NORTHWEST PASSAGE: THE LEGENDARY ARCTIC SEA ROUTE  

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Day 1 Reykjavik

Day 2 Reykjavik to Nuuk, Greenland

In the morning after breakfast, guests and their luggage will be transferred to the airport for their charter flight to the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk. This picturesque city of 17,000 is situated on a fjord with the Sermitsiaq mountain in the background. Depending on the final timing of your charter flights, you may have an opportunity to explore Nuuk upon arrival in Greenland, or may transfer directly to your ship.

Day 3 At Sea

Days 4 – 5 East Coast of Baffin Island, Canada

Head to Qikiqtarjuaq, fondly called Qik, a small Inuit hamlet located north of the Arctic Circle on Broughton Island, off the east coast of Baffin Island. Known as the iceberg capital of Nunavut, Qikiqtarjuaq sits at the northern entrance to the mountainous Auyuittuq National Park, which is home to narwhals, bowhead and orca whales, polar bears, seals and migratory birds. Community visits, arranged in collaboration with local partners, enable guests to learn about on-the-ground culture, and purchase traditional handicrafts, such as parkas, boots and local art when available.

As icebergs travel down the Davis Strait, many are naturally trapped at Qikiqtarjuaq. The surrounding waters are also home to ringed and harp seals, often surfacing between floes. A hike up to the hilltop offers sweeping views of the community and its coastal setting.

Cruising further north along the mountainous east shore of Baffin Island, approach Isabella Bay, an important summer and fall feeding area for the largest concentration of bowhead whales in Canada. Bowheads are a truly remarkable Arctic leviathan, with research suggesting they can live more than 200 years – making them the longest-lived mammal on Earth. Aim to launch the Zodiacs and explore the bay, binoculars at the ready.

Day 6 Baffin Island

This is an especially exciting day as you become one of the very few travellers to explore the majestic Icy Arm Fjord, which cuts almost 80 kilometres deep into northern Bafffin Island. Accessible only by water in summer months when the sea ice recedes, this rarely-visited fjord is known for its unrivalled landscape of towering cliffs and stunning glaciers, and is valued as much for its sheer remoteness as it is for its singularly pristine environment. Icy Arm Fjord epitomises the raw beauty of unspoiled Arctic wilderness. You may observe polar bears, Arctic foxes, seals, walruses, as well as guillemots, kittiwakes and other Arctic-dwelling birds. Day 6 is also an exciting day because Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters will be made ready for flightseeing excursions. Prepare to view the remote Arctic terrain from the seat of a helicopter – camera at the ready. It’s also an excellent day for Zodiac cruises, which offer guests a sea-level intimacy with the surrounding lands and waters. If weather conditions prevent heli-flightseeing on this day, another potential flight seeing opportunity will be organised at a different location.

Days 7 – 9 Northwest Passage

At the top of Baffin Island sits Tallurutiup-Imanga (also known as Lancaster Sound), a true Arctic oasis. Known by the Inuit and their predecessors for thousands of years, this channel and the surrounding lands are extremely rich in wildlife and history, both indigenous and European. The surrounding area affords several hiking opportunities. At Dundas Harbour, on Devon Island, visit an abandoned beachside outpost of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At Croker Bay, cruise close enough to appreciate the splendour of glacial textures and calving ice, while always keeping a safe distance. Walrus frequent the waters here, so be sure to have your camera handy.

Next, head to the western end of Devon Island, on the north side of Tallurutiup-Imanga, and go ashore at windswept Beechey Island, which is home to Beechey Island National Historic Sites. Maintained by Parks Canada, these sites tell the story of Sir John Franklin’s much chronicled 1845-46 expedition to explore the Northwest Passage. The island is small, only 2.5 kilometres at its widest point, but its shores are steep, and rise to a flat plateau 244 metres high. That’s where Franklin and his crew of 128 men spent the winter after embarking from England on two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The ill-fated 1845-46 expedition ended in tragedy for all 129 men and their two vessels. What happened to Franklin and his crew is the stuff of legend, and the focus for several search expeditions over the years. Accounts by Inuit suggest the crew split up into small groups and subsequently perished. What is known for certain is that no one survived. The graves of three officers from HMS Erebuswere discovered in 1851. You will have an opportunity to visit their graves, and honour the memory of the entire Franklin crew.

Explore the shores of the uninhabited Prince Leopold Island, known primarily as a significant Migratory Bird Sanctuary and an Important Bird Area. Launch the Zodiacs for an immersive cruise at the foot of the bird cliffs. The island is renowned for its steep cliffs that host hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds, including thick-billed murres, northern fulmars, and black guillemots during the summer months. Port Leopold, an abandoned Hudson’s Bay Company trading post dating back to 1937, sits on the northeast tip of nearby Somerset Island. This site is closely tied to the history of Arctic exploration, including the search for the Franklin Expedition. Visitors can still see the remains of the original trading post, including the old store and the manager’s home.

Day 10 At Sea

As the ship positions from Lancaster Sound down along the east coast of Baffin Island, spend time out on deck to soak in the scenery: expansive landscapes, jagged spires, and bird life. Today is also ideal to enjoy the onboard amenities and deepen your knowledge through presentations by the polar experts.

Day 11 Sam Ford Fjord

Well inside the Arctic Circle, Sam Ford Fjord is a standout Arctic adventure destination on Baffin Island’s northeast coast, and one of the world’s most spectacular big-wall playgrounds. A traditional Inuit hunting area, the fjord is a study in contrasts: sheer granite cliffs seem to rise straight up from the ocean below, reaching up to 457 metres above sea level. If heli-flightseeing has not yet been possible on this voyage, today may offer another opportunity to experience this impressive landscape from the air aboard the twin-engine helicopters. With a bit of luck, you may see Arctic fox onshore, and keep your eyes peeled for polar bears during the off-shore excursions. Winding along a 110- kilometre path, Sam Ford Fjord narrows to less than 3 kilometres wide as it meanders farther inland.

Day 12 At Sea

As the Ultramarine continues eastward across the Davis Strait, you’ll have a choice of presentations by the polar experts, who will share insights that bring greater meaning to the experiences so far and set the stage for our time in West Greenland.

Days 13 – 15 West Greenland

Prepare yourself for an awe-inspiring experience. Ilulissat, located in Disko Bay, is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Icefjord, which is the thoroughfare for countless icebergs calved from one of the world’s fastest-moving glaciers, Sermeq Kujalleq. Locals have constructed a boardwalk leading to an elevated overlook, where you can view bergs of all sizes spread out before you. You will also notice the Arctic cotton grass and summer wildflowers thriving in the long daylight hours.

The town itself is well worth exploring, and has become one of Greenland’s top destinations. Recent years have brought growth – colourful homes now sit beside new restaurants, boutique hotels and small businesses. History buffs will be excited to know Ilulissat is the birthplace of Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen, who travelled by dog sled from Greenland to Alaska (and briefly Siberia) during the Fifth Thule Expedition (1921–1924). As you approach town, watch out for whales, which frequent the iceberg-laden waters.

Pride of place for your seasoned expedition team is Eternity Fjord, which is home to the tallest mountains in all of West Greenland. This a favourite spot to launch the Zodiacs to explore in-depth, where larger vessels can’t navigate. There are few settlements along this lengthy fjord, but you will quickly appreciate nature in its rawest form as you hike among the towering mountains, and photograph the colourful tundra and other dramatic landscapes.

Another fascinating highlight is Maniitsoq, often called the “Venice of Greenland,” as it’s situated in an archipelago intersected by natural canals. Soaring, snow-capped mountains surround this small, rocky town, whose name means “the uneven place.” Playful humpback whales spend the summer in the surrounding waters, so keep your eyes peeled as you transit ashore by Zodiac.

Day 16 Kangerlussuaq to Reykjavik, Iceland

Today explore 50 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. The destination is Kangerlussuaq, which is Greenlandic for “the long fjord.” At the end of this 180-kilometre fjord is a settlement bearing the same name. Fishing boats based in the town of Kangerlussuaq sail the full length of the fjord to access the ocean. The town is known for its natural beauty and for previously being the home of the largest airport in Greenland. You will be ferried from ship to shore on one last Zodiac ride, then transferred to the airport where you will board your charter flight to Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport, approximately 45 minutes from Reykjavik. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to your included hotel for the night, which is part of the Charter Flight & Hotel package.

Day 17 Reykjavik

After breakfast in your included hotel in Reykjavik, you can transfer independently to the Keflavik International Airport for your onward journey or explore Iceland as prearranged.