Expedition Nordwestpassage – Der Inbegriff von Pioniergeist

The Northwest Passage Adventure: To this day, captivating legends surround this famous sea route. The journey commences with the rarely visited Herschel Island. Depending on local conditions, you'll explore the former whaling station. With a bit of luck, you might be greeted by rough-legged hawks, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of the elusive Arctic fox. In Franklin Bay, alongside the history of the eponymous polar explorer, you will encounter the phenomenon of the Smoking Hills. These hills owe their name to pyrite-containing rock layers that have self-ignited. A Zodiac ride offers you unique perspectives on this mystical spectacle. On Victoria Island, named after the British Queen, you may be fortunate enough to observe imposing musk oxen, weighing up to 400 kg. Will you spot polar bears here as well? Look forward to astonishing insights into the lifestyle and history of the Inuit. For centuries, the area around Cambridge Bay was a summer meeting place for families of the “Copper Eskimos,” named after their copper tools. As a silent witness to the daring of Roald Amundsen, the wreck of his research ship “Maud” lay here in the ice for around 90 years before being returned to Norway in 2018. The echo of a great voice resonates on Jenny Lind Island: The island is named after a 19th-century Swedish opera singer lovingly called the “Nightingale.” Here, you may be surprised by northern residents like snow hares, Arctic foxes, and caribou. Cruising in the Victoria Strait, the dramatic landscape becomes a mirror of moving history. At the narrow entrance, the long-lost ships of the Franklin Expedition, which unsuccessfully sought the Northwest Passage in 1845, were once suspected to lie. One of these ships, the “Terror,” was located in Terror Bay in 2016, about 100 km further south than previously assumed. With your experts on board, you’ll delve into the fate and relentless courage of those who braved the elements back then. Whether your journey continues through Peel Sound will be decided by the ice – it sets the pace as the HANSEATIC inspiration safely navigates through the island labyrinth to the next destinations. Only a few ships are capable of this, requiring top-notch equipment and an experienced crew. Zodiac rides and landings in the habitats of whales, seals, and polar bears are always possible. Prince of Wales Island, for instance, invites you to a hike in pristine nature. Follow in the footsteps of former explorers on Beechey Island. A stroll to the graves of the Franklin Expedition members makes the historical significance palpable. On the largest uninhabited island on Earth, Devon Island, you are greeted by vast wilderness. An abandoned Royal Canadian Mounted Police station enhances the sense of quiet seclusion. Once the ship sets course for Greenland from Lancaster Sound, you’ve done it: You are among the few who can claim to have conquered the Northwest Passage.