No, they are not walking on water. But it would seem so at a first glance at this image from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).

The sled dogs are actually wading through ankle-deep water on top of a melting ice sheet in a fjord in Greenland's north-west.

Climate scientist Ruth Mottram told The Guardian that the ice in the area is often very thick in winter, which means there are relatively few fractures for meltwater to drain through.

But the rapidly melting sea ice has made it hazardous for research teams that have to travel over these icy fjords to retrieve their oceanographic moorings and weather station equipment.

Mr Steffen Olsen, who took the photograph and is from DMI's Centre for Ocean and Ice, tweeted that his team had to rely on traditional knowledge from local hunters and their dogs as they searched for dry spots on the ice. The team also used satellite images to plan the trip.