Arctic Umiaq Line docks at Uummannaq with the Sarfaq Ittuk every other Tuesday from June to October this year, where Naleraq Seasafari will be ready to transfer passengers to and from Upernavik, Ukkusissat, Saattut, and Ikerasak using the Nanunnguaq (Targa 37). Arctic Umiaq Line has a six-hour layover in Uummannaq, during which Naleraq Seasafari can execute a circular route from Uummannaq via Ukkusissat, Saattut, and Ikerasak back to Uummannaq before AUL’s southbound departure.
Northbound passengers and mail via Sarfaq Ittuk, which has a further connection to Upernavik, have an afternoon departure with Naleraq Seasafari from Uummannaq.
Southbound passengers and mail from Upernavik have an early morning departure with Naleraq Seasafari, arriving in Uummannaq around lunchtime, where they switch to AUL’s Sarfaq Ittuk, which then continues south to Nanortalik via 17 coastal settlements.
It is also possible for passengers and mail to take a direct connection from Ilulissat to Upernavik the day before the transfer meeting in Uummannaq, and a direct connection from Upernavik to Ilulissat the day after the transfer meeting with Naleraq Seasafari’s Nanunnguaq, based in Ilulissat.
About the collaboration, Arctic Umiaq Line’s CEO, Jens-Jakob Sandgreen, says:
“This collaboration has been a long time coming, involving a marathon of questions. The larger we are, the more oversight we are subject to. It is our wish to use our national scale to enable regional and local communities to flourish. Unlike fish, which are here all year round, the tourism industry can be sensitive to repeated reservations. Tourists are not fetched like fish, making it unpredictable for tour operators, especially outside Nuuk, to make predictable investments. Thus, a collaboration like this might have a fundamental effect on the further development of the tourism industry in Greenland, where a regional boat connects the region’s settlements with a national ship, linking all five municipalities – in one coordinated booking for passengers and mail – to the benefit of the coastal communities’ welfare and infrastructure.”
About the collaboration, co-owner of Naleraq Seasafari, Heidi Jensen, says:
“We are excited to finally launch the collaboration. It means a lot for our local business to connect with the coastal passenger ship traffic to even more destinations here in North Greenland. My husband and I hope that this collaboration can demonstrate how future connections and regions can be developed together with local operators. We experience a strong unity in North Greenland, where Uummannaq Seasafari prioritizes tour experiences in the Uummannaq area, while we focus on same-day destination-to-destination connections, and likely Hotel Avani with land-based facilities for those waiting and resting. We are ready to assist.”
Bookings are made via Arctic Umiaq Line’s new booking portal, where you can also see the schedules for Sarfaq Ittuk and Nanunnguaq under “Schedule“. The transfer collaboration between the parties runs from June to October 2024.
