Location E Greenland Basin countries Greenland Max. width 2.1 km (1.3 mi) Ocean/sea source Atlantic Ocean | Ocean/sea sources North Atlantic Ocean Max. length 6.8 km (4.2 mi) Settlements Uninhabited | |
 | ||
Tuttilik (old spelling Tugtilik), also known as Lake Fjord, is a fjord in Sermersooq municipality, southeastern Greenland.
Contents
Tundra climate prevails in the region of the fjord, the average annual temperature in the area being -6 °C. The warmest month is July when the average temperature rises to 2 °C and the coldest is January with -15 °C. The fjord is free of ice between July and October in average years.
History
Following the success of his British Arctic Air Route Expedition of 1930–31, Gino Watkins returned to Greenland in 1932 on the East Greenland Expedition to continue the exploration work with a smaller team. On 20 August he would die in this fjord after he went hunting for seals in its waters. Later that day his empty kayak was found floating upside down by his companions. His body was never found.
A monument to Watkins stands on the southern entrance point of a short tributary fjord that extends about 3 km west from the head of the fjord. The hunting hut of the 1932-33 East Greenland Expedition still stands near this point.
Geography
Tuttilik is a small fjord of the King Christian IX Land coast located east of Nigertuluk Fjord and south of the large Southern K.J.V. Steenstrup Glacier.
It extends in a roughly north/south direction for about 7 km. The basin inside the fjord has steep mountains on both sides and the terminus of the glacier at the head of the fjord forms a 30 m high wall of ice. A 4 km long tributary fjord of the same width branches from the western shore of the main fjord about 2 km from the mouth. Watkins gave the name 'Lake Fjord' to the place after a 4 km long lake that lies a little inland to the west of the head of this branch.
To the south the fjord opens into the North Atlantic Ocean near Cape Wandel. Ailsa Island lies on the eastern side of the fjord.