‘Beached whales’, Hullet

These are stranded icebergs that have broken off a nearby glacier. Each year, a glacial lake forms behind an ice dam, with recently calved icebergs floating in it. Eventually the dam breaks and after the lake has drained the icebergs are left behind. These mammoth chunks will slowly melt until the lake begins to refill again later in the year.

Viking ruins in Igaliku

Garðar (known as Igaliku today) was founded in around 1124 and abandoned in the 15th century. The last written record for the settlement dates back to 1408 in connection with a wedding that took place at a church called Hvalsey – a site also available on Google Street View. Some of the stones quarried by the Vikings have taken on a second life in the walls and foundations of village buildings, including a church and several houses.

Igaliku

The modern settlement (population 27) was founded in 1783 by Norwegian/Danish trader and administrator Anders Olsen and his Greenlander wife Tuperna.

Mount Illerfissavik

A spectacular view from Mount Illerfissavik, taken at 1,760 metres above sea level. The mountain rises above the tiny peninsula settlement of Igaliku by Tunulliarfik Fjord.

Approaching the hot springs

The Uunartoq hot springs are marked only by a tiny jetty and a changing cubicle (out of shot).

Aurora borealis seen from Igaliku

The northern lights are regularly seen from Igaliku.

Expedition helicopter at the foot of a glacier

The land where Coster-Waldau is walking was covered by a glacier in previous years, an indication of the rate the ice is retreating.

Throne ranger

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is the first celebrity to capture Street View imagery for Google. In a blog about his trip he writes: ‘We have a responsibility to protect this beautiful planet we live on, and I’m starting at my own front door. But everywhere and everyone is vulnerable to the effects of our warming planet. Let’s band together and do something about it – learn about global efforts to combat climate change and discover ways to take action.”