[1] Owing to this smoothness, Umivik Bay was chosen as launching point for westward overland crossings, including the pioneering 1888 Greenland venture by Fridtjof Nansen.

It includes a sound and a fjord and has a few large islands, the largest of which is Upernattivik (Upernarsuak) lying squarely in the middle of the inner part of the bay.

When the autumn and winter approach, they choose a good site and build a winter-house, continuing their journey in the spring or summer as soon as the ice permits.

[5] However, there followed days of extreme frustration for the party as, prevented by weather and sea conditions from reaching the shore, they drifted southwards with the ice.

On the first day they encountered a large Eskimo encampment near Cape Steen Bille,[7] and there were further occasional contacts with the nomadic native population as the journey continued.

On 11 August, when they had covered about 200 kilometres (120 mi) and had reached Umivik Bay, Nansen decided that although they were still far south of his intended starting place, they needed to begin the crossing before the season became too advanced for travel.