Greenland Is Made of Puppies

It turns out that all puppies come from Greenland. Like the stork delivering babies, the ice delivers new born fuzzy dogs with enormous paws. They effectively rule the land, roaming freely and dispensing kisses everywhere they go. If you have any inclination of getting a dog and are trying to convince yourself not to, stay away from Greenland. It will ruin you.

A parting puppy

Kalaallit Nunaat

Ilulissat Icefjord, the most productive glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Ilulissat, Greenland

Greenland is home to the largest glaciers outside of Antarctica.  The Greenland ice sheet weighs 2.565 quadrillion tonnes, which is equal to the weight of 7.5 billion Empire State Buildings. At its thickest point, the ice is almost 2 miles thick. If it all were to melt, global sea levels would rise by 23 feet and flood almost every coastal city. Together with Antarctica, the combined ice sheets contain more than 99% of the freshwater ice on Earth, and over 2/3 of the world’s fresh water.

Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat, Greenland

The local boys. Ilulissat, Greenland

Ice floating in the marina. Ilulissat, Greenland

RSS Shackleton in Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat, Greenland

Fall colors in Ilulissat, Greenland

Dogs in Ilulissat, Greenland

Dog sleds, Ilulissat, Greenland

Seal meat left out for the dogs of Ilulissat, Greenland

Greenlandic pizza

Seal meat, Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat Icefjord. The glacier flows at a rate of 20–35 m (66–115 ft) per day, resulting in around 20 billion tons of ice passing out of the fjord every year.

Nuuk, Greenland

Northwest Passage

The Northwest Passage is a sea route connecting the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Arctic Canada. Using it instead of the Panama Canal shortens the traverse from Asia to Europe by approximately 1200 miles (1900 km). With the continued effects of climate change, the once ice clogged and almost impossible route is now open for business during a very short window in late northern summer. A journey through the passage has now gone commercial as expedition cruising companies look for ways to expand their offerings.

The trips usually take about two weeks and stop at various Inuit communities and historical sites along the way. Cut off from the outside world for most of the year, the communities seem to relish the opportunity to meet visitors and share their culture. Uluhaktok is one of those communities. Meaning ulu-shaped-bay in the native language, the town is named after the traditional curved knives that the Inuit have used for thousands of years.

Spending time there left an impression. After five days, we knew most of locals by name and had been invited into many of their homes. It was one of the most welcoming communities I have ever visited. A peek into the world of Arctic Canada left a deep impression on us. Although it appears like they live a lonely, harsh existence, the people love their homeland and have carved out a balanced, happy life that we all could take a few lessons from.

Planes carry both passengers and cargo into the dirt runway in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada.

Boys playing on a cold August day in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

Local transportation, Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

An ulu found on the beach in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

Adam, maker of the finest ulus in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

The Maud, Roald Amundsen’s ship during his second expedition to the Arctic, being lifted from the bottom in preparation for its return to Norway.

A local resident in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada.

Lifting off from the RRS Ernest Shackleton, British Antarctic Survey vessel.

Bannock, Inuit Fry Bread

Musk ox skull

One of the residents of Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada. The collar of her jacket is made of wolverine

Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada.

Drummers in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

The Ernest Shackleton fully loaded with 13 Zodiacs, two helicopters, a fast boat and a supply tender.

Narwhal, the possible inspiration for the unicorn

RRS Ernest Shackleton, British Antarctic Survey vessel

Crystal Serenity in Bellot Strait

Getting Serious with the Slædepatruljen Sirius in Greenland

When you think of Greenland, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not an elite unit of sled dog loving Danish soldiers. This is unless of course, you are a Danish boy growing up and dreaming of living and working in one of the most incredible places on earth. The Sirius Patrol is a unique Navy unit that enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness of Northern Greenland. They use sled dogs to patrol Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world.

Getting selected into the Sirius Patrol is considered an honor in the Danish military and the process is extremely competitive. It could be compared with joining the Navy Seals in the United States. Once selected, Sirius patrollers spend one year on Greenland, working out of the unit’s main base at Daneborg. Upon their arrival, the soldiers are assigned a team of specially bred Greenlandic sled dogs. They are 100% responsible for the care and training of their team from that point forward. For the first 6 months of their tour, soldiers hone their skills and build the specialty equipment they will need for patrolling; including their rifle case, sleeping bag and sled. Later, they go out on extended forays into the park for up to four months at a time in the dead of winter with another member of the unit. They monitor and survey environmental changes and protect resources from poaching and unlawful use.

Along with being incredibly hardy, devoted and highly trained, these are some seriously cool guys.

A Greenlandic sled dog pup observes the wildlife

More images from the southeast coast of Greenland:

Ittoqqortoormiit, a native Inuit village

Polar Bear fur drying in the sun outside an Inuit home

Ittoqqortoormiit, an Inuit village

Scobie – Wise Man of the Sea

Polar Bears – Apex Predators of the North

Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) are hard animals to find and even harder to count. The latest estimate puts the Barents Sea population of Polar Bears at approximately 3000 animals. This is a mere guess as it is almost impossible to get an accurate count on something that ranges hundreds of miles in an area the size of Mongolia. Satellite tracking collars have helped give some insight into their territory. One intrepid satellite-tracked female roamed close to 3,000 miles (4,800 Km)—from Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay to Greenland to Canada’s Ellesmere Island and back to Greenland. This could be considered a success story. With the continuing effects of climate change diminishing the extent and depth of the sea ice, many bears are left stranded on islands where they must rely on other hunting and foraging techniques to fend off starvation and await the return of the ice.

In Svalbard, the name of the game when it comes to spotting Polar Bears is head to the pack ice. Polar Bears are spotted on land as well, but higher concentrations of their staple food, seals, live along the ice edge. This leads more bears to stay with the pack ice throughout the lean summer months. Spotting Polar Bears is one thing. Seeing them up close is another. But with patience and a bit of luck, bears can be found. Below are images of these incredible creatures in action on both land and sea.

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Svalbard – The Cold Coast of Norway’s High Arctic

Beth Moore spots Belugas

Beth Moore spots Belugas

Svalbard, a territory of Norway, is a large archipelago 600 miles north of the Norwegian mainland in the Arctic Ocean. The islands are home to Walruses, Seals, Whales, Arctic Fox, Reindeer, over thirty types of birds and of course, Polar Bears. Besides abundant wildlife, pristine glaciers and stunning vistas, the islands are also home to some very interesting establishments. At one point, Russia owned and operated three large coal mining operations in the islands. Today, only one, Barentsburg, remains. The territory is governed under the Svalbard Treaty of 1920. According to this, any of the forty signatory countries are allowed to conduct commercial activities on the archipelago as long as they have no military implications. This is where things get grey. The United States funded the construction of Svalsat, a satellite ground station on Spitsbergen that communicates with polar orbiting satellites as they pass overhead. The information received from the satellites is transmitted to the Norwegian mainland via an undersea fibre optic cable. Many countries use the station to download weather and other scientific data, but recently there has been concern that the station is also being used to direct missile and drone strikes from the United States. The debate continues with no one willing to tell the truth, but in the mean time, here are some images of the more natural and not so natural parts of this fantastic part of the polar world.

G Expedition in ice

G Expedition in ice

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Copyright © 2015 Randall Tate Photography