Wild Landscapes of West Greenland
Starts and Ends in
Call Us for Pricing
pp twin share
Departing
01 Jan 2001
Duration
0 days
Activity Level
Daily shore excursions, guided hikes & outings.
Moderate
Season
2025
Polar Expeditions
Frozen Lake In Uummannaq
Uummannaq, Greenland | Credit: Erez Marom
Photographer on the Balsatic Rocks Trail
Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland | Credit: Mads Pihl
Uummannaq with Houses on Rocky Cliffs and Icebergs
Uummannaq, Greenland | Credit: Ella Grødem
Two Kayaks Paddling near an Iceberg
Disko Bay, Greenland | Credit: Mads Pihl
Illulissat Icefjord
Greenland | Credit: Tina Rolf
Kayakers kayaking through ice along glacier
Samarinbreen, Svalbard | Credit: Lina Stock
Greenland
Wild Landscapes of West Greenland
Highlights
Aurora Expeditions operates in remote and challenging environments, and in the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage you to adopt a flexible and adventurous attitude when joining our voyages. This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, sea state, local regulations and permitting, and other conditions beyond our control.
On this voyage, we visit remote Inuit hamlets and settlements, where the local Inuit still practice traditional hunting methods including whaling that some people may find confronting. If you find yourself feeling upset and disturbed by what you see, please alert a member of the expedition team immediately, who will do their best to address your concerns and take action to mitigate the problem, wherever possible.
Howard Whelan
Expedition Leader
Howard’s lifelong passion for adventure, writing and filmmaking has taken him to many of the planet’s wildest places. One of the first to walk the 4000-kilometre Pacific Crest Trail from Canada to Mexico, he went on to cross the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, spent three months in remote Russia writing for America’s Outside magazine, and was cameraman on the first Australian ascent of Mt Everest.
As the founding editor then publisher of Australian Geographic and trustee of the Australian Geographic Society, Howard led scientific expeditions to remote parts of Australia, often resulting in significant geographic articles for the journal’s nearly one million readers. In 2002 he lead the Antarctic filming expeditions that resulted in the Academy Award-winning Happy Feet.
Howard has been part of the Aurora Expeditions team since our inception over 20 years ago and has led expeditions every year since. Besides exploring much of the Antarctic coastline and sub-Antarctic Islands, he’s led trips in the Amazon, Galapagos, Kimberley, European Arctic, Russia’s Far East and the Northeast Passage.
These days he runs a polar logistics and media consultancy specialising in the environment, natural history and adventure. He was recently guest curator of the Australian Museum’s exhibition, TrailBlazers: Australia’s 50 Greatest Explorers, is a Senior Polar Tourism Guide and Fellow of the Explorer’s Club.
Elena Wimberger
Expedition Leader
Elena's penchant for adventure began at a young age while reading tales of polar explorers such as William Scoresby and Ernest Shackleton. The pull to the wild and unknown has taken hold ever since. Between various levels of academic education, she has directed her energies towards developing her skills and knowledge of the great outdoors.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, her primary pastimes include skiing, climbing, hiking and mountaineering. Born and raised in the pacific northwest of the United States, Elena grew up enjoying the various mountain ranges her home area has to offer. She has worked as a ski instructor and Wilderness First Responder in the Cascade and Olympic mountains.
After receiving her B.A. in Politics and Spanish, Elena backpacked 4000kms across the United States, starting at the Mexican border and finishing in Canada. Other favourite trips include a two-month backpacking trip through Patagonia and tramping through the hut-systems in New Zealand.
In between her own adventures, Elena loves sharing her passion and energy for the great outdoors with our expeditioners on board.
Tarn Pilkington
IFMGA Mountain Guide & Alpine Program Specialist
Tarn works year round in the outdoors of NZ and is qualified as an IFMGA Mountain and Ski guide. Since visiting Antarctica for the first time in 1994 he has returned over 15 times and admits to being completely addicted.
He is based in Queenstown NZ, his home of 25 years. Tarn spends the winter months heli skiing and ski touring and during the long South Island Summers he guides and works on film and television productions as a safety officer. He is also contracted as the Crew Chief for the local Air Ambulance service and volunteers for the local Alpine Cliff Rescue Team.
In his spare time, Tarn gets out on his mountain bike or skis as much as possible to explore his home patch in the beautiful southern lakes of the South Island.
Meet our Expert Team
Each voyage is accompanied our highly acclaimed expedition team who we believe are the best in the business. Many are recognised leaders in their fields, keen to share their daily insights on shore and onboard. Whilst your actual team may vary between voyages, every member of our E-team are among the world's best remote area specialists.
Included Activities
Bird Watching
Walking
Marine Mammal Spotting
Photography
Polar Plunge
Scenic Cruising
Trips Ashore
Wildlife Watching
Zodiac Cruising
Our Ship
The Sylvia Earle
Capacity
130 Passengers Maximum
Year built
2022
Cabins
71
Length
104 m
Decks
8
Speed
10-12 knots
Loyal Travelers
We love celebrating our loyal expeditioners who return to explore with us. After your first Aurora Expeditions voyage, you’ll automatically achieve Bronze Adventurer status. The more voyages you embark on, the higher you climb—progressing to Silver and eventually Gold!
Solo Travelers
Voyages with Aurora Expeditions are such a fantastic choice for solo travelers, giving you the chance to experience the world’s most remote and incredible destinations with like-minded travelers and our expert guides, while on board our small, social and welcoming ships.
Your Big Adventure Awaits
Every expedition is unique, shaped by weather, tides, ice, and our team’s deep local knowledge. Your Expedition Leader crafts each day for the best adventure. Want a glimpse of what it’s like? Browse a Voyage Log from a past journey. Each log is a beautifully crafted, day-to-day recap featuring highlights, photos, guest moments, and wildlife sightings. Browse now and start dreaming of your own big adventure.