ILULISSAT ICEFJORD: SERMEQ KUJALLEQ
Located on the west coast of Greenland, 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Ilulissat Ice Fjord (40,240 hectares) is the maritime mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few glaciers through which the ice of the Greenland Ice Sheet reaches the sea. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, it declines by an average of 20 to 35 metres per day and is the largest supplier of icebergs in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world. Its annual calving of more than 35 kilometres, or 10% of all calving ice in Greenland, exceeds that of all other glaciers in the world outside Antarctica. The glacier has been the subject of scientific attention for 250 years and, because it is relatively easy to access, has significantly enriched our knowledge of glaciology of the ice cap, climate change and geomorphological processes. Ilulissat offers scientists and visitors easy access for close observation of the calving ice front as it cascades from the ice sheet into an ice-clogged fjord. It is a memorable natural spectacle. You will be amazed by the size and variable shapes of this cold and ice-covered desert, some of which rises to 50 or even 100 metres in height. Their size is such that they can remain trapped for several years in the fjord before being released and drifting towards the ocean. The skyscrapers of Ilulissat are made of ice, while the houses are small coloured wooden houses hung on the rock. The city spreads along the bay and the eye has trouble leaving the incredible spectacle of icebergs drifting along the currents.... The ideal is to go and observe and feel it in several ways: by walking along the coastal path (the Sermermiut walk that begins at the city's exit takes you to the ice fjord but know that the glacier is much further inland at 60 kilometres) with, at the end, a bench on which you will probably stay for a long time to admire this unnamed spectacle; by air by flying over it by plane or helicopter; by boat by doing for example the magic midnight cruise or an unusual kayak tour. These four visits together will give you a real insight into the vastness and beauty of this glacier...