In the heart of the Arctic

You will take the train from Montreal to Ottawa. You can take your time to visit the city.

Iqaluit, at the head of Frobisher Bay, is the capital of Nunavut. It is home to a population of nearly 8,000 people. Local attractions include the Territorial Legislative Assembly, the igloo inspired St. Jude’s Cathedral, art shops and much more. The Zodiac transfer to the Ocean Endeavour will be via Iqaluit Harbour.

As you sail through this bay named after explorer Martin Frobisher, you will be on the lookout for wildlife and your geologists will show you the rocks. Expect fascinating scenery and experience the splendour of the Arctic!

Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut, referring to a marble outcrop across the bay from the community.

Art lovers may be familiar with the hamlet of Lake Harbour, home to one of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s first outposts on Baffin Island. Art has played a major role in the development of Kimmirut. This hamlet of about four hundred people is known for its ivory crafts and jewellery making. The blooming tundra makes it easy to walk around.

Kinngait was the starting point for the Inuit art market. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative was established – the oldest professional Inuit printmaking studio in Canada.

Old and new generations of outstanding artists, carvers and printmakers continue to make Kinngait a proud centre of Inuit art. You will visit studios and meet the artists on site – an opportunity to purchase exceptional work.

Today you will sail through the icy, fast moving waters of Hudson Strait. Join your expedition team on deck in search of breathtaking Arctic wildlife: polar bears, walruses, whales, seals and seabirds.

Along the Ungava Peninsula in Nunavik, you will explore an area of treeless tundra, rich in geology and flora. You will hike and cruise in a Zodiac.

Wide and shallow, Ungava Bay is a rich ecosystem that is home to a variety of wildlife, including an endangered beluga whale population and the largest number of breeding thick-billed murres in Canada. Here, you’ll use Zodiacs to explore the shoreline and any surrounding ice in the hope of seeing polar bears, walruses and other marine animals.

You will visit the uninhabited island of Akpatok, the largest island in Ungava Bay at over nine hundred square kilometres. It is named after the akpait, thick-billed murres, which nest on the ledges of Akpatok’s high cliffs.

Your staff will deepen your understanding of the Arctic as you cross the Davis Strait to Greenland. Take part in workshops, watch a documentary and get out on deck!

Have your binoculars ready to watch for minke and humpback whales, as well as the seabirds that are sure to accompany your ship.

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, bridges the gap between old and new. The old harbour has many buildings from the Danish colonial era, while contemporary Nuuk is known for its art, shopping, pubs and cafes.

The National Museum of Greenland is one of Nuuk’s many notable features; the world-famous Qilakitsoq mummies are housed here.

The complex coastal waterways of West Greenland include glaciers, islands and fjords against a backdrop of towering mountains. The waters here are relatively warm, due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location. You will explore this sublime landscape by boat and Zodiac.

Early in the morning, you will complete your overnight journey by sailing up the Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord) – a 190 kilometre long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, bisected by the Arctic Circle. Kangerlussuaq, the village at the head of the fjord, is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s main flight centre. You will go ashore by Zodiac, then take the bus to the airport for your charter flight to Toronto, Ontario.

After the city tour, a shuttle bus will take you to the airport for your return flight to Montreal.