The Arctic is alive with exotic wildlife, and this expedition is the best way to see it. Join us in the quest to meet the Arctic’s Big 5 – walrus, caribou, muskoxen, whales, and the great white polar bear. This expedition is a busy one, with visits to communities steeped in history and culture – including Cape Dorset, the Inuit art capital of the world – and to sites virtually untouched for thousands of years. With such a variety of excursions and peak summer weather – long days, blooming tundra flowers and usually calm, warm weather we recommend this trip as the best way to experience the Arctic for the first time.
Day 1 - Kuujjuaq
The community’s name means “Great River” in Inuktitut. After a brief town tour and buffet lunch, we transfer to our ship and prepare for our expedition.
Day 2 through 9 - Among the places we may visit are:
Akpatok Island
An uninhabited island of soaring bird cliffs, the world’s largest thick-billed murre colony, and small rocky beaches. Here we’ll use our zodiacs to scout the beaches in search of walrus and polar bears.
Quaqtaq & Diana Island
At the northern tip of a peninsula jutting into Hudson Strait, Quaqtaq lies directly in the path of migrating marine mammals. On nearby Diana Island, herds of muskox roam the island amid fields of wildflowers and thick beds of soft lichen.
Kangiqsujuaq
Passing through a deep fiord with steep rocky walls, we anchor in the community of Kangiqsujuaq (Wakeham Bay) Here we may feast on locally harvested foods and enjoy performances of traditional Inuit throat-singing and drum-dancing.
Digges Island & Mansel Island
It is at Digges Island where Henry Hudson first encountered native Inuit. Mansel Island is a favourite place for walrus and polar bear.
Walrus Island
This small, rocky outcrop in the northern reaches of Hudson Bay is a favourite haul-out for hundreds of walrus. We zodiac the shores and marvel at the size and number of these massive creatures with their gleaming ivory tusks, so awkward on land but agile in the water.
Cape Dorset & Mallikjuak Territorial Park
Cape Dorset is widely known as the Inuit art capital of the world. We’ll take time to enjoy the artists’ creations – scrimshaw, fine soapstone carvings, stonecut printing, lithographic printmaking, etching and sculpting. At nearby Mallikjuaq Island we can explore archaeological sites dating back three millennia.
Kimmirut & Katannilik Territorial Park
We hike along the shores of Soper Lake and picnic beside the emerald-green waters of Soper River. We’ll visit the quaint community of Kimmirut for demonstrations of soapstone carving and stencil printmaking.
Nannuk Harbour
A magnificent fjord beneath towering rust-coloured cliffs. Chances of polar bear sightings and icebergs.
Lower Savage Islands
Just off Baffin Island are the unexplored Savage Islands, where we will search for relics from the Palaeo-Eskimo people – ancestors of the Inuit. The region is rich in marine life, so we may spot seals, whales, and even polar bears.
Day 10 - Iqaluit. A day sail up the storied Frobisher Bay to our anchorage just outside Nunavut’s capital of Iqaluit marks the end of our northern adventure.