Traversing the Northwest Passage

Upon arriving in Toronto, check in at our group hotel near the airport. Stop by the hospitality desk to pick up your luggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team. They will provide important information about pre-embarkation procedures and the charter flight to Nuuk scheduled for tomorrow. Ensure you label your luggage tags clearly with your name and ship cabin number.

Accommodation: Westin Toronto Airport Hotel (or similar)

Make sure your luggage is properly tagged with your name and cabin number. Keep all valuables and personal items with you throughout the day. Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin prior to your arrival on board.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before boarding our charter flight to Nuuk, where the Sylvia Earle will be ready to welcome you. After boarding, take some time to get comfortable in your cabin before attending the mandatory safety briefings. This evening, you’ll have the opportunity to meet your expedition team and crew members.

After a morning of sailing, we reach Sisimiut, Greenland’s second-largest town. Situated about 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut offers the unique experience of the midnight sun during the summer. The town is renowned for its historic blue church, featuring a gate made of whale bone. Next to the church, the cozy museum showcases an impressive reconstruction of an Inuit turf house and exhibits detailing local history and early life in Greenland.

Sisimiut boasts a variety of hiking trails suitable for different skill levels. The easier trails take you through the town, its outskirts, and into the surrounding mountains, offering breathtaking views from spectacular vantage points.

Approximately 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture migrated from Canada and settled in this area, living here for around 2,000 years before mysteriously vanishing. The Dorset culture arrived around 500 CE and remained until the 1200s, after which they were succeeded by the Thule culture. Today, most residents of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.

Dubbed the 'birthplace of icebergs,' this area is renowned for producing some of the planet’s most spectacular ice formations. Embark on a hike to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord and marvel at its sheer scale. Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as Jakobshavn Glacier, is the most prolific glacier in the Northern Hemisphere, generating 20 million tonnes of ice each day. This ice flows into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. If conditions allow, you can enjoy a Zodiac cruise at the fjord’s mouth or kayak among the sea ice and icebergs. For a truly unique experience, consider an optional 90-minute helicopter flight over the icefjord.

Optional helicopter flight (90 mins): This excursion offers the exclusive opportunity to approach the enormous glacier up close. Departing from Ilulissat Airport, the 12-seater helicopter flies over hills, lakes, and ice fjords, landing on the mountain at Kangia, in the heart of the preserved area. Here, you can immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscape. On the return journey to Ilulissat, the flight passes over the glacier’s edge, offering stunning views of massive icebergs drifting in the fjord. The sight of some of the largest icebergs, which become stranded on an underwater moraine just outside the town, provides a magnificent finale to this excursion. Please note that a minimum of eight passengers is required for this excursion to operate.

This captivating island shares many characteristics with Iceland rather than Greenland. While its interior is dominated by mountains and glaciers, its stunning shorelines feature black sandy beaches, unique basalt columns, hot springs, and striking lava formations. Take a Zodiac cruise in Disko Bay, where the fascinating geology is on full display. The area is also a hotspot for marine life, including humpback, fin, minke, and bowhead whales.

Our Expedition Team experts will captivate you with insightful talks on wildlife, geology, and the legendary adventures of early explorers like Franklin and Amundsen. As we approach the coast of Baffin Island, be on the lookout for Greenland’s iconic icebergs. You might also spot whales and various seal species, including ringed and harp seals.

As we sail through inlets and fjords, you'll be surrounded by towering mountains showcasing remarkable geology. Some potential stops on our journey include Home Bay, Sillem Island, John Ford Fjord, Sam Ford Fjord, and Scott Inlet. If conditions allow, we'll go ashore at Pond Inlet, where the local community will extend a warm welcome.

Bylot Island, covered with mountains, icefields, steep cliffs, snowfields, and glaciers, provides nesting habitats for numerous thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes. This island hosts a total of 74 unique Arctic bird species. Due to its rich wildlife and diverse, beautiful landscapes, a significant portion of Bylot Island was designated as part of Sirmilik National Park in 2001. Our plan includes sailing along the coastline of Bylot Island to enjoy its stunning scenery and exceptional birdlife.

Situated nearly 75° north in latitude, we are now deep within the High Arctic. This region's nutrient-rich waters sustain a vibrant array of wildlife, earning it the nickname "wildlife super highway" of the Arctic. Devon Island, the largest uninhabited island on the planet, boasts remarkable geology with its flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys that define its unique landscape. Our planned visit to Dundas Harbour offers opportunities for walks across rolling tundra and potential birdwatching. Other destinations we hope to explore include Croker Bay and Maxwell Bay. Here, we can find the remains of an old Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost and a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post. Walruses are often spotted in these bays.

On the western edge of Devon Island lies Beechey Island, our next intended landing site. Named after Frederick William Beechey, this island is one of Canada's most significant arctic locations and is designated as a Canadian National Historic Site. The Franklin expedition of 1845–46, which sought to navigate the Northwest Passage with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, ended tragically with three of Franklin's men buried here. Beechey Island also marks the spot where Roald Amundsen landed in 1903 during the first successful ship voyage to completely traverse the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Prince Leopold Island: Located south of Lancaster Sound from Beechey Island, this historic site features towering bird cliffs where English explorer James Clark Ross overwintered in 1848 during the search for the missing Franklin expedition. It is the most important bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, with around 500,000 birds nesting in summer. Ringed seals are often seen on the sea ice, and polar bears are frequently nearby. The shallow gravel beds attract beluga whales, which come to moult each summer.

Coningham Bay: Situated across from Victoria Strait on Prince of Wales Island, this bay is a polar bear hotspot. Bears often feast on beluga whales trapped in the rocky shallows. Whale skeletons and healthy-looking polar bears are common sights.

King William Island: Remains of the Franklin expedition have been found at 35 locations here and on nearby Adelaide Peninsula. South of Cape Felix, in Victoria Strait, we hope to approach where the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were abandoned in 1848.

Our experienced expedition team will craft daily itineraries based on sea ice and weather conditions. Following the paths of Franklin and Amundsen, we'll visit historic sites and meet the resilient locals of the far north. We'll use Zodiacs to explore coastlines, bays, and hidden estuaries, enjoying vibrant autumn colors. Marvel at the 'Smoking Hills,' where sulphurous fumes rise from the earth. Where possible, we'll hike through dramatic landscapes of hills, valleys, cliffs, and canyons.

Potential Destinations:

Cambridge Bay

As a key stop and unofficial midpoint of the Northwest Passage, Cambridge Bay offers an opportunity to explore an Inuit settlement. Visit local landmarks, purchase handmade crafts, and explore ancient archaeological sites. Wildlife sightings may include caribou, musk ox, and seals, with abundant wildflowers and birds.

Johansen Bay, Edinburgh Island

Uninhabited Edinburgh Island features flowering shrubs, ochre-tinged beaches, and rich-toned cliffs. We'll take a Zodiac excursion through Johansen Bay and hike to a lookout for views of lakes, sea, and mountains, with potential sightings of caribou, reindeer, arctic foxes, hares, and peregrine falcons.

Jesse Harbour, Banks Island

Banks Island, home to 60% of the world's Lesser Snow Geese, also hosts arctic foxes, wolves, polar bears, caribou, musk ox, and more. Dramatic cliffs with colorful quartzites and ancient Precambrian rock characterize the landscape. Offshore, you may spot bowhead whales.

Smoking Hills, Franklin Bay

The Smoking Hills emit sulphurous gas, creating a fiery, multicolored spectacle caused by igniting sulphur-rich lignite. This natural wonder showcases nature's raw power and resembles an apocalyptic movie set.

Enjoy breakfast and continue your journey.