Nuuk Tourism is very focused on the importance of sustainable and eco-friendly tourism in Greenland. We understand how fragile our arctic environment is and the need to protect it. On the other hand we have a thriving community in need of growth and income, and tourism carefully managed is an eco-friendly way to increase much needed revenue.

Nuuk Tourism is not only concerned with increasing growth in the tourism industry in Nuuk and Greenland in general, but also what kind of environmental impact such growth will have on our communities and natural surroundings, particularly when it concerns our wildlife.

One way, we strive to ensure that this is done, is when we offer whale watching tours out in the waters around Nuuk. The whales in our waters are for the most part humpback whales who visit us from June to December. These gentle giants often come very close to the boats on their own accord, and some of the younger ones are quite playful. The whales are frequently spotted from land as they come very close to the city’s shoreline.

The protected humpback whales have markings on their tail fin which is unique to each individual. This allows our skilled guides and boat people to record the sightings of the whales and report the findings to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

The boats we use are small government approved motor boats with room for 12 passengers. Three to four hour tours are conducted, striking an important balance between the guests desire to view the whales as closely as possible, and the importance of not harassing the animals. When cruise ships visit no more than maximum of five boats are out on the water at one time during our tours. On days without cruise ships usually only one to two boats are out on the water for one or two tours.

Our future goal for whale watching tours is to increase our knowledge of whale behavior. Increasing our knowledge of whale behavior will continue to ensure that future tours are conducted in a sustainable manner.