Icebergs of Ilulissat

As I write this, I'm sitting staring out my cabin window towards castle size icebergs, grounded within the Ilulissat Icefjord in Disko Bay.

This natural phenomenon was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 an is certainly an impressive site to see!

Ice as far as the horizon

The entrance to the icefjord is built up with enormous icebergs that have calved off the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier front, approximately 7km upriver from where tourist boats can view the icebergs. The Sermeq Kujalleq is the most active glacier in the northern hemisphere and moves about 30m per day from the Greenland icesheet, calving an amount of icebergs per day equivalent to the amount of annual water consumption by Manhattan Island!!

Castle shaped icebergs in different shades of white and blue dotted along the fjord

Taking a stroll along the boardwalk at the visitors center at the edge of the town, provides incredible elevated views over the fjord and visitors are free to roam three different hiking paths, taking in picturesque views along the way.

After traveling down the fjord for about 12 to 15 months, the icebergs eventually reach the mouth of the Icefjord, where a shallow bank traps the large icebergs and blocks the movement of ice out into the waters of Disko Bay. And considering the water is still about 200 to 300 meters deep at the mouth, means that these icebergs stand some 250 to 350 meters tall!

The icebergs will not move until they have melted enough to break free of the sandbank, or if they calve large ice pieces and slowly break apart.

It's absolutely mind blowing the sheer size and number of these icebergs that have built up in this fjord and the shapes that have been calved into them from wind and wave action.

But the icebergs aren't the only ones that call Ilulissat home. Biologists have discovered that there is a resident pod of humpback whales in the Disko Bay area, and this is due to the sheer amount of food provided by the icefjord.

When the icebergs calve and break up, ice algae and diatoms are released into the water and this is the primary food source for zooplankton, namely krill and copepods, which are then fed on by the species higher up the food chain such as fish, seals and humpback whales.

Humpback whale in the icefjord

The humpbacks can eat up to two and half tons of krill per day during the feeding season, taking in around 300 to 400 kg of prey in one gulp! So you can just imagine how productive this region is, and how important it is as a feeding ground for marine mammals.

Fishing plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of the Greenlander's and is one of Ilulissat's biggest industries, mainly due to the influence of the glacier and icefjord. The port is a constant buzz of local and commercial fishing vessels and provides much excitement as the day's catch comes in.

As far as tourism goes, Ilulissat really does provide something for everyone and is definitely worth a visit if you're ever considering a Greenlandic holiday.