Whales’ arrival is a sure sign of the beginning of summer in Greenland. The whole coastline of Greenland is perfect for whale watching, but especially the Disko Bay area is well known as a true whale paradise.

Although the Disko Bay is famous as a sea of ice in summer the whales just might outnumber the icebergs. Humpback, minke and fin whales flock here to feast on krill, plankton, and small fish.

Aasiaat and Qeqertarsuaq are among the best whale watching spots, where whale sightings are almost guaranteed.

Why almost guaranteed, you may ask?

As whales as any other animals in Greenland are wild animals and not in captivity, we can’t guarantee their appearance, as they obviously do not appear just to please us. Although, we can help you a little bit with when and where to look after the great marine mammals.

Humpback whales (April – September)

• Humpback whales (Qipoqqaq in greenlandic) are known for their spectacular “surface active behavior”, they are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fins to propel themselves through the water and sometimes out of it. 
• From around April till the end of September you can experience the giants of the sea from land or by boat around the Disko Bay region.

Minke whales (May – October)

• Although, the minke whales can be hard to spot, as they are fast, and their surfacing can be sporadic. They are regularly seen along the coasts and deep into the fjords of Disko Bay.
• Minke whales (Tikaagullik in greenlandic) are one of the smallest of all baleen whales, reaching around 9-10metres long. In contrary to the humpback whales, they dive without showing their tail fluke, the tail fluke is rarely seen.
• How to spot a minke whale: Usually, the fin becomes visible at the same as the blow
• Black or dark grey on the back and white on the belly and the undersides of the flippers.

The fin whales (May – October)

• Fin whales (Tikaagulliusaaq in greenlandic) is quite a sight. The fin whale is the second longest species living on earth. It can grow long as 27metres long. The fin whales have sleek, streamlined bodies with V-shaped heads, with a tall dorsal fin.
• As Minke Whales, the Fin Whales are fast swimmers and they are quite social, as they often are spotted in social groups of two to seven individuals.
• In contrary to the Minke Whales the Fin Whales travels in the open seas, away from the coast, so they can be difficult to track.

Local operators are ready to take you closer to the whales.