Voyage 12 - Greenland Disko Bay

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Day 5: Itilleq From the Voyage Log 22 August 2019 – A small settlement with a big heart Page 14 Ocean Atlantic headed south after saying goodbye to the icebergs in Disko bay. The morning greetings from the bridge included the familiar words of every morning from the Expedition leader, Sam Gagnon: “Good morning, good morning”. Sam informed us of the ship’s position, where we were going and the weather forecast, which was looking good. We were heading to our last landing in the small settlement of Itilleq in the Qeqqata municipality, which we would reach in the afternoon. We joined Anne Dorthe for her presentation “Modern Greenland” and after the Recap and briefing on the next two days plan, we joined Aaron`s interesting presentation “Snow, Icebergs and Glaciers”. Itilleq settlement is located on a small island around 1 km from the mainland, 45 km south of Sisimiut and only 2 km north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Davis Strait. Itilleq with only 100 inhabitants greeted us in the afternoon. The town has only small gravel roads in the settlement leading up to the graveyard in the East and the school and church at the other end of the settlement. There was no risk of getting lost. We could still hear the howls of Greenland sled dogs, as Itilleq is the southernmost location allowed to have this ancient breed, being only 2 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. Consequently, no other types of canines are allowed above this point, in order to keep the breed pure. © Renato Granieri Photography © Renato Granieri Photography The main trade in the settlement is fishing and hunting, with a fish factory being the principal employer in the settlement. The island has no freshwater, and for this reason Itilleq makes use of a facility for forming freshwater from seawater. © Renato Granieri Photography Coming back to the ship in the afternoon we had afternoon tea in the Libary and before dinner we had the Captains Farewell toast in the Viking Theatre. The Ocean Atlantic set course for Kangerlussuaq, which we would reach on the next morning. 18-23 August, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 12
Becoming an Expedition Guide Gregers Gjersøe, Snowshoe Master & Expedition Guide Page 15 Back in 1999, I crossed Greenland on skis with two of my Danish friends. When we finally made it to the top of the ice cap, we decided to celebrate by flying the Danish and the Greenlandic flag. Unfortunately, we ended up placing the Greenlandic flag upside down because none of us was sure which way was correct... During the remainder of the expedition, as we made our way down from the top of the ice cap, I started thinking more about why and how three Danish guys could possibly know so little about Greenland, despite the fact that it’s a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. When I returned home, I decided to learn all I could about Greenland and the polar regions, travelling extensively, not only to Greenland, but throughout the Arctic and the Antarctic. The polar areas became my passion and have been for the last twenty years. I became so fascinated by the polar regions, that I wanted to share my knowledge and love for these places with other people. There is so much to love and experience in the polar regions, from great scenery and wildlife to the culture of the peoples who have populated the Arctic since time immemorial. © Renato Granieri Photography I haven’t always worked in the polar regions, though. Since childhood, I was very interested in navigation, aerodynamics, metrology and aviation. I acquired my pilot’s license in 1985 and worked as a commercial pilot for Scandinavian Airlines during a 30 year career. There, I was able to satisfy all of my interests while learning how to work as part of a team, bringing the aircraft from point A to point B in the safest way possible. After ending my pilot career, I took up yet another dream of mine that had occupied my mind since crossing Greenland. In Danish schools, there is very little focus on the history and cultures of Greenland and the Faroe Islands; thus, there is very little awareness within the Danish population about these countries. I wanted to create a much better awareness and, therefore, I started the Polar School (Polarskolen). The school is run as a non-profit organization with a board of nine members. I am chairman of the board and there are members from the Danish government, from Greenland, the Faroe Islands as well as teachers. We have received funding from the Royal Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary. Now, I travel Denmark, visiting schools with our educational materials. Presently we teach 7 th graders, but we are working towards having materials for 1 st graders and 4 th graders. Based on my background and experience in aviation and in the polar regions, I could not think of a better way to combine my passions for the Arctic and the Antarctic then to become Expedition Guide. These days, I spend five weeks of the summer in the Arctic and five weeks of the winter in the Antarctic, so I can show our guests all the places that I truly love. © Renato Granieri Photography 18-23 August, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 12
Page 1 and 2: 18 th - 23 rd of August, 2019 Volum
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS The Voyage By the
Page 5 and 6: By the Numbers… Page 5 Voyage Sta
Page 7 and 8: The Seven Sisters of Szczecin David
Page 9 and 10: What Makes an Expedition Guide? Bri
Page 11 and 12: Ice is Nice - Glacier Fun Facts Gab
Page 13: Through the Lens Gaby Pilson, Hikin
Page 17 and 18: A Brief History of the Zodiac Steve

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