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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.
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