac and stayed nearby in case of any other emergencies. A safety zodiac also accompanied our Antarctica kayaking expeditions.
- All our kayaking expeditions in Greenland were zodiac launches, rather than the “stern of ship” launches for most of our Antarctica outings. Zodiac launches for sea kayaking bring two big advantages. First, you start paddling close to scenery of interest. And second, the guide can take currents and winds into account and start the group from the location that makes for the most enjoyable paddle.
- In Greenland, expedition staff looked after the launching and stowing away of the kayaks. In the southern polar regions with Aurora Expeditions, passengers often assisted the guides with the launching and stowing of kayaks (not sure this would be on side with their liability insurance).
- We had only one accompanying guide in a kayak in Greenland (Andy, aka Whitey), vs 2 in Antarctica. This was simply a function of the numbers.
- Whether a result of the respective expedition cruise companies’ screening processes, sheer good luck or a combination of the two, everyone in our Greenland kayaking group was a strong paddler and up for pretty much anything. This added a lot to our overall enjoyment of our kayaking experiences in Greenland.
Launch
On any expedition cruise, there’s a period of intensive expedition staff activity before each expedition. They are mostly busy launching all the zodiacs that will be used for the pending excursions. After kitting up in our drysuits, booties, PFDs and skirts, we watched from our cabin balcony as zodiac pilots took up holding positions around the Ultramarine. We took particular note of the zodiac with Travis at the helm and our kayaks in tow.
The kayaking group is usually called first, and this day was no exception. We headed down to the excursion deck, where Whitey gave us a pre-trip briefing and checked our kit.
Then it was group photo time (not sure if Whitey used his phone or GoPro for this image, but it’s got some weird blurring around the edges).
Then we proceeded to the stern zodiac embarkation area.
A family member of someone in our kayaking group took photographs as we embarked and pulled away from the ship.
Travis navigated the zodiac about 2 km from the ship, keeping a sharp eye on the kayaks in tow.
Once he took up a holding pattern, it was time for the proper launch – into our kayaks! As expected, Whitey launched first, so that he could assist from the other side as we took our turns climbing into our kayaks and securing our skirts. Mr GeoK and I launched fairly early in the process. That meant we could take photos of the rest of the group as they went through the same steps.
Paddling
Once everyone was safely ensconced in their kayak (two singles, three tandems, plus our guide), we had a brief review of the rules of the water (stay within hearing range of the guide, watch for paddle signals, etc.). Then it was time to get paddling.
For the next 90 minutes or so, we generally paddled towards the southern coast of Uummannaq Fjord. Our guidepost was the landing zone for the short hike that the rest of our fellow passengers were enjoying. There was zigzagging, of course, as we’d spot an iceberg of interest or wanted a closer look at some of the hanging glacier tongues along the southern coast.
Conditions were ideal – blue sky and sunshine, flat water and warm. We didn’t even need gloves!
Abbreviated Land Excursion
After about an hour and a half, paddling maybe 6 km, it was time to wrap things up. Travis, our zodiac pilot approached, along with another zodiac. We took turns clambering out of our kayaks, into the second zodiac, while Travis clipped our kayaks into towing position.
Once we were all in the second zodiac, we headed to shore, where our fellow passengers looked like yellowjackets swarming up the hillside.
They grew in size as we approached, and soon we joined them, putting foot on Greenland for the second time (the first being in Kangerlussuaq, when our charter flight from Toronto landed, two days earlier).
Note how happy I look to set foot on the shoreline of one of Greenland’s western fjords. That lasted for about 30 seconds, until the mosquitoes started swarming! I quickly pulled on my bug net hat and gloves (for the first time that day).
Then we started climbing, quickly, because we knew our shore time was limited. We didn’t have to gain much elevation before the views opened up. We saw Travis towing our kayaks back to the ship and the views further along the fjord.
One thing that surprised me? The abundance of hardy wildflowers in bloom.
All too soon, expedition staff were ushering us down to the shoreline to return to the ship. We had about 30 minutes on shore, venturing no more than 300 meters upslope. Still, it was nice to stretch our legs before heading back to Ultramarine for lunch.
Uummannaq Fjord Fun Facts
- Inlet of Baffin Bay, along the coast of West Greenland
- Famous for its unique, tooth-shaped island that gives the area its name (translates as “heart-shaped” from Greenlandic), the island mountain rises more than 1,100 meters from the sea and is one of the most iconic sights in the Arctic
- Great spot for whale spotting, bird watching and iceberg viewing
- Considered the sunniest spot in Greenland
- Situated well north of Arctic Circle, and site of one of the most northerly settlements in Greenland
SUMMARY
This 90 minute paddle, covering about 6 km, was an ideal introduction to sea kayaking among the fjords of West Greenland. It was enough time for our lead kayaking guide to assess the capabilities of each member of our small kayaking group. Our assessment at the end of the outing was that we would be paddling in fine company for the rest of the expedition cruise. And if the weather held for the next week or so, we’d be truly blessed.
As a bonus, we had a short time to stretch our legs on land and get a sense of the landscape we’d be exploring and flora we’d be seeing for the rest of our time in West Greenland.