After visiting Nuuk and sailing north up the coast of eastern Greenland, we finally reached Qeqertarsuaq in Disko Bay. It’s one of the iconic areas to visit in Greenland, and for good reason.
For many years, Disko Bay has been the de rigour spot for most visits to Greenland, and it doesn’t disappoint.
The whole bay was explored by Norse populations centuries ago, and it’s just as beautiful as it was centuries ago—well, at least I imagine it is.
After an early night following our trip to explore Nuuk, we arrived bright and early at Qeqertarsuaq, a colourful little town that a few hundred people call home. It’s right on the westerly fringes of Disko Island, and our captain saw an opportunity to anchor up and get us to shore via the zodiacs.
We were so excited, especially as we arrived at the crack of dawn. Actually, that’s a lie. We arrived as we awoke at 8 a.m. The sun began appearing around 2 a.m. Ha!
Anyway, without getting bogged down with the details, we quickly headed to Qeqertarsuaq via the zodiacs, which took about 4 minutes from the anchor position of Ocean Albatros.
After setting foot on Disko Island, we took the opportunity to explore the town and the wider coastline to the west. We had thought about joining one of the organised tours that Albatros Expeditions organises on the ground, but we really wanted to head off on our own schedule.
By the way, Qeqertarsuaq is so charming. Yes, it’s small, and there are very few bars, restaurants, and shops, but what it lacks in amenities, it makes up for with character. It’s totally colourful and beautiful, and it’s the perfect spot to see the icebergs that float by from Disko Bay.
Of course, we headed to some of Qeqertarsuaq’s most iconic sites. We explored the iconic church, visited the hotel for a coffee and stopped off at the Qeqertarsuaq Museum. It’s very small (it will take around 10 minutes to walk around), but so lovely and well worth popping in whilst you’re in Qeqertarsuaq.
Afterwards, we made our way towards the whale-watching hut that’s about a 30-minute stroll from the harbour jetty.
Along the way, we spotted the most gorgeous huskies. However, as with most dogs in Greenland, they are classed as ‘working dogs’ and are not domesticated in the same way you might be used to at home.
That’s not to say they’re aggressive or ill-tempered, but they are working dogs and should be respected as such. For this reason, we chose not to pet or overly interact with them.
The expedition crew onboard Ocean Albatros also advised this. Nonetheless, the huskies were really excited to see us, and it was such a lovely welcome to Qeqertarsuaq.
As we strolled, or should I say tracked, across the Arctic rocks, we finally made it to the whale-watching hut. It’s perfectly situated for, you guessed it, whale watching.
We stayed here for around an hour, and we saw no whales.
We tried, we watched for every spurt of air, ripple and movement in the sea; to no avail. Though, we’re kind of used to it by now – we’ve only recently been lucky enough to see whales whilst travelling in Iceland and Alaska.
Although we might not have seen whales in Qeqertarsuaq, we did get to see heaps of icebergs passing Qeqertarsuaq. This was far from a disappointment as, over the years, we’ve come to realise that you can never truly guarantee spotting a whale.
Qeqertarsuaq suprised me. I’d never heard of the small town before planning our trip to Greenland; but it was honestly a highlight – and Disko Island, too. Plus, it was our first stop north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland, which made it extra special.
After heading back to Ocean Albatros, grabbing a light lunch… heck, who am I kidding? I ruined that buffet – for some reason, the cold air makes me extra hungry. Well, that’s my excuse, and I won’t be told differently.
Before long, the anchor of Ocean Albatros was raised, and we started our expedition through Disko Bay itself. This area has a long history of visitors, including Innuit and Norse explorers… and us, of course! As we sailed through Disko Bay, we started to truly understand what made this area so appealing to early explorers.
We sailed slowly through the bay, weaving between colossal icebergs and the vast mountain ranges that line the shore of Disko Bay itself.
It’s idyllic, and I don’t say that lightly. We spent hours enjoying the view before finally reaching the area around Oqaatsut, where we meandered through the glacial channels towards our next stop: Eqip Sermia.
First, Eqip Sermia isn’t a town; it’s a glacial area with what can only be described as an incredibly huge colossal ‘hanging glacier’. Honestly, photos and videos don’t do Eqip Sermia justice. It’s absolutely massive.
Ocean Albatros anchored around 3-4 kilometres from the glacier itself, and within no time at all, we boarded one of the zodiacs to get a closer look.
We weaved our way through the slush and growlers (like small icebergs) and got ever closer to the glacier itself. Naturally, the expedition team from Albatros left a safe gap.
It’s so tempting to want to get closer to the glacier, and I have to admit I was like, ‘Can we go closer to the action?’ but there’s a good reason you stay far back.
The wall of ice constantly moves and calves right into Disko Bay itself, causing huge chunks of the glacier to crash into Disko Bay without any warning.
We saw this happen about five times during our few hours here, and the crashing sound, waves, and destruction were so colossal. It is incredibly beautiful to see, but it is also a very dangerous environment that must always be treated with respect.
After our zodiac adventure, we headed back onboard Ocean Albatros and straight to dinner on the top deck. With the sun shining, the amazing catering team onboard hosted a BBQ overlooking Eqip Sermia. It was a feast (both for our eyes and tummies).
We spent the next few hours chatting with fellow passengers and the executive crew while watching Eqip Sermia calve in real-time. The whole experience was mind-blowing and one that I certainly won’t forget.
By the time we’d finish nattering (yeah, we talk a lot), Ocean Albatros had risen in anchor, and we started our journey back through the glacial valley towards our next stop: Ilulissat.
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