If I Were Going...: Immikkeertikajik

An afternoon shot at Immikkeertikajik

That afternoon, we went to another favorite place. Can you have more than one favorite? Yes, you can!

Well, this was it: Immikkeertikajik

Known for its dramatic Arctic landscape, Immikkeertikajik features rocky terrain and nearby glaciers.

Our Expedition Leader scouting from above

Immikkeertikajik is where I took my favorite shot of Greenland. I used it as the cover photo for this post: a giant iceberg behind a group of kayakers paddling across a lagoon.

A longer view

While these were modern kayakers, I think they look like native Inuit peoples.

There's just something magical about these shots

Scott got an almost identical photo, but chose to process it with a warm afternoon sun glow that makes it look even more vintage.

Looks like an old postcard

Immikkeertikajik is a small island east of Sydkap, at the mouth of Nordvestfjord.

It's at the top of the main fjord; Map: Quark; Lower right: Scotty Sinton

The Greenlandic name for this island was recorded by the 1955 Geodætisk Institut and means "Little Island," but it is also known as "Ruin Island." That's because there are traces of Paleo-Inuit habitation here: possibly from the Saqqaq and/or Dorset cultures. Plus, there are more recent ruins of six Thule houses from 1,200 to 1,600 AD.

Ancient peoples walked here, too

The ruins we saw are barely discernible rock foundations. I swear I photographed them, but I can't find any photos. Perhaps I failed to download everything. Or, maybe it just looked like bad photos of rocks and I discarded them. Obviously, when processing hundreds of photos, I made an error.

Thank goodness for the Internet.; Photo: Life's Bounty

Thule people, who were the ancestors of modern Inuit and, thus, Greenlanders, migrated from Alaska across Canada, reaching Greenland by roughly 1200 AD. They built semi-subterranean winter houses constructed from stones, sod and whalebones designed to trap heat to help them endure the Arctic cold. These often single-room, multi-family dwellings featured raised sleeping platforms and a sunken, lower tunnel to prevent cold air from entering the main living area. Inside, the raised stone or wooden platforms were often covered in skins for sleeping.

Diagram: Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology

The houses served as permanent winter camps for hunting maritime animals. Settlements usually consisted of one to four houses.

The nutrient richness of nearby fjords as well as a polynya (an area of open water within the sea ice during winter) attracts animals to the area.

A lagoon and some "abundant" plant life

Other travelers saw a Rock Ptarmigan;we didn't; Photo: Scotty Sinton

They also saw other signs of life (or former life); Photo: Scotty Sinton

There is a camp used by more recent hunting expeditions nearby, but we couldn't see any traces of people where we were. The island has also been a location for specialized scientific research, including studies on helium-rich hot springs.

Our guide taking a moment of solitude

Immikkeertikajik was chock full of giant icebergs. There was, of course, the big one I already showed above.

There was another, big but not quite as big, basking in beautiful light

Both of the big bergs were very obviously stranded. Our guide said that they would stay there until a high enough tide lifted them, they melted or they broke into smaller, lighter pieces.

While we were enjoying the lovely afternoon sun, we heard the triangular one moving and actually saw a wobble. We hoped that it would break free, turn over or do something dramatic, but, instead, it just slightly repositioned itself before settling down to let the sun and tides do their work.

Watching for action; but it was subtle

Out in the fjord there were a number of gigantic icebergs, some of which dwarfed our ship.

This is what Greenland is known for

Many were huge, flat-topped chunks of ice with steep, cliff-like sides called tabular icebergs. Often called "ice islands," tabular icebergs have a length-to-height ratio greater than 5:1 and can be several miles long.

These giant icebergs can drift for months or years before breaking up or melting

While more common in Antarctica, tabular icebergs are increasingly common in Greenland due to rising temperatures that trigger massive calving events. These icebergs play a role in the marine ecosystem, with melting ice providing nutrients that support fish and Seal populations.

A more conventional iceberg

Some of the icebergs around Immikkeertikajik had interesting shapes or features, including a large uneven cube with a hole in the middle.

Interesting

When you look at the photos, I am sure your brain thinks open ocean. It is hard to believe that this broad expanse of water is actually a fjord. But it is.

Looking into Scoresby Sund; Photo: Scotty Sinton

Polar Plunge

As the afternoon started to wane, we headed back to our ship for the last adventure of the day: the Polar Plunge.

Some people enjoy jumping into freezing water

Yep, they do that on every Arctic and Antarctic voyage.

Nope, I don't do it.

First, I hate jumping into any water (I prefer gently easing in). Second, I hate cold water. Third, I've seen people bang themselves up pretty good climbing back up ship stairs while their bodies are numb from jumping into freezing water. Fourth, I don't need a shipload of people seeing me in a bathing suit.

But, I did photograph it.