During the dog sledge expedition in Greenland, our Inuit guides hunt for seals as they normally do up here. Pictures of seal hunting.

Dogsledge expedition, day 2 - with seal hunting pictures
20 April 2007

Because of the open water in front of us, we drive back on Murchison sund, up to the ghost town of Qeqertarsuaq on Herbert island. During the trip, the Inuit guides hunt for seals catching several of them, as they normally do when there are no tourists.

WARNING: this page contains seal hunt pictures and seal processing pictures, which may be considered cruel if you are too sensitive. This trip was guided by Inuit hunters doing their job normally. No animal was killed for pleasure, but all the parts of the seals were processed and used as normally done up here.



GREENLAND PICTURES
	Trip to Copenhagen 11-13 April 2007 As the flight from Copenhagen to Greenland doesn't offer any same-day connection with flights from my country, I decide to spend two nights in Copenhagen, visiting the city and the beautiful botanical garden. GO
	Fly to Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq 13 April 2007 My today's final destination is Ilulissat, with a short stop in Kangerlussuaq. Flying over Greenland with nice weather offers breathtaking views. GO
	Ilulissat, Greenland 13-18 and 25-27 April 2007 Ilulissat is a nice and charming greenlandic town, about 350km north of the arctic circle. For passengers continuing to Qaanaaq, is required to stop here for at least one night, as the flight leaves early in the morning. GO
	Dogsledge tour to Grenland's ice cap from Ilulissat 14-16 April 2007 About 50km from Ilulissat there is a dead glacier that can be climbed by dogsledge, offering the possibility to have a walk over the ancient inland ice. The trip is three days (two nights) long, with overnights in an heated hut. GO
	Qaanaaq (Thule), Greenland 18-25 April 2007 Qaanaaq, known also as Thule, at more than 77 degrees north, represents one of the last frontier and the ideal base for polar expeditions of various lenghts and purposes. From Europe, Qaanaaq can be reached only after a very long flight, with overnight stops in Copenhagen and Ilulissat. GO
	Dog sledge expedition in Greenland - Day 1 19 April 2007 Today, we cross the Murchison sund, reaching Herbert Island, where the first night is spent in a tent near the limit of open water. GO
	Day 2 - with seal hunting pictures <YOU ARE HERE> \| without seal hunting pictures 20 April 2007 Because of the open water in front of us, we drive back on Murchison sund, up to the ghost town of Qeqertarsuaq on Herbert island. During the trip, the Inuit guides catch several seals, as they normally do when there are no tourists.
	Dogsledge expedition in Greenland - Day 3 and 4 21-22 April 2007 From the ghost town of Qeqertarsuaq we drive to the opposite side of Murchison sund, making a zig-zag between areas of thin ice. The following day, we continue our trip driving over Mac Cormick fjord, all the way to its end. GO
	Dogsledge expedition in Thule, Greenland - Day 5 23 April 2007 Today, we drive overland, crossing a glacial valley up to Bowdoin fjord, where the night is spent inside a refuge. GO
	Dogsledge expedition in Qaanaaq, Greenland - Day 6 24 April 2007 This is the last day on dogsledge, thence, the final destination is back to Qaanaaq driving over the mouth of Inglefield Bredning, along strange and fascinating rock formations. GO
	Fly from Qaanaaq to Copenhagen 25, 27 April 2007 The weather is still beautiful throughout the west coast Greenland, so the flight from Qaanaaq to Ilulissat via Upernavik and Qaarsut (Uummannaq), as well as the continuation to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq, offers unforgettable views over spectacular polar scenery. GO
	Trip dossier and Greenland information page This page contains brief information, useful if you would like to organize a trip like this. Flights from Europe, outfitters, overnights and technical equipment (including cloths and digital camera) is discussed. GO
	My previous trip to Greenland and Ilulissat August 2001, one week. This site contains pictures and information about my previous trip to Greenland, a beautiful trekking on tundra and onto icecap from Ilulissat, made in summer 2001. GO

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The gun is secured on a pod and hidden behind a white screen, masking the Inuit hunter too.	Sleds and tourists are left at about 1km of distance, to keep the noise at minimum.

The Greenlandic hunter walks towards the seal...	...trying to get as close as possible.

If the seal doesn't hear him, it is relatively easy to shot and hit the animal.	Normally, the seals are hunt near their breathing holes on the sea's ice.

Red snow.	The seal is then loaded on the dogsledge, below the passenger's seat.
	On the left, a seal loaded on the dog sledge.


	In the morning, the camp is broken and everything packed again. I take pictures of icebergs and glaciers under different light's conditions.



We cross this very uneven area of sea ice (pack ice), driving the dog sledges along the beach.


The Greenlandic guides climb a small hill to check the ice's conditions and to search for seals.



Soon, we reach the ghost town of Qeqertarsuaq, to process the seal in order to get food for ourselves and the dogs. Unused parts of the animals will be carried to Qaanaaq, for further processing.





The ghost town of Qeqertarsuaq on Herbert island was abandoned during the '90s, because of too few pepole in a too remote place (they moved to bigger towns).


	We sleep in the abandoned school with adjacent church, where there are many books and magazines previously used by the inhabitants. There was also some canned food, expired more than 10 years ago.