Polar
Midnight Ice
Greenland Photography Expedition
- Ilulissat, Greenland
- Ilulissat, Greenland
Disko Bay, on the west coast of Greenland, holds the Ilulissat Icefjord — the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. In summer the sun barely sets: the low light turns the ice blue and then fire-red, and humpback whales, seals and Arctic foxes move among the floes. Over eight days we sail between Ilulissat, Qeqertaq, Saqqaq, Oqaatsut and Ilimanaq, travelling by day and photographing into the small hours.
We live aboard the two-masted schooner Ruach Love for all seven nights, with no repacking; her history, cabins and two landing craft are introduced below.
Most of the photography happens at dusk and after midnight, when the sun sits on the horizon and the light is at its most saturated — exactly when icebergs and red sails look their best. An expedition leader and a photography guide lead the trip, no photographic experience is needed, and we run briefings and image reviews on board.
Highlights
- Disko Bay and the Ilulissat Icefjord, the most productive glacier in Greenland
- Icebergs in the midnight sun — hours of low, saturated light
- Seven nights aboard the red-sail schooner Ruach Love, no repacking
- The remote settlements of Qeqertaq, Saqqaq and Oqaatsut
- Waiting for the ice to calve at Eqi Glacier
- Humpback whales, seals and Arctic foxes
- Zodiac cruises among the floes, and shore landings
- A chartered boat and a small group: 17 guests only
- An expedition leader and a photography guide on board, with image reviews
Itinerary
Day 01
Arrival in Ilulissat · sunset cruise among the icebergs
Met at Ilulissat airport and taken straight on board, where cabins are assigned and the safety procedures explained. We then walk the Ilulissat Icefjord trail to the mouth of the fjord, stop at the supermarket on the way back, and have dinner aboard around six. We sail after dinner and spend the midnight hours photographing icebergs in open water.
Day 02
Eqi Glacier · waiting for the ice to calve
A later start, since we photographed past midnight and are still adjusting to the time zone. After breakfast we head for Eqi Glacier, 80 km north of Ilulissat and one of Greenland's most active: five kilometres wide, calving often. The boat stands about three kilometres off the ice face and waits. Whales are often seen on the way.
Day 03
North through the floes · Qeqertaq and Saqqaq
We sail north through the pack ice, past three glaciers that reach the sea straight off the ice sheet. In the evening we reach Qeqertaq or Saqqaq, settlements about 100 and 120 km north of Ilulissat that have been inhabited for thousands of years, and photograph icebergs in the surrounding waters at sunset.
Day 04
A day around the settlement · fishing and icebergs at sunset
A full day in and around the settlement, still a working fishing, sealing and whaling community. We photograph the harbour and the day's catch, try our hand at fishing, cruise among the icebergs in the afternoon, and look for arch-shaped bergs and calving ice as the light goes.
Day 05
Oqaatsut, formerly Rodebay
We sail to Oqaatsut — formerly Rodebay — a settlement of just 45 people who still live largely by fishing, and go ashore to photograph the village and meet its residents. The afternoon is free; in the evening we photograph the settlement and the icebergs at sunset and anchor nearby for the night.
Day 06
Whales and icebergs at Ilulissat
Back around Ilulissat: whale watching, fishing, paddleboarding or kayaking, and walks ashore. We take the boat out in the best light of the day for the icebergs, and if the red-sail schooner is in the fjord it becomes the frame of the trip.
Day 07
Ilimanaq and Qasigiannguit
A morning ashore at Ilimanaq, and Qasigiannguit if time allows. In the evening we photograph the icebergs of Disko Bay in the midnight sun one last time, followed by a farewell dinner on board.
Day 08
Farewell
Breakfast, goodbyes, and a bus to the airport according to flight times. The journey ends here.
The Boat
Expedition ships carry well over a hundred passengers. We think smaller is better — especially for photography. In Greenland's small settlements a small group sees and shoots far more, and our boat anchors where the big ships cannot, which makes the remarkable scenes easier to find among the floes.
Ruach Love is a two-masted steel sailing yacht, built in 1986 at the Blumenthaler yard in Germany as a sail-training vessel. After a major refit in 2013 she ran medical and humanitarian missions in remote corners of the world, and since 2022 she has sailed the polar regions. Heating, satellite communications and comfortable living areas come as standard — and her red sails are the easiest landmark in this ice.
Going ashore is the heart of an expedition cruise. Her two landing craft put us close to icebergs, glaciers and wildlife, and let us cruise and land among the floes for photographs. An expedition leader and a photography guide travel with the group throughout, sharing what they know about Greenland.
The cabins sit deep inside the hull, away from the natural light — ideal for sleeping through Greenland's bright summer nights — with shared showers, toilets and laundry. Wait for the light on deck in the morning, edit or write in the afternoon, and fall asleep to water and ice against the hull.
Photographs
Included
- Private charter of the schooner with crew
- Seven nights aboard
- All meals on board (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Coffee, tea and snacks
- One expedition leader and one photography guide
- Shore guidance and on-board workshops
- All landing and cruising activities
- Port taxes
- Airport and harbour transfers
Not included
- Flights to and from Greenland (bookable on the Air Greenland website)
- Travel and cancellation insurance
- Customary gratuities for the crew
- Bar and shop purchases and other personal expenses
- Visa
Price
€5,500 per person (triple cabin) · €5,900 per person (twin cabin)
A deposit of 30% confirms the seat; the balance is due 90 days before departure.
The balance is due before departure; departures fill early.