Cinzia Mucciante

Polar Travel Specialist

In August 2016, I fulfilled a long held wish to visit the High Arctic; joining the expedition vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov on a 10-night voyage, starting in Iqaluit – Canada. From there, my voyage explored the wild and remote coastline of southern Baffin Island, before crossing to the ice filled waters of western Greenland. We start the journey with a three hour flight from Canada’s elegant capital city of Ottawa to Iqualit in the Canadian high Arctic. It’s not long before I’ve donned all my warm clothing and climbed into a zodiac (which soon becomes part of our daily routine for exploring). On one of my first zodiac cruises we witnessed thousands of Harp seals laid out on a large ice flow – according to one of naturalist guides this was a rare occurrence. Not only was it rare it was also good news with regards to
the chance of seeing Polar bear. After many hours of searching, finally, in the distance, my very first polar bear! Sightings apparently vary from trip to trip (and I have to admit I was a little envious when I heard the next voyage got to see 10 bears). After our incredible day of navigation, the encounter with the seals and polar bear.

The ship becomes a floating ‘wilderness lodge’ (whilst it’s not luxurious, the cabins are comfortable and warm). The guides are excellent providing just the right amount of information, education
and interpretation. A great menu is prepared by an experienced team of chefs in the galley. The ‘expedition’ really refers to more time being spent off the ship – exploring.

If you would like to find out more about this voyage, and others like it (including the celebrated North West Passage) – please call to discuss your plans and ideas.

Places Visited

Canada: Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Monumental Island, Davis Strait, Cumberland Sound

Greenland: Sunneshine Fjord, Illulisat, Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier, Kangerlussuaq

Ship – Akademik Sergey Vavilov

Read about Cinzia’s experiences in the High Arctic: