“Only Time and Ice Are Masters”: Expedition Leader Niko Dubreuil’s Love Affair with Greenland

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Expedition Leader Niko Dubreuil. One thing quickly became clear: He harbors a deep love for Greenland and a deep compassion for the natural world and the humans that inhabit its most remote regions. We talked about the most formative experience of his teenage years, about helping our guests connect with the stunning natural world of the Arctic, and about how he lives out his eco-minded values in his second home in a tiny Greenlandic village.

At 17 years old, Niko Dubreuil traveled from his home in the suburbs of Paris to Vancouver Island. Under the guidance of a family friend and explorer, he slipped into a kayak and the pair paddled their way north, traversing the Inside Passage and rounding the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage, camping on shore along the way. To this day, Niko calls the adventure “a real initiation, a rich learning experience” that molded him into the nature-embracing man he is today.

How did that kayaking experience shape the way you see the world?

I discovered the art of making a fire in the rain, finding food in the wild, observing animals. For a young person, it was extremely difficult, but incredibly rewarding. It was during this adventure that I fully realized the truth of the proverb: “God always forgives, man sometimes, but nature never.” I experienced firsthand how important it is to live in harmony with nature if you really want to understand it.

How long have you been with PONANT?

Since 2005. Prior to this, I led numerous sporting expeditions to the polar regions. Gradually, I became disenchanted with the ego-centered quest for achievement in those travelers. I soon discovered PONANT and embarked on my first expedition with them, to Antarctica.

The luxury was an incredible shock to me. I was used to sleeping in tents in snowstorms! I remember hesitating to go to the captain’s dinner because I only had expedition clothes! I stayed in my cabin, telling myself that I had to apologize and cancel my contract as soon as possible and go back home.

We’re so glad you didn’t! What else made an impression on you during your first expedition?

I realized quickly that PONANT expedition cruises have a way of democratizing adventure. Exploring the polar regions was no longer restricted to the young and athletic people of all those sporting trips I had previously been leading. It’s for everyone! I could take my parents, even my grandparents, to discover in awe all these places that had made such a deep impression on me. I also realized the power of the expedition cruise as an educational tool that opens people’s eyes to how fragile the polar areas are. When you provide everyone with science-based knowledge and insight, they can make choices about protecting the environment at the ballot box back home.

You have a home in Greenland, yes? Tell us what drew you to this place.

I think people are attracted to expedition cruises by the beauty of the scenery, the desire to see polar bears, and the desire to contemplate the last remnants of ice. I have my home in the tiny village of Kullorsuaq for the same reasons, for sure. It’s an exceptional place on the Baffin Sea, a remote traditional Arctic village that’s also quite modern, where you can still see people making their kayaks and sledges, where people travel from one village to another by dog-drawn sled, and which is completely isolated for more than 6 months of the year. It’s one of the last places where humans and nature are one. 

Every day, I’m inspired by the local people. It’s fascinating to discover that, in the heart of this unforgiving polar desert, people have chosen to live happily and in harmony. It’s a lesson in resilience, adaptation and putting the group before the individual. It offers a different perspective on life, an alternative way of seeing the world and the role of man on earth.

It sounds a little like the experience you had during your kayak adventure at 17 years old.

Yes! What drew me to the Far North was undoubtedly the influence of my parents, who introduced me to and made me appreciate life in nature and instilled in me a deep regard for people who live close to the land. The polar regions, like the hot deserts or the Amazon rainforest, are among those rare places on earth where humans find their rightful place in nature. It is only here, in these places where nature is all-powerful, that we become aware of our own fragility and the importance of adopting a humble attitude towards it.

Can you talk a little more about the people of Kullorsuaq?

They are among the most resilient people on earth. Every decision they make is informed by this beautiful Icelandic proverb: Silarsuaq Sikullu kisimi Naagalavoq – It means “only time and ice are masters” and it’s rooted in their animistic beliefs. Animists believe there is a spirit present in everything, whether things we can see—animals, humans, stones, houses—or things we cannot, like the relationship between a man and his kayak, or the path leading to a bear. Time and ice are the most powerful “spirits” in their world, and they are inextricably linked. As the seasonal cycle of ice formation and ice melting shifts, they are seeing changes in the migrations of animals that depend on the pack ice to reproduce and feed. Villagers, whose livelihoods in turn depend on a successful hunt, are therefore having to venture further and further afield and take greater risks on increasingly thin ice. 

For generations, they have been so used to adapting that they tell themselves they will continue to do so. If the pack ice disappears, they will simply go fishing by boat. But contrary to what we might think, the floating ice makes navigation much more complex because you have to maneuver your boat around it and risk collision. 

Only time and ice are masters, you see?

What do you hope PONANT guests will come to appreciate about Greenland and the Arctic?

I hope they will adopt the mindset of childhood by forgetting what they know. I hope they will come here without prejudice and with an open curiosity. They will be confronted with a pristine natural environment and people who have perfectly adapted to it across generations. Beyond the sublime landscapes, extraordinary animals and icy expanses, I know that the human interaction will have the greatest impact on passengers.

I’ll tell you a story to show you how big the hearts of the people of Kullorsuaq are. During a cruise a passenger confided in me that she had taken this journey as a tribute to her daughter, who had read my books and dreamt of visiting my home in my village. Unfortunately, her daughter died of cancer three months before departure. This was particularly moving for me. I usually invite the villagers on board to present whatever they wish to the passengers. After the show, I asked my friend Ole if they could sing a song for this woman, so the choir invited her onto the stage. 

We were then alone in the theatre, with the little choir of ten Greenlanders, the passenger, the captain, and myself. Each of the Greenlanders hugged her and offered comforting words. She passed from arm to arm until she was surrounded by everyone, where tears mingled with smiles. It was an unforgettable lesson in humanity that transformed her perception of the polar regions.

After 15 years as a PONANT Expedition Leader, what are the most breathtaking experience on an Arctic expedition?

For me, the whole Arctic region is breathtaking. Watching a bear jump from ice floe to ice floe, hearing and seeing the blow of whales, discovering glaciers and gigantic icebergs. All these experiences leave a deep impression on you.

But what makes the experience with PONANT so extraordinary are the immersive experiences and activities that push guests to get involved and step out of their comfort zones. Traditional kayaking, sledging, expedition skiing. These activities reconnect passengers with nature, while the comforts of the ship always await their return.

Join PONANT for our enlightening Expedition Cruises to the Arctic and Greenland, with stops in Niko’s village of Kullorsuaq on select departures.