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Whale Watching

Set sail on a whale watching tour to spot humpback whales, fin whales, and minke whales frolic and feast in Greenland’s waters during their own summer holidays.

When the engine cuts, it is your cue to adjust your eyes and ears to high alert. Seconds and minutes feel like eternity as you hold your breath waiting for a sign. But suddenly comes the unmistakable sound of a whale exhaling at the water’s surface, and you, too, exhale at the beauty.

The boat driver is your best friend on a whale watching tour because he or she is usually the first to spot a whale. They know exactly where to go to find whales, and they must have all been hawks in a past life to have such keen vision.

Whether this is your first or fifth whale watching tour, seeing such a magnificent creature right before your eyes can be overwhelming. Though you probably only see a fraction of the whale’s body, you just know that you are tiny in comparison and that humans are not paramount in this world.

Package Tours

Arctic Umiaq Line: Discover Greenland from the sea

Arctic Umiaq Line

Discover Greenland from the sea

The coastal ship Sarfaq Ittuk sails from southern Greenland up along Greenland’s west coast to Disko Bay.

FROM 500 DKK
Disko Line: Whale Safari

Disko Line

Whale Safari

Take a whale safari in Disko Bay and have a unique experience.

FROM €160
Disko Line: Icefjord Cruise

Disko Line

Icefjord Cruise

Get closer to the impressive Greenlandic nature with Icefjord Cruise.

FROM €93
Greenland Tours – Frozen West

Greenland Tours

Frozen West

5 days exploring Disko Bay in winter incl. visit to the Greenland Ice Cap

FROM €1,335
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WHALE WATCHING HAVENS

Greenland prides itself on having only free and wild animals in its waters, so Greenland’s whales are free to swim wherever the krill and schools of fish lead them. That being said, some species favor certain fjords, making many places along the Greenland coast reliable havens for whale watching.

In South Greenland, where there is practically more water than land, fin and minke whales in particular love to play in the extensive fjord system. Sailing is popular as everyday transportation, so even a quick jaunt between towns and villages becomes a whale watching opportunity.

Disko Bay is famous as a sea of ice, but in summer, the whales just might outnumber the icebergs.  These intelligent animals must realize that the silhouette of their tail flukes against mammoth icebergs makes for the perfect photograph, because humpback, minke, and fin whales all head straight for these northern waters. Even the bowhead whale spends its whole winter in Disko Bay.

NUUK FJORD’S FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Thousands of humpback whales choose West Greenland waters near Paamiut, Maniitsoq, and Aasiaat to play in for a few months, but a special dozen humpbacks make Nuuk Fjord their summer home year after year. Just as Greenlanders in North Greenland await the sun’s return to start the spring season, it is the return of the humpback whales that signals summertime in the Capital Region.

Travelers doing whale watching in Nuuk have a special job to fulfill with Nuuk Fjord’s faithful friends. Let your photographs and lifetime memories play double duty by sharing them with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources. You can help researchers learn more about the humpback whales in Nuuk, all thanks to your best shot of the day!

  • Summer is prime whale watching season. Up to 15 species visit Greenland’s waters, but the most common are the fin whale, humpback whale, and minke whale.

  • Greenland’s summer whales swim all the way from the Caribbean Sea to feed in Greenland’s fish-rich waters.

  • Sermersooq Business Council released a whale watching photo catalogue of the most common humpback whales spotted in Nuuk. Compare your personal photos to the catalogue to know exactly which whale you saw.

  • Whale watching is possible, yet less common, in winter. There are 3 winter species in Greenland – the beluga whale, bowhead whale, and narwhal. They are usually seen in North Greenland around Disko Bay and Qaanaaq or in Northeast Greenland.

  • Greenlanders give the surrounding nature the utmost respect when whale watching. There are strict advisements about sailing speeds and proper behavior in the vicinity of a whale.

SPECIAL SIGHTINGS

There are a few whales in the world that are so extraordinary that they top every whale watcher’s bucket list. Greenland is the permanent home of beluga whales and narwhals, and for part of the year blue whales and orcas also traverse the waters.

While these distinct whales stick to remote pockets of the Greenland coastline and are quite rare to spot on the average whale watching tour, Greenland is one of the few, if not only, places in the world to see them in the wild.

Local providers

Tasermiut Camp - Nanortalik

Nanortalik, Mathiessenip Aqqutaa B507,
3922,
Phone: +299 266286More information
Red view from livingroom, Photo by Ilulissat Guesthouse

Ilulissat Guesthouse

Ilulissat, Qupaloraasuk 56,
3952,
Phone: +299 27 89 80More information
Tasermiut 3

Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions

Qassiarsuk, B-873 Qassiarsuk
3923,
Phone: (+299) 522 822More information
Handmade figure. Visit Greenland

Tupilak Travel

Nuuk, Imaneq 18,
3900,
Phone: (+299) 313 218More information
Maniitsoq Tour Boat sailing in sunny weather in Summer. Photo by Mads pihl - Visit Greenland

Maniitsoq Tour Boat

Maniitsoq, Postboks 140
3812,
Phone: +299 52 02 96More information
Fantastic iceberg sculpture. Photo by Nuuk Water Taxi

Nuuk Water Taxi

Nuuk, Imaneq 27 27,
3900,
Phone: +299 38 87 77More information
Ice Cap Tours 05

IceCap Explore

Ilulissat, Fredericiap Aqqutaa 5,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 944 545More information
Woman mask dancing on a sunny day in Aasiaat. Photo by Honest Greenland - Visit Greenland

Honest Greenland

Aasiaat, Qimmeqarfik 60,
3950,
Phone: +299 27 77 90More information
Greenland Travel 01

Greenland Travel

Copenhagen, Wilders Plads 13 A,
1403,
Phone: +45 33 13 10 11More information
Guests at Hvalsey church ruin in South Greenland. Photo by Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Greenland Sagalands

Qaqortoq, Vatikanbakken 68,
3920,
Phone: +299 64 24 44 / +299 49 37 41More information
A tour boat in front of an iceberg wall near Ilulissat in Greenland. By Mads Pihl

Disko Line

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 13,
3952,
Phone: +299 94 53 01More information
Tiny dog sleds in the huge East Greenland landscapes between Tasiilaq and Sermilik

Dines Tours

Tasiilaq, Gentoftevej B-924,
3913,
Phone: +299 98 21 43 / +299 59 87 59More information
Blue Iceberg. Photo by Blue Ice Explorer

Blue Ice Explorer

Narsarsuaq, Box 58
3923,
Phone: +299 66 54 99 / +299 49 73 71More information
Hytten Amaroq from outside. Photo by Asimut Tours and Camp, Visit Greenland

Asimut Tours and Camp

Nuuk, Postboks 153
3900,
Phone: +299 55 34 04More information
Sarfaq Ittuk cruising in the Disko Bay outside Ilulissat ice fjord in Greenland. Visit Greenland

Arctic Umiaq Line

Nuuk, Aqqusinersuaq 48 A,
3900,
Phone: +299 34 91 90More information
Uummannaq and the heart-shaped mountain. Photo by Uummannaq Seasafaris ApS, Visit Greenland

Uummannaq Seasafaris APS

Uummannaq, Qernertunnguamut B -909 Box 118,
3961,
Phone: (+299) 565 982More information

World of Greenland

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 7,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 944 300More information
The Aasiaat Seamen’s Home from outside on a sunny day. Photo by Aasiaat Sømandshjem

Hotel Søma Aasiaat

Aasiaat, Sammiarneq 9,
3950,
Phone: (+299) 892 711More information
ABC Charter winter boat tour

Arctic Boat Charter - ABC

Nuuk, Boks 1355
3900,
Phone: +299 53 38 80More information

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