Over the sea to the icebergs: A boat trip to the Kangia Icefjord

For our trip to Ilulissat we had only booked one tour, as the rest of our time was spent hiking. But one thing that we didn’t want to miss was the “obligatory” boat trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Kangia Icefjord.

We had previously seen the icefjord from three hikes, but nothing beats getting up close and personal with the enormous icebergs that can be as big as 1,5 cubic kilometers or 30 football fields. The icebergs originate from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, one of the world’s most productive and fastest glaciers, producing 46 cubic kilometers of ice every year at a speed of 40 meters per 24 hours.

Since Ali and Maria were leaving Ilulissat a day earlier than Charlotte and I, they went on the boat tour the day before us as there were only two seats available on both days. They got really lucky and saw many whales, even up close, so Charlotte and I were hoping and praying for a trip that would be similar to theirs!

We set off from the World of Greenland office at 2 PM and drove down to the harbour where a small ferry was awaiting us. Along with around 30 other excited souls, we boarded the semi-crowded ferry and headed out into the ice-filled ocean. Our guide gave a brief introduction to the tour and then it was time to go outside to enjoy the views and try to spot some whales!

For the first hour or so, Charlotte and I stood outside looking at the massive icebergs, feeling so small in comparison to them. The weather that day was perfect; the sky was clear and the sun was warming our cold faces. It resulted in some beautiful reflections of the icebergs in the water. Despite not seeing any whales so far, I felt so thankful for that boat trip and the fact that we were so lucky to actually be in Ilulissat, to see what we were seeing. Not many people get a chance to do that.

After a while we were getting cold, so we decided to go in for a few minutes to get some heat to our bodies. But as soon as I stepped inside, I heard the call. “Whales, whales!”. We rushed outside, trying to catch a glimpse of the whale, but it was nowhere to be seen. Disheartened, I honestly thought that our luck would be out – I couldn’t believe that we had gone inside on the exact moment that a whale was spotted.

But luckily, as I was staring out into the horizon, I spotted something. It was not only one whale, but two! I shouted for everyone to look and we watched as they came up to the surface quite a few times before finally disappearing into the vast ocean. Mine and Charlotte’s dream had come true. We saw humpback whales from the boat by the icebergs!

After the whale spotting, it was time to head back to Ilulissat. I spent the time looking at the beautiful ice creations that we sailed by while trying to comprehend what I was actually looking at, and just how lucky I really am. I also talked to a Danish lady, who had lived in Nuuk for three months and had persuaded her 80-year-old mum to come to Ilulissat with her. I loved that her mum was up for travelling by herself to the cold Arctic to spend time with her daughter in such an amazing place. I hope to be like that woman when I get to her age!

Three hours after departure, we were back in the harbour after an amazing trip that I was sad to see the end of. We had experienced Ilulissat and its icebergs from a different perspective, and it was mesmerizing to say the least. At that moment, I felt like I never wanted to leave Ilulissat.