Baffin & Greenland and Solar Eclipse



13 Day Itinerary

Ship: Akademik Ioffe


During this 13-day active adventure from Iqaluit to Resolute, via Greenland, we intend to position the ship on August 1, to afford a view of a total solar eclipse. En route, optional kayaking will be available. We`ll cruise in Zodiacs along the base of bird cliffs and hike tundra carpeted hills.

Expedition Summary
Day 1 Embarkation: Iqaluit
Day 2 Monumental Island
Day 3 Pangnirtung, Baffin Island
Day 4 Davis Strait
Day 5-7 From Sisimiut to Uummannaq, Greenland
Day 8-9 Baffin Bay
Day 10 Devon Island and Somerset Island
Day 11 Prince Leopold and Devon Islands
Day 12 Beechey Island
Day 13 Disembarkation: Resolute

You’ll sail about 2075 nautical miles from Iqaluit to Resolute!

Map courtesy of Quark Expeditions


Itinerary

PLEASE NOTE
All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.




Day 1  Embarkation: Iqaluit
You can add charter air transportation from Ottawa to Iqaluit to your package. If you do so, a transfer from a pre-arranged location in Ottawa to the airport is included.

Day 2  Monumental Island
If there is pack ice near the island, then we’ll be on the alert for walrus and polar bear. The survival of both marine mammals depends on the presence of pack ice.

Day 3  Pangnirtung, Baffin Island
Inuit art is coveted by art collectors around the world. Our exploration of “Pang” includes a visit to the Artists’ Co-op to learn the importance of print-making and weaving to the local economy.

Pangnirtung is the only community on the shores of Cumberland Sound, which is about 250 km (155 miles) long and 80 km (49 miles) wide. Belugas and orcas frequent the massive sound, so we’ll be keeping watch.

Day 4  Davis Strait
Our Adventure Ship will sail across Davis Strait to Greenland. En route, we will cross the Arctic Circle to enter a world of virtually continuous daylight.

Some of the deepest waters in the Eastern Arctic are in southern Davis Strait, which is name for John Davis, who explored the area nearly 425 years ago.

Days 5-7  From Sisimiut to Uummannaq, Greenland
Perhaps the most significant difference between the Canadian Arctic and Greenland is the production of icebergs. More are produced in Greenland than any other area in the Arctic.

Ilulissat – Greenlandic for iceberg – one of the island’s most productive icefjords has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We plan to explore the town at the head of the fjord as well as cruise among the icebergs.

Days 8-9  Baffin Bay
While we sail to Greenland via Baffin Bay our Expedition Team will deliver illustrated presentations about Arctic wildlife, its indigenous peoples, and the life cycle of ice.

Days 10-11  Devon Island and Solar Eclipse
At Dundas Harbour, we will explore an abandoned Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost, nestled among tundra covered hills.

The Expedition Leader will be reviewing charts and weather reports to identify the best location to view the solar eclipse. According to NASA, the event should occur August 1, 2008 at 04:20. Our goal will be to go ashore on the northeastern tip of Somerset Island, near Port Leopold. From there we hope to get an excellent northerly view of the eclipse. The event should occur just above the horizon, northwest of Port Leopold

Following the eclipse and a morning nap, we will visit Prince Leopold Island’s towering limestone cliffs. They are renowned as a breeding ground for many species of Arctic seabirds. If the conditions are right, we’ll see thousands of birds in flight or at rest on the cliffs.

Day 12  Beechey Island
In 1845, three members of Sir John Franklin’s expedition in search of the Northwest Passage died on Beechey Island. Their grave markers are silent reminders of the sacrifice explorers made to find the northern sea route to the Orient.

Day 13  Disembarkation: Resolute
We offer optional charter air transportation between Ottawa and Resolute. If you include the optional airfare in your package price, we’ll transfer you to the airport from a pre-determined departure point.

Photograph by Pete Morris/Birdquest

We'll be hoping for a sighting of the magnificent Polar Bear.


CRUISE DATES & PRICES


Photograph by PeteMorris/Birdquest

Arctic birds, such as Thick-billed Murre, are common sights.

   
email: crew@oceanadventures.co.uk   tel: 01254 826116 (international: +44 1254 826116)   |   Booking Conditions  |  Contact Us
Bottom Graphic