STORY - We yards for a few minutes. They scrutinizing us from the banks of pebbles, we stopped from the boat at anchor. Our first encounter with the Inuit community took place in the Bay Ittoqqortormitt, a few meters away, frustrated by a long night.
A beautiful tabular iceberg crosses a smaller one at the entrance to Scoresby Sound. (Photo Evrard Wendenbaum / Nature Evolution)
A beautiful tabular iceberg crosses a smaller one at the entrance to Scoresby Sound.
There, Ruth, a German living here for ten years, and her husband, Inkasi, were waiting for us. This Inuit hunter, also a guide, will accompany us in our permanent round trips between the village and the various base camps, established in Renland, Jameson Land and Mineland. We will therefore swap our proud sailboat for a small shuttle with much faster engines, because the distances are gigantic: the Scoresby Sound, with more than 300 km of fjords, is the largest system of fjords in the world.
There, Ruth, a German living here for ten years, and her husband, Inkasi, were waiting for us. This Inuit hunter, also a guide, will accompany us in our permanent round trips between the village and the various base camps, established in Renland, Jameson Land and Mineland. We will therefore swap our proud sailboat for a small shuttle with much faster engines, because the distances are gigantic: the Scoresby Sound, with more than 300 km of fjords, is the largest system of fjords in the world.(Photo Yann Bigant / Naturevolution)
Already steeples are heard. It's Sunday and it's time the office. A few meters from the Protestant church, the school is the largest building of this village of fewer than 400 people, where stand small wooden houses Denmark, blue, red, green, yellow, that color these rugged lands . huskies howling of the accompanying roar of quads, most used means of transportation in this small village.
Eric, Phil et Olive.(Photo Yann Bigant / Naturevolution)
Les doudounes sont vite enlevées : le soleil est éclatant. Notre camp de fortune est installé sur les hauteurs du village, au pied de la station météorologique. Toutes les douze heures, un ballon gonflé d’hydrogène s’envole dans l’atmosphère et communique des données à l’Institut météorologique danois. Les yeux rivés en l’air, nous observons cette bulle d’air s’envoler au-dessus de la mer, sans parler. Mais la contemplation est de courte durée. Il est déjà tard et l’unique magasin du village ferme à 17 heures. On y trouve de tout. Aliments danois, quelques habits, des peaux de phoque et… des fusils, nécessaires en cas d’attaque d’ours polaire, et que nous sommes venus chercher.
At Ittoqqottormitt, there are only about ten hunters left. The income they derive from their hunting is too low today, their life is harsh. The rest of the inhabitants have turned to odd jobs, work in the Danish administration, or tourism, which is struggling, despite everything, to develop. The nearest airport, Constable Point in Jameson Land, is over 45 kilometers from the village.
At Ittoqqottormitt, there are only about ten hunters left. The income they derive from their hunting is too low today, their life is harsh. The rest of the inhabitants have turned to odd jobs, work in the Danish administration, or tourism, which is struggling, despite everything, to develop. The nearest airport, Constable Point in Jameson Land, is over 45 kilometers from the village.(Photo Evrard Wendenbaum / Nature Evolution)
The day goes by at full speed, late in the evening, Evrard takes stock of the organization of the day for the days to come: a team of six people will leave in the morning at the foot of Skillebugt aboard the Ingkasi shuttle. Three others will join them the next day. The adventure never ends.
