PONANT in Greenland

Lasting ties

In order to devise unique and immersive experiences in Greenland, PONANT cooperates on the ground with local communities – an approach synonymous with exchange, reciprocity and preservation of the ways of life of these peoples at the ends of the earth. Meet the local actors with whom PONANT forges lasting ties and co-constructs voyages of exploration imbued with sense and meaning.

Jaakusaaq Søerensen: future expedition guide

A tall, slender figure moves back and forth between Le Commandant Charcot and terra – or ice rather – firma. In his wake, the cruise guests, initially taken aback by this young man who one  could easily believe to be not completely at home in his slim adult body but who is listened to assiduously once his shyness and apparent modesty evaporate at the first glance, with his eyes automatically meeting those of his interlocutors, never to avoid their gaze again. Barely into his twenties, Jaakusaaq Søerensen is the first participant in a training programme created by PONANT for local people. The aim: to train Inuit villagers to be expedition guides.

The programme offers an opportunity for PONANT to pay tribute to the local communities and a chance for the apprentice guide to shine a light on his culture in terms of its philosophy, traditions and spirituality – a process of sharing that comes fully to the fore when Jaakusaaq recounts the legend of Sedna, goddess of the sea and creator of marine animals: a mythical figure for the Inuit people.

Line Kristiansen: encounters, the core of the experience

Creating moments of exchange and interaction with the local populations is also the ambition of Line Kristiansen, the founder of Semilik Adventures, an agency that provides immersive travel experiences in Greenland. When first contacted by PONANT, she was initially astonished that a potential partner was interested in offering activities in Tasiilaq, a small isolated village on Greenland’s east coast, at a time of year when no boat can get there. “And then… I saw Le Commandant Charcot and realised that it was a ship unlike other ships,” she recalls.

Justus Hansen: a day of celebration

The arrival of Le Commandant Charcot at these remote, icy shores is also a major event for the local inhabitants. In this region, where supply by sea is rendered impossible between October and mid-July due to the ice, the presence of the ship from May onwards is a godsend. It’s then that he puts a different hat on, that of supplier: “Deliveries being made more than two months earlier than what has customarily been done is something undreamt of by the population, and gives the ship an even greater sense of purpose,” explains Captain Patrick Marchesseau, who was at the helm when the ship delivered its first supplies to Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit in May 2023.

Justus Hansen, a local councillor who played a part in getting the project off the ground and was present that day, remembers the welcome from his people, which was very warm and friendly, to say the least. “At that time of year, food normally arrives by plane, which drives up prices. You could expect to pay €3 for an apple for example, whereas they cost around 50 cents when delivered by boat. A visit to port by Le Commandant Charcot is something of a day for celebration,” he points out.Some had the chance to extend this day of celebration further by visiting the ship: “It’s a very significant event that means a lot to us, and I hope this opportunity will come again,” concludes Line Kristiansen.

A new promise of privileged interactions and encounters designed to provide the opportunity to discover and experience millenia-old ways of life and contribute to their preservation. 

Take a look behind the scenes of the preparations for this exclusive immersive experience in the heart of Quebec in winter:

Photo credits: ©Studio PONANT / V. Vauchelle; video credits: ©PONANT / J. Fabro

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