TRAVERSING THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Sylvia Earle

Greg Mortimer

Day 1 Toronto, Canada

Having made your way to Toronto Airport, check-in at Westin Toronto Airport Hotel for an overnight stay. At our welcome briefing this evening, enjoy a drink and meet fellow expeditioners. A representative from Aurora Expeditions will provide you with important information about biosecurity and also about the charter flight to Kangerlussuaq tomorrow.

Day 2 Nuuk

After breakfast at the hotel, board a charter flight to Nuuk, Greenland, where your vessel awaits. After boarding, there is time to settle into your cabin before  meeting your expedition team and crew at the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

Day 3 Sisimiut, Greenland

Greenland’s second largest town, Sisimiut is located approximately 54 kilometres (33.5 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, meaning that during summer, you can experience the midnight sun here. The town is famous for the old blue church with the gate made of whale bone. In the cosy museum next door to the church, you will find an excellent reconstruction of an Inuit turf house as well as exhibits of local history and early life in Greenland.

Sisimiut offers hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty. The easier trails take you through the town itself, its outskirts and into the mountains, where you will find spectacular vantage points.

Approximately 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture arrived from Canada and settled in the area. They lived here for approximately 2,000 years, after which they mysteriously disappeared from the area. The Dorset culture arrived around 500 CE and stayed until the 1200s until they were replaced by the Thule culture, and today, the majority of the population of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.

Day 4 Ilulissat, Greenland

Known as the ‘birthplace of icebergs’, this region produces some of the most dazzling icebergs found anywhere in the Arctic. Hike past the husky sledge dogs to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord and stand in awe of its immensity. Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as Jakobshavn Glacier, is the most productive glacier – not only in Greenland but the entire Northern Hemisphere. It produces 20 million tonnes of ice each day, all floating into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. Conditions permitting, enjoy a Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord and kayak through sea ice and icebergs. An optional 90-minute helicopter flight over the icefjord is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Days 5 – 7  Northwest Greenland

Explore the northern stretches of West Greenland, home to traditional settlements and enormous icebergs that Greenland is famous for. Possibilities include Zodiac cruises, hikes and a visit to one of the small communities that are dotted along the coast. Kayakers can enjoy paddling among the icebergs and keeping watch for whales that frequent the area.

Day 8 At Sea

Our team of experts entertain us with informative talks about wildlife, geology and epic tales of early explorers such as Franklin and Amundsen.

Day 9 Pond Inlet, Canada

The picturesque hamlet of Pond Inlet, overlooking Eclipse Sound, is surrounded by scenic mountain ranges and numerous glaciers and fjords.

As you step ashore, you’ll be greeted by the warm hospitality of the local Inuit, whose deep connection to the land is evident in their culture and lifestyle. Immerse yourself in their traditions through engaging cultural encounters and gain insights into their unique perspective on life in the Arctic.

Days 10-12 Devon Island, Lancaster Sound

At a latitude of almost 75° degrees north, we are now truly in the High Arctic. Here, nutrient-rich waters support an abundance of wildlife, giving the area the moniker ‘wildlife superhighway’ of the Arctic. Devon Island (Tallurutit) is the largest uninhabited island on Earth and features stunning geology, with flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys giving Devon Island its unique character. We hope to visit Dundas Harbour to enjoy offers walks on undulating tundra, and perhaps some birdwatching. A dilapidated Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost and remnants of a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post can be found here. In the bay, walruses are often present. Other possible places that we might visit include Croker Bay and Maxwell Bay.

At the western end of Devon Island lies Beechey Island (Iluvilik), where we plan to land. Named after Frederick William Beechey, the island is a designated Canadian National Historic Site. Roald Amundsen landed at Beechey Island in 1903, during the first successful voyage by ship to fully transit the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Radstock Bay nearby offers captivating contrast to the open sea, disembark via Zodiac onto a beach strewn with remnants of the past. Explore the ruins of a Thule village nestled beneath the imposing Caswell Tower, where well preserved stone dwellings coexist with artifacts from later explorers.

Days 13-17  Prince Leopold Island, Cunningham Inlet, King William Island, Canada

Prince Leopold Island, Port Leopold on the southern side of Lancaster Sound opposite Beechey Island lie the towering bird cliffs of Prince Leopold Island— the most important bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, with approximately 500,000 birds nesting pairs here in summer. Ringed seals are often spotted on the sea ice. Nearby Port Leopold is a historic site where British explorer James Clark Ross wintered in 1848 while searching for the missing Franklin expedition.  The shallow gravel beds attract beluga whales, which come to moult in this part of the Arctic each summer.

We hope to visit an Inuit site inhabited by bowhead whale hunters during the 15th and 16th centuries. The remains of over 100 bowheads are scattered across the village and beach, a testament to the community’s reliance on this marine giant. The cliff face behind the site holds community burial grounds, while caches, kayak, and umiak stands line the shore. This remarkable site offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of these Inuit families, who worked cooperatively to hunt bowhead whales for sustenance and building materials. It’s an extraordinary privilege to experience this piece of history firsthand.

Point Zenith, a rocky promontory jutting into the ocean, offers breathtaking panoramic views. Stepping ashore, you’ll feel a profound sense of isolation and wonder.

In 1859, a Franklin expedition tent camp was discovered at Cape Felix. Remains attributed to the Franklin expedition have been found at 35 different locations on King William Island and on nearby Adelaide Peninsula. South of Cape Felix, in Victoria Strait, we hope to visit Victory Point and get close to where the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were abandoned in 1848.

The administrative and transportation hub of the region, Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq) is the largest stop for passenger and research vessels traversing the Northwest Passage and unofficially marks the midpoint for voyages of the Northwest Passage. Zodiac ashore for an exploration of this Inuit settlement located in the high arctic.

Days 18-22 Coronation and Amundsen Gulfs

Our experienced expedition team create your day-by-day itineraries based on sea ice and weather conditions. Apart from Franklin, other heroic explorers including Amundsen explored this territory, and we may visit the same places as early explorers.

Some of the places in the area that we may visit:

Johansen Bay, Edinburgh Island (Egloovikan) to enjoy a Zodiac excursion within an estuary of at the northeast end of Johansen Bay and up the river towards the lake. Wildlife including caribous, reindeer, arctic foxes, hares and peregrine falcons frequent the area.

Nearby, Edinburgh Island (Egloovikan) is a small and uninhabited island in Canada’s Nunavut region. The scenery consists of colourful flowering shrubs, beaches tinged in stunning ochres, while the surrounding cliffs shaded in rich, deep tones. A walk to a lookout overlooking the lake offers spectacular views over lakes, sea and mountains.

Port Epworth (Kugluktoalok) is the Tree River area on the mainland – also known a Port Epworth – provides a spectacular backdrop, with its river and shallow lakes, striking sedimentary rock outcrops, and bright autumnal colours of tundra. This area is also known for its stromatolites – the petrified remains of ancient mounds of algae, formed some two billion years ago by the same microorganisms responsible for producing the oxygen we breathe today.

Smoking Hills (Ingniryuat), Franklin Bay in Canada’s Northwest Territories have been smouldering, sending plumes of gas across the landscape, for centuries. Technically sea cliffs, you would be forgiven for thinking that the multicoloured fiery natural phenomenon is the set to an apocalyptic movie depicting the end of the world. The smoke is caused by layers of combustible, sulphur-rich lignite (brown coal) that ignites and emit sulphurous gas into the air, when exposed to erosion and landslides, which also creates a dazzling colouration of the rocks.

Days 23-25 Beaufort Sea

Excitement builds as we sail the Beaufort Sea. Whether you are out on deck or in the comfort of one of the observation lounges, watch as the captain navigates our state-of-the-art vessel through these waterways, which are frozen for most of the year. Keep a close watch for wildlife including Beluga whales and polar bears that are often seen here.

Cruising further west, we hope to Zodiac cruise (subject to permitting) to Herschel Island. This historic island, inhabited by the Thule people for over a millennium, was first charted by Sir John Franklin in 1825. It later transformed into a bustling whaling station during the late 19th century, supporting a winter community of hundreds and a fleet of ships. However, the industry’s decline in the early 20th century led to the island’s gradual abandonment. Today, protected as a territorial park, Herschel Island offers a unique glimpse into the region’s rich history and stunning Arctic wilderness.

At Prudhoe Bay, we farewell Canada and enter the United States.

Days 26 and 27 Chukchi Sea and Bering Strait

As we sail westwards to Nome, along the northern coast of Alaska to where the U.S and Russia are only 100 kms apart, separated by the Bering Sea, there is ample time to reflect on our adventures while scanning the water for marine life. Share, edit and submit pictures in our photo competition and attend final lectures from our team of onboard experts. We hope to get permission to ship cruise close by Point Hope, Little Diomede and King islands in Alaska.

Day 28 Disembark in Nome, fly to Anchorage

During the early morning, we cruise into Nome and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell your Expedition Team before transfer to the airport for a charter flight to Anchorage for an overnight stay.

Day 29 Anchorage

Transfer to the airport for your onward journey.