Heart of the Arctic

Heart of the Arctic (13 days)

Start your journey in Iqaluit, Nunavut, the home of the Iqalummiut people. You will then transfer to the Zodiac that will take you to the Ocean Endeavor through the Iqaluit Harbour. Be prepared to learn about the compelling scenery from professional geologists, look for wildlife, and enjoy the ocean spray. Visit the beautiful art communities of Nunavut and learn about Inuit art and culture from the expert artists themselves.

Akpatok Island, off the coast of Nunavut, a designated reserve for wild birds and home to the global North Atlantic thick-billed murre population, will fascinate and wow you especially with the educational lectures to learn about these thick feathered Arctic birds. Zodiac around Greenland, and come close to the faces of majestic glaciers!

Being so far north, the sun will not set for 18-20 hours, your inner photographer will be leaping for joy at the beautiful sights and scenery this daylight has to offer. This will also allow for you to marvel at the Arctic tundra in bloom – a rare sight.

Dates

Highlights

Itinerary

DAY 1: IQALUIT, NU, CANADA
Iqaluit, at the head of Frobisher Bay, is Nunavut’s capital. A population of nearly 8,000 calls Iqaluit home. Local attractions include the territorial legislature, igloo-inspired St. Jude’s Cathedral, art shops, and more.
We will transfer by Zodiac to the Ocean Endeavour through the Iqaluit harbour.

DAY 2: FROBISHER BAY
We’ll be on the lookout for wildlife, of course, and our geologists will have you raving about rocks. Expect compelling scenery, and soak up the Arctic splendour as we go!

DAY 3: KIMMIRUT (LAKE HARBOUR)
Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut, referring to an outcrop of marble across the bay from the community.
Art aficionados may know the hamlet as Lake Harbour, home to one of the first Hudson's Bay Company outposts on Baffin Island. Art has played a major role in putting Kimmirut on the map. The hamlet of approximately four hundred is known for its ivory scrimshaw and jewellery making. The blooming tundra offers easy walking.

DAY 4: KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Kinngait was ground zero for the Inuit art market. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative was established—the oldest professional Inuit printmaking studio in Canada.

Old and new generations of outstanding artists, carvers, and printmakers continue to make Kinngait a proud centre for Inuit art. We’ll visit studios and meet the artists here—an opportunity to purchase outstanding works.

DAY 5: HUDSON STRAIT
Today we'll navigate the icy, fast-moving waters of Hudson Strait. Join our expedition staff on deck, scanning for polar bears, walrus, whales, seals, and seabirds.

DAYS 6–7: UNGAVA PENINSULA, QC
Along the Ungava Peninsula, we explore an area of treeless tundra rich in geology and flora. We’ll enjoy hiking and a Zodiac cruise.

DAY 8–9: UNGAVA BAY
Large and shallow, Ungava Bay is a rich ecosystem and home to a variety of wildlife, including an endangered beluga population and Canada’s largest number of breeding thick-billed murres. Here we’ll use our Zodiacs to scout the shorelines and any outlying ice with hopes of seeing polar bears, walrus, and other marine life. We’ll pay a visit to uninhabited Akpatok Island, the biggest island in Ungava Bay, at over nine hundred square kilometres. It’s named for the akpait—the thick-billed murres—that nest on ledges of Akpatok’s lofty cliffs.

DAY 10: AT SEA—DAVIS STRAIT
Our expedition staff will deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Greenland. Enjoy workshops, watch a documentary, and get out on deck! Keep your binoculars ready for minke and humpback whales, as well as the seabirds that are sure to accompany our ship.

DAY 11: NUUK, GREENLAND
Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, bridges old and new. The old harbour includes many buildings dating from Danish colonial days, while contemporary Nuuk is known for art, shopping, pubs, and cafes.

The Greenland National Museum is one of Nuuk’s many outstanding features; the world-famous Qilakitsoq mummies rest here.

DAY 12: KANGERLUSSUATSIAQ FJORD
West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways include glaciers, islands, and fjords against a towering mountain backdrop. The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location. We’ll explore this sublime landscape by ship and by Zodiac.

DAY 13: KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND
In the early morning we’ll complete our overnight journey up Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord)—a 190-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, bisected by the Arctic Circle.

Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at its head, is a former U.S. Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub. We’ll transfer to shore by Zodiac, then bus to the airport for our charter flight to Toronto, ON.

Rates

Category 3 - Interior Twin, private bath (125 sq ft)	$8295
Category 4 - Exterior Twin with a porthole window, private bath (100 sq ft twin, 90 sq ft single)	$9595
Category 5 - Main Twin with a picture window, private bath (115 sq ft)	$10,295
Category 6 - Comfort Twin with two porthole windows, optional large bed, and private bath (Deck four 175 sq ft, deck seven 135 sq ft, deck eight 160 sq ft)	$10,995
Category 7 - Select Twin with picture windows, with large bed and private bath (deck five 190 sq ft, deck eight 145 sq ft)	$11,795
Category 8 - Superior Twin with two picture windows, large bed, and private bath (deck five 210 sq ft, deck seven forward 180 sq ft, deck seven midship 190 sq ft)	$12,295
Category 9 - Junior Suite with picture windows and large bed, private bath and refrigerator (deck five 270 sq ft, deck seven 290 sq ft)	$13,295
Category 10 - Suite with front facing picture windows and large bed, private bath, and refrigerator (310 sq ft)	$14,295