Portfolio: Greenland, a nature lover’s paradise
Written by: Laura Birtles
Discover Greenland
Discover Greenland a country the size of Europe but home to just 55,000 people. With a whopping 80% of this volcanic isle covered by the second largest ice sheet on earth, it is a wild, extreme and awe-inspiring place of immense natural beauty. Here is our selection of six stunning photographs of Greenland to inspire you:
From the town of Ilulissat, on the west coast of Greenland, you can soak in the views of Disko Bay, which is dotted with majestic icebergs from the world’s fastest glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq. Adventurous nature lovers can go dog sledding, hiking or camp out in awe-inspiring locations in this spectacular area.
In the summer months (June to September), parts of Greenland’s freezing landscape thaw and you can witness an incredible contrast of beautiful, emerald landscapes with a breathtaking backdrop of frozen mountains and icebergs beyond.
Greenland is home to spectacular sea ice, glaciers and blue or white icebergs drifting off the shores in the freezing Arctic Ocean. This otherworldly landscape can be explored on foot, by boat or from the air – and however you choose to experience it, you cannot fail to be impressed.
An incredible 80% of Greenland – or 1.7 million sq km – is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, which contains four times more ice than all of Earth’s other glaciers and ice fields combined, outside Antarctica. The ice sheet can be reached by travelling along the bumpy 25km dirt road from Kangerlussuaq, a small town in western Greenland, to the edge of this land of snow and ice.
An incredible 89% of Greenland’s population are Inuit people who were originally subsistence hunters, living off the products from whales, walrus, caribou, musk oxen, Arctic fox, polar bear and seals. The majority live in the south-west and it is fascinating to visit their villages to gain an insight into how they live. In this photograph, traditional sealskin boots have been hung out to dry on a washing line in Uummannaq in western Greenland.
With its colourful houses and stunning backdrop, Qaqortoq is typical of the towns of southern Greenland and home to around 4,000 people. It is surrounded by a system of beautiful fjords, sometimes frequented by whales, and icebergs drift in the bay. It is well worth spending a few days here to experience the town’s art, culture, Norse history and hot springs, or to go hiking in the surrounding mountains or kayaking in those magnificent fjords.
