These are expedition cruises in the truest sense of the word. Highlighting uninhabited landing sites, including some of the world’s largest and most active glaciers, along with National Parks and wildlife refuges, we explore this remote and exotic landscape with our go-anywhere zodiac boats.
Head north to explore Baffin Island’s unforgettable Auyuittuq National Park, and cross the Davis Straight to Greenland’s Iceworld. Here our Canadian Inuit guides will get a chance to meet their Greenlandic cousins, during our many stops to the country’s colourful communities.
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 12 - Among the places we may visit are:
Pangnirtung
This traditional home of the Inuit for more than 1,000 years is still a thriving community of artists renowned worldwide for their weaving and printmaking.
Kerkerten Territorial Historic Park & Auyuittuq National Park
Auyuittuq is a wilderness of mountain peaks, treeless valleys and glacial rivers, crowned by the Penny Ice Cap, a remnant of the last Ice Age. We may anchor by the rocky walls of the Pangnirtung Fiord, enjoying a BBQ on deck and lingering under the midnight sun. At Kekerten, we’ll explore untouched remnants of the Arctic’s whaling days.
Qikiqtarjuaq
The island community of Qikiqtarjuaq sits in the path of icebergs drifting southward and features a local bay home to many types of sea mammals includ ing seals, narwhals and walruses.
Isabella Bay
A recently dedicated Bowhead whale sanctuary and Canada’s first National Marine Wildlife Area. Protected by the immaculate fiords of the Bay, we’ll see why Charles Darwin described these massive mammals (they can grow nearly 65 feet – or 20 metres -- in length!) as “the most wonderful animals in the world.”
Upernavik
At a latitude of 72 degrees north, you might feel as though you are standing at the top of the world while visiting this small outpost in Western Greenland. The last stop before crossing back to Canada.
Uummannaq
Here we’ll find majestic peaks, seals, whales, and hunters that still use the dog sledge and kayak. After spending the morning in this traditional community, we can visit the caves where the best preserved human remains ever discovered in North America were found. The Greenland mummies date to about AD 1475.
Jakobshaven glacier and icefiord
Some 35 billion tonnes of icebergs calve off and pass out of the fiord every year, catching on the submerged moraine at the mouth of most fiords. We sail among the myriad of icebergs on our way to the glacier.
Ilulissat
Meaning “Icebergs” in Greenlandic, this community is 250 km north of the Arctic Circle. The nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of the picturesque Illulissat Icefiord contains one of the most active and fastest moving glaciers in the world at 62 feet (19 meters) per day and 35km3 per year. We will spend the afternoon in awe of this stunning iceworld.
Sisimiut
Greenland’s characteristically colourful wooden houses line the streets of this quaint community. We will explore the town, and stop in to see Greenland’s oldest wooden church. We can try local cuisine and be treated to cultural performances.
Monumental Island
A favourite haul-out for walrus, where polar bears are often seen patrolling for their next meal.
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.
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 polar bears.
Day 13 - Kuujjuaq
Marks the end of our northern adventure.