Uummannaq, Greenland: August 2, 2025

Uummannaq Mountain and Island

Uummannaq means "heart-shaped mountain" in Greenlandic. The island was named after its split-topped mountain. The "heart shape" of the mountain resembles the heart of a seal.

We arrived in beautiful Uummannaq just as the morning fog was lifting. The sun came out and it was warm. According to a local man I spoke with, the weather was unseasonably warm. They hadn't had much rain so far this year.

At the dock, the view looking out from Uummannaq was of Salliaruseq Island and icebergs. We were treated to a woman performing a drum dance and singing traditional Greenlandic songs while playing the qilaat (a seal-skin covered hoop drum). She was accompanied by her very shy four-year old daughter. Both were wearing traditional dress from Eastern Greenland.

We took a short hike past "dogland." Dogland is an area where dogsled dogs are kept. The location is usually a little away from the residential areas. Only Greenlandic sled dogs are permitted within the arctic circle. They are a registered breed of dog. Greenlandic dogs are not kept in homes because they would be too warm, and they are acclimated to outside temperatures. They are not pets, and they are chained when not pulling a sled. Pups are permitted to roam free until the age of six-months old.

Leaving Uummannq, the ship cruised along the backside of Salliaruseq Island (an Arctic Desert) and weaved its way past other small rocky islands. The reddish island below is believed to be 1.5 billion years old.

And, what's a day in Greenland without marveling over the icebergs.

The row of Kittiwakes on the below iceberg gives an idea of how large this iceberg really is.

Tomorrow is an Exploration Day. We will explore fjords and have an up-close experience at Perlerfiup Sermia (Glacier).