“It looks exactly like a whale!”

 – experience the old giants of the sea on a spring holiday in Greenland

Whale safari, dog sledging, snow scooters, inland ice and musk oxen.

See the bowhead whale, ride a dog sledge and a snow scooter and spend the night on the Lyngmark Glacier with a breathtaking view of the Disco Bay.

We offer you a unique journey, which gives you an insight in the whale´s paradise near Qeqertarsuaq on the Disco Island in the Disco Bay.

All the big whales, humpback whales to the great bowhead whales, meet here – and the bowhead whale is the center of interest during this tour.

Many European whalers were drawn to this place because of its optimum conditions for whaling, and the first whaling stations were established on the Disco Island as far back as the 18th century.

The bowhead whale can reach an age of 250 years, but not only the age impress: The bowhead whale can get up till 18 metres (66 ft.) long and weigh 100 ton – and without a doubt: It lives in some of the most beautiful areas in the world!

On this fantastic spring holiday you have the opportunity of experiencing the bowhead whale not far from the Disco Island during a boat trip. Taking the old whaling station Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn in Danish) as starting point you will make two whale safaris on board the ship The Whale.

During this holiday there are a lot more to experience in addition to the whale safari.

You are going on a sledge ride to Blæsedalen, and later the same day a snow scooter will drive you 900 metres above sea level, where you will spend the night in a comfortable cabin with the most magnificent view imaginable.

Visiting the Arctic Station and a walk around the small town is also a part of the program.

The tour starts and ends in Kangerlussuaq, where you will have a lecture by your tour guide and a trip to the Inland ice.

You will spend the nights during your holiday at Polar lodge in Kangerlussuaq, the Hotel Disko in Qeqertarsuaq and in a cabin on the Lyngmark Glacier

Experienced tour guide
You will be accompanied by Ph.D. Thomas Bjoerneboe Gomes Berg during your stay in Greenland. He is, despite being the chairman of the Danish Mammal Organization, a researcher with special interest in the Arctic Fauna, nature photographer, author and employed  by the Zoological Museum of Svendborg; Naturama.  Thomas has travelled a lot in Greenland and will with great pleasure share both facts and anecdotes.

Programme:
Day 1:     Copenhagen/ Kangerlussuaq – Accommodation at Polar Lodge – Musk ox safari
Day 2:     Tour to the Inland Ice, Point 660
Day 3:     Visit the museum - Kangerlussuaq/Aasiaat -Helicopter ride Aasiaat/Qeqertarsuaq – accommodation at Hotel Disko – Town walk – Hike
Day 4:    Whale safari
Day 5:    Blæsedalen - hundeslædetur
Day 6:    A sleepover on the Lyngmarksbræen, whale safari and a snow scooter ride
Day 7:    Lyngmark Glacier, riding a snow scooter back to Qeqertarsuaq
Day 8:    Qeqertarsuaq/Aasiaat/Kangerlussuaq/Copenhagen     

Day 1: Copenhagen/ Kangerlussuaq – Accommodation at Polar Lodge – Musk ox safari
You will fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen, Denmark to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, where you will be accommodated at the nice Polar Lodge. During the next 2 days, the lodge will be your base and from there you will have direct access to the beautiful hinterland of Kangerlussuaq. In the hills reindeers, polar foxes, mountain hares and musk oxen live of the area´s vegetation.

Today´s trip will bring you closer to the strong and stout musk ox. In 1967 27 musk oxen were rounded up in East Greenland, shipped to Kangerlussuaq and released in the nature. Since then the population has grown to several thousand animals. You will ride by bus through the impressive tundra landscape, while the guide tells about the musk ox and its story.

Day 2: Tour to the Inland Ice, Point 660
Riding a 4WD-vehicle you come through a beautiful area. Close by the Inland Ice you will pass the Rusell Glacier and a fantastic moraine landscape. At the end of your ride you will walk to and on the ice cap. It is an unforgettable experience to see this enormous world of ice, which gives the gives the saying of “mother nature” a whole new meaning.  No matter where you look the ice cap and the horizon seem boundless and the cold from the ice provides the experience with an extra dimension.

During the tour you will see large barren areas surrounded by hills wrapped in snow. Cross your fingers, maybe you will see reindeers and musk oxen on the way.

Day 3: Visit the museum - Kangerlussuaq/Aasiaat helicopter ride Aasiaat/Qeqertarsuaq – accommodation Hotel Disko – Town walk – Hike
Before you move on to the Disco Island you will visit the museum in Kangerlussuaq. It is a small time warp with mannequins from the 60´s wearing Air Greenland-uniforms throughout the ages and black and white pictures from a bygone age, which clearly are marked by the influence of the Americans.

After 2 days in Kangerlussuaq you can make yourself comfortable in the Dash-8 and have a cup of coffee, while enjoying the fascinating view on the way to Aasiaat. From Aasiaat you will continue further on by helicopter to Qeqertarsuaq on the Disco Island.
You accommodate on the Hotel Disko in the heart of Qeqertarsuaq, right next to the special landscape of the Disco Island, which is characterized by hot springs, large and small glaciers, rivers, waterfalls and tall basaltic columns. Everything is captured in snow, and the fertility of the summer is on standby, but still you can sense the unique nature in the area.

The whaling station, Qeqertarsuaq, was founded in 1773 by the whaler Svend Sangren and since then Qeqertarsuaq has been an important base for the whaling in the Davis Strait. Hunting and fishing are still the main trade for the inhabitants of the island; there are approximately 900 inhabitants in Qeqertarsuaq and about 30 people live in the settlement, Kangerluk, a few hours of sailing north-west of the town.

Day 4: Whale safari
”It looks exactly like a whale!” – After breakfast you will board The Whale and go “hunting” for the beautiful and impressive animals.

During the excursion, Thomas Berg, your guide, will share his knowledge about Greenland and arctic animals, among these the bowhead whale.

Day 5: Blæsedalen – dog sledge ride
It is time for a sledge ride.  With each sledge carrying two passengers and a sledge driver, you will pass the Arctic Station and in to the scenic Blæsedalen. The tour follows the sledge track 10 kilometres north of Qeqertarsuaq through the beautiful valley and the same way back. The hard working dogs and the sledge driver´s ability of controlling them are impressive, and warmly dressed in sealskin coats you quickly learn the importance and joy of the old traditional practice.  As you enjoy the stillness of the dogs and people, while you have a break, you have your lunch and something warm to drink. The landscape shows it prettiest side on the way back, and it is impossible not to be taken aback by the view of the Disco Bay.

Day 6: A sleepover on the Lyngmark Glacier, whale safari and a snow scooter ride
Once again you will board The Whale and look for more whales. The expiration of the bowhead whale can splash 20 metres up in the air, and its greeting with its tail makes it all worthwhile.

In the afternoon an experienced snow scooter driver will take for a ride to the Lyngmarksbræ. Before you take off, you will be informed of step passages and other obstacles.  After half an hour through a fantastic nature you will reach the top of the Glacier 900 metres above sea level.  Up here there is a breathtaking panorama view of the Disco bay. There are two cabins on the glacier, where you will spend the night. The amazing view, the fresh cold air and the silence will make you keep in focus, what it means to live in the moment.

Day 7: The Lyngmark Glacier, riding a snow scooter back to Qeqertarsuaq
In the morning you will experience the Lyngmark Glacier and enjoy the view, before you go back to Qeqertarsuaq by snow scooter. Depending on the weather, there might be time to visit the Arctic Station just outside Qeqertarsuaq. The station was founded in 1903 by Porsild as a scientific research station, because of the hot springs, basaltic hills and the arctic flora and fauna, which makes the area unique for arctic research.  The arctic station was taken over by the University of Copenhagen in 1953.

Day 8: Qeqertarsuaq/Aasiaat/Kangerlussuaq/Copenhagen
It is time to get back home. If the visibility is good, the view of the Disco Bay and the area of Kangerlussuaq will make a final full stop to an unforgettable and eventful holiday.

Meals included:
Day 1: Breakfast and lunch during the flight/ Dinner
Day 2: Breakfast
Day 3: Breakfast/-/Dinner
Day 4: Breakfast/Lunch/-
Day 5: Breakfast/Lunch/-
Day 6: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 7: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 8: Breakfast/Lunch and dinner during the flight