Terrestrial mammals
Among herbivores, the reindeer (caribou) is the best known. The word "caribou" comes from North America and means "the shoveler", as it clears snow with its antlers. Its migrations cover up to 1,200 km, from Paamiut on the west coast to the north. The population varies greatly, but is now stable. They are raised in the south for their meat.
A very ancient animal, the muskox was only found in the far north of Greenland. It is 2.10 m long and 1.45 m high. They live in herds of around fifteen individuals. The Inuit used to prey on loners, spinning their wool(quviut), and the Greenlandic name umimmak means "the animal with fur like a beard". No taller than 1.20 m at the withers, they have long, warm, silky hair and forward-curving horns. Despite its name, the musk ox is actually related to goats. Whalers called it "musk" because they didn't appreciate its flesh. The species was on the brink of extinction in the 1960s: it has now been re-introduced in several places, particularly near Kangerlussuaq, around the airport, where it can be hunted. You can observe them on an Albatross safari or sample them on your plate at the delicious Roklubben restaurant. They have also been reintroduced to the Thule region, Disko Island and Uummannaq. Projects for specialized farms on the west coast are underway to provide a supply of (non-imported) meat for slaughter, although it seems that musk oxen adapt very poorly to life in captivity.
As we move deeper into the country, we also see wolves, foxes and hares, all described as arctic or polar, with immaculate white coats in winter, as well as ermines and lemmings, the latter apparently similar to our voles. The lemming (in the north) is associated with the legend of mass suicide; in reality, it migrates with the melting snow to feed, and many die crossing the lakes, but are mostly hunted by ermines and owls.
Inseparable from Greenland, sled dogs have formed an unbreakable pair with the hunter for many centuries. "Give me winter, give me dogs and you can keep everything else," said Knud Rasmussen. However, beware: they are by no means pets as we think of them; they are first and foremost transport dogs. Without question, they are the purest, strongest and most authentic breed of Arctic sled dog. While malamutes are known as powerful trackers, samoyeds as affectionate and intelligent companions, and siberian huskies as the fastest, the Greenlandic breed is the only true draught and working breed. Their warm, thick coat comes in a variety of colors, from gray-white to brown-black. Its ears are short (to adapt to the cold), its head is small and its silhouette stocky and powerful. With the onset of the Arctic summer, dogs are no longer used, and for the most part they are tied up near houses, on the outskirts of towns like Ilulissat, or exiled to neighboring islands. Dogs are mainly present in Greenland north of the Arctic Circle, as they are not allowed south of the Circle (except in Tasiilaq). Several tour operators organize dog-feeding excursions, or even better, winter excursions, such as Ilulissat Adventure, Tasiilaq Tours and Hotel Sisimiut & Tours. In summer, dog sledding is only available on Disko Island with Sikuaput.
Marine Mammals
The sea is the Sassuma Arnaa of Inuit mythology, an ocean of oxygenated polar waters where pinnipeds and cetaceans abound. Pinnipeds are divided into three families: sea lions, seals and walruses. These amphibian pinnipeds, walruses and seals, swim, but also crawl on land thanks to their flipper-like forelimbs.
Walruses, which grow to 4 m long and weigh 2 tonnes, live in large herds; they stand upright on their front flippers and use their rear flippers to move around. In the past, the Inuit used to carve and use their tusks (40 cm long) as weapons.
Greenland is home to five different species of seal, which can be seen all along the coastline, of which the ringed (marbled), harp and hooded seals are the most widespread. Bearded and harbor seals, on the other hand, are relatively rare. The smallest are around 1 m long and weigh around 40 kg, while the largest are up to 4 m long and weigh up to 700 kg! None of the species is threatened with extinction, but the harbor seal, which is not really an Arctic seal species, seems to be declining in the west of the country. These "wing-footed" pinnipeds are wary of man, and you'll hardly spot them on icebergs or rocky coasts.
Greenland is home to no less than... fifteen species of whale! Like all mammals, they need to breathe and leave the ice floes in winter. The rest of the time, you'll be able to observe rorqual whales, sperm whales, humpback whales and maybe even right whales, the largest of which are 20 m long and weigh almost 150 tons. The humpback whale is easily recognized by its fins and white tail. A host of tourist agencies offer whale-watching excursions, including Whale Tours in Ilulissat. The widespread beluga whale lives in herds of thousands, and is threatened by its enemy, the killer whale. The white whale, a protected species, has practically disappeared from Greenland waters. The near-threatened narwhal, which lives in small groups of twelve, was sought after in Asia for the alleged aphrodisiac virtues of its tusk, in reality the male's left canine tooth. This fabulous nasal appendage has also earned it the nickname of sea unicorn, and many Greenlanders use it for sculpture. Scientists still wonder about the role of this tusk. Of all cetaceans, the blue whale is the largest, at 30 m long.
Gregarious by instinct, dolphins and porpoises travel in pods of up to several hundred or even several thousand individuals. Of particular note is the incredible recent discovery of the Greenland shark, which could live... up to 400 years! This is the vertebrate with the longest life expectancy. Only one other animal species is known to have a longer lifespan: the Icelandic prairie shell (507 years). Their longevity is explained by their very slow development (around 1 cm per year).
Together with numerous species of fish (cod, salmon, halibut, arctic char) and crustaceans (especially shrimp), all this wild fauna, hunted or fished, once constituted the staple diet for Greenlanders, as well as the raw material for clothing, tools and habitat.
To adapt successfully to such an inhospitable environment, land and sea mammals are covered in fat (seal, walrus, bear...) and warm protective fur (musk ox, reindeer, wolf, fox, hare...). Warm-blooded homeothermic species also have smaller extremities, such as the ears or tails of a fox or hare.
Birds and insects
Over 230 bird species have been observed in Greenland. Of the fifty or so species seen, twenty are magnificent migratory birds (geese, gulls, ptarmigan, petrels, terns, guillemots...). Greenlandic legend has it that the raven brings light after dark. In fact, birds such as eider ducks and black guillemots suddenly announce summer by arriving in whole colonies overnight. Arctic gulls live only on pack ice. Finally, in the whole of Greenland, there are only four species of predatory birds: the peregrine falcon, the white-tailed eagle, the owl, the symbol of Arctic fauna often depicted by artists, and the rare gyrfalcon, paid for at great cost in the Orient, which Ivan the Terrible gave to Mary Tudor..
Much to the surprise of tourists, large numbers of mosquitoes and flies invade the tundra during the summer season (especially in June and July, August being a quieter month). As the global temperature rises, insect development accelerates. So don't forget to equip yourself with insecticides and, above all, a mosquito net!
The unique wildlife of the National Park
The park boasts a unique fauna, with a population of 5,000 to 15,000 musk oxen - almost 40% of the world population of this species - as well as numerous polar bears in the coastal regions. Other mammals include arctic foxes, collared lemmings, ermines and arctic hares. Although they return occasionally, reindeer and wolves deserted the area in the early 20th century. Many marine mammals inhabit the surrounding waters, including ringed seals and walruses. Dolphins, orcas, Minke whales and sperm whales are frequent visitors, but the beluga and narwhal are the only cetaceans present on a regular basis. Among the bird species nesting in the park are raven, common eider, king eider, gyrfalcon, common loon, barnacle goose, pink-footed goose, snowy owl, sanderling and rock ptarmigan. The park also contains mineral deposits that could one day threaten its tranquillity.
Seal, whale and polar bear hunting
Seal, whale and polar bear hunting remain the subject of much controversy, not least because of the involvement of celebrities opposed to seal hunting (Juliette Binoche, Kim Basinger, Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, Pierce Brosnan...). In France in the 1980s, Brigitte Bardot did much to protect whitecoats. In 1978, oceanographer Jacques Cousteau criticized the attention paid to seal hunting, arguing that it was purely emotional. Many inaccurate, clumsy and misleading things are written about it. Some ignorant ecological organizations are calling for a boycott and promoting images of seals being slaughtered on the ice floes. This approach is demagogic, since it wrongly conflates the lucrative business of certain countries (Canada, Japan, Norway) with the artisanal hunting of a few indigenous communities. Perhaps it's worth pointing out here that seals are not endangered in Greenland waters, but above all that hunting is an integral part of the cultural identity of Greenlanders, who are mainly of Inuit origin. They hunt with respect, both for food and sometimes to use the skins of their game for clothing and kayak covers, although the latter is less common. Today, Greenlanders are still very attached to hunting, as the Greenlandic government recently declared: "Hunting is the heart and soul of Greenlandic culture... In a society like Greenland, hunting has always been a matter of survival in this country. Our identity is based on hunting. Indeed, even today, a large part of the population still feeds on these animals in the villages (mainly seals). In order to preserve its traditions, the government still allows Greenlanders to hunt, but within limited quotas (set by the Institute of Natural Resources in Nuuk) so as not to threaten these species. However, whaling remains a controversial subject for many foreigners who are strongly opposed to the practice, despite the fact that it is cultural, non-abusive and strongly supervised by local authorities.
Flora
Arctic climatic conditions limit the flowering period to a maximum of 12 weeks, but the fragrances released are more intense than in temperate climates. As the ground is frozen for nine months of the year, plants are unable to draw moisture, so they store all their water during the summer and, like desert plants, protect themselves from evaporation. Under these conditions, it takes 200 years for a tree to develop a trunk the size of your arm! While there are virtually no trees in Greenland, birch and willow trees in the south can reach a few meters in height. On the coasts, tundra-type vegetation (grass, moss, lichen, heather...) develops in summer. Some flowers have learned to survive in this extreme climate. In the tundra tides grows the famous Arctic cottongrass, used in the distant past as a wick for Inuit oil lamps. They usually grow in dazzling white patches along ponds and streams, where the moss is greenest. The short summer months of July and August are ideal for mushroom picking (arctic boletes, porcini mushrooms, meadow rosé, wolfberries, etc.) and succulent berries (blackberries, bilberries, cranberries), ideal for making beneficial herbal teas. And don't hesitate to pick the beautiful pink flower called niviarsiaq (literally little girl), the national emblem, which can be found all along the coast and is edible (boiled, infused...). These delicacies are sold in several shops in Greenland, including Blue Ice Explorer in Narsaq.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the Institute of Natural Resources(www.natur.gl), which can be visited on request in Nuuk.
