ITINERARY
Northwest Passage Brochure:
https://brochures.quarkexpeditions.com/view/833425671/
Day 1 Arrive in Toronto,
Canada
Your Arctic expedition begins in Toronto. Explore this vibrant city on
your own before spending the night enjoying the comfort and amenities
of your designated hotel.
Day 2 Fly to
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and Embark
After breakfast, board your charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, a small
community nestled deep inside a 118 mile (190 km) long fjord. Enjoy
your first Zodiac ride as you’re transferred from shore to
ship. Out on deck, take in your new surroundings before you set sail on
your Arctic adventure.
Days 3 and 4 Exploring
West Greenland
Cruising around the remote regions of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic
aboard Ultramarine, the newest ship in our fleet, you’ll
navigate the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated
legendary explorers of long ago. Designed to give polar adventurers
unprecedented access to the hardest- to-reach places on the
planet—and equipped with two onboard twin-engine helicopters
for unparalleled access to areas only Quark Expeditions can bring
you—this one-of-a-kind ship will take you beyond the familiar
in polar exploration. Throughout your journey, your Expedition Team
will keep an eye toward immersing you in the best the Arctic has to
offer at the top of the world. Locals call Maniitsoq the Venice of
Greenland, as it’s situated in an archipelago intersected by
natural canals. Soaring, snow-capped mountains surround the small,
rocky town, whose name means “the uneven place.”
Playful humpback whales spend summer in the waters around here.
The Greenlandic capital of Nuuk is a haven for history and culture
lovers. See for yourself the unique and thriving culture of
contemporary Greenland that mingles the ancient with the modern in
surprising and wonderful ways. Stroll down to the waterfront to see the
Hans Egede Church and Hans Egede statue, named for the missionary who
established the settlement in 1728. Marvel at the famous remains of
500-year-old fully dressed mummies, discovered under a rock outcrop in
1972 by two brothers out hunting, at the Greenland National Museum. The
Nuuk Art Museum and Katuaq Culture Centre are also worth visiting.
Day 5 Cruising
Say goodbye to Greenland’s shores as you traverse the Davis
Strait in pursuit of the Canadian Arctic. Presentations by on-board
experts will prepare you for the adventures that lie ahead.
Days 6 to 15 Exploring
Canada's High Arctic
Visit towering fjords, historical sites and Inuit communities as you
follow in the footsteps of famous explorers from long ago in the
Canadian High Arctic.
The picturesque Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung is nestled beneath the
jagged peaks of Mount Duval. An artist’s hub, Pang is
renowned for its traditional Inuit arts and crafts, especially
lithographs and intricate tapestries. At the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts
& Crafts, watch craftspeople in the tapestry studio if
they’re working and pick up a limited-edition print. A must
for visitors, a colorful Pang hat will keep you warm during the
remainder of your Arctic voyage. You might visit nearby Kekerten, an
uninhabited island that was a major whaling destination in the 1800s.
At the southern tip of the Cumberland Sound, Cape Mercy was named by
British explorer John Davis (yes, he of the Davis Strait), who sailed
through it in 1585. This is the site of an old Distant Early Warning
Line installation, dating back to the Cold War. These and many other
stations were set up to detect Soviet bombers. It’s an ideal
spot to go ashore for a hike.
As icebergs travel down the Davis Strait, they’re naturally
trapped at Qikiqtarjuaq (formerly known as Broughton Island). The icy
waters here are also home to ring and harp seals. A hike up to the
hilltop inuksuk rewards with spectacular views of the community.
Inuksuks are stone figures or cairns that traditionally call attention
to the location for navigation, abundant harvesting or spiritual
significance.
Cruising further north along the mountainous east shore of Baffin
Island, we’ll approach Isabella Bay, an important summer and
fall feeding area for the largest concentration of bowhead whales in
Canada. Bowheads are a truly a remarkable arctic leviathan that
research has revealed may live more than 200 years of age - the oldest
mammal.
At the northern tip of Baffin Island, near the eastern entrance to the
Northwest Passage, is the Inuit hamlet of Pond Inlet, surrounded by
scenic mountains, fjords, glaciers and icebergs. Many in the community
still follow a nomadic lifestyle and hunt for their food.
At the top of Baffin Island sits 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 area around Lancaster Sound affords several hiking opportunities.
At Dundas Harbour, on Devon Island, you’ll visit an abandoned
beachside outpost of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At nearby
Croker Bay, cruise in a Zodiac (at a safe distance) along the face of
an actively calving glacier. Your Expedition Team will also keep its
eyes peeled for walrus that are known to visit the bay. Farther west,
some of the best ancient Thule remains in the Arctic are at Radstock
Bay, beside the soaring Caswell Towers.
At the western end of Devon Island, the windswept Beechey Island is
steeped in history. Named after famed British explorer Frederick
William Beechey, it’s a Canadian National Historic Site.
You’ll visit the small marked graves of three crew members
who died during Sir John Franklin’s tragic 1845–46
expedition. Over 150 years later, Roald Amundsen landed here in 1903,
during the first successful voyage by ship through the Northwest
Passage.
Sailing down the east coast of Somerset Island, you may be fortunate to
spot beluga whales and if you’re very fortunate, narwhals, as
they feed at Creswell Bay. An Important Bird Area, the bay also
attracts such species as black-bellied plovers, king eiders and
white-rumped sandpipers. You’ll also have time to explore
Fort Ross, where the Hudson’s Bay Company established a now-
abandoned trading post in 1937. At the midpoint of the Bellot Strait,
the narrow channel that separates Somerset Island from mainland North
America, you’ll reach the northernmost area of the
continental landmass, Zenith Point.
Day 16 Disembark in
Resolute, Canada and Fly to Calgary
After disembarking in Resolute, you’ll be transferred to your
charter flight to Calgary, where you’ll spend the night at
your included hotel.
Day 17 Depart Calgary
Today, make your way to the airport to catch your homeward flights, or
spend the day exploring this fascinating city.
