Kayaker and Icebergs, Qaanaaq, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain An Inuit man hunting narwhal looks ant-size in his kayak (center-bottom) amid towering icebergs in this aerial view of a fjord near Qaanaaq, Greenland. The highly specialized and dangerous technique of harpooning narwhal from a kayak is practiced by only a handful of people in Northern Greenland. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January, 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Iceberg, Jakobshavn Fjord, Greenland, 2007
Photograph by James Balog At four miles (six kilometers) wide and several thousand feet thick Jakobshavn Isbræ disgorges icebergs like these faster than any other of Greenland's glaciers. Its output, accelerated by global warming, totals some 11 cubic miles (45 cubic kilometers) of ice each year. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Big Thaw," June 2007, National Geographic magazine)
Dogsled Team, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain Greenland dogs are descended from canines that accompanied immigrants from Siberia some 5,000 years ago. This team, driving across Greenland's Sermipaluk Glacier, is tethered to the sled with a fan hitch, a type of harness that allows each dog to pick its own way across rough and dangerous terrain. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Nighttime Igloo, Moriusaq, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain Light shines between the ice blocks of an igloo in Moriusaq, Greenland. Igloos are usually dome-shaped and are made of large slabs cut from compacted snow. A skilled native Greenlander can build one in just a couple of hours. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Boats at Sunset, Kangerluk Fjord, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain The day's last light illuminates the boats and tents of narwhal hunters on Greenland's Kangerluk Fjord. Narwhals come to Greenland's fjords in July and August to calve and feed. Landing these elusive tusked whales presents extreme dangers for Greenlanders, whose low-riding kayaks can easily capsize in the process. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Iceberg With Meltwater Pool, Jakobshavn Fjord, Greenland, 2007
Photograph by James Balog Icebergs, including one with a sapphire pool of meltwater, clutter Greenland's Jakobshavn Fjord near the village of Ilulissat. The glacier that produced this flotilla has receded some four miles (six kilometers) since the year 2000. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Big Thaw," June 2007, National Geographic magazine)
Tundra Village, Moriusaq, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain The tiny village of Moriusaq stands on the frozen landscape of northwest Greenland. The sea ice near this settlement used to be thick enough to travel and hunt on for hundreds of miles for up to ten months. Recently though, climate change has reduced this crucial window to just a few weeks each year. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Child on Swing, Siorapaluk, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain A flawless blue Arctic sky frames a child swinging in Siorapaluk, Greenland, the northernmost permanent settlement in the world. During the past few decades, temperatures have risen in Greenland by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit—twice the global average—and the island's massive ice sheet is melting faster than at any time during the past 50 years, pushing the Arctic ecosystem into collapse. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
Pair of Huskie Pups, Herbert Island, Greenland, 2006
Photograph by David McLain These young pups on Herbert Island, Greenland, will grow up to be powerful, thick-furred sled dogs conditioned to survive long periods of exertion in subzero temperatures. A hardy breed descended from canines that accompanied immigrants who traveled from Siberia to Greenland some 5,000 years ago, Greenland dogs pull sleds that weigh upwards of a thousand pounds (450 kilograms) in temperatures near minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 57 degrees Celsius). (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Last Days of the Ice Hunters," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
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