Epic High Arctic
(002618C-20)
We will undertake an exploration of Devon Island before visiting Grise Fiord - the community with the honour of being the furthest north in Canada. From here, we will journey further north (dependant on ice conditions, of course!) into the Smith Sound. Here the vista should be filled with ice - a perfect scene for photographers! After crossing the Davis Strait, we arrive in Greenland, a place where the ice comes alive in iridescent blues, jagged peaks reach for the heavens, delicate tundra flowers nestle in tiny crevasses, towns are a brilliant montage of colour and much of the landscape seems untouched by human hands. This self-governing province of Denmark is the largest island in the world, covering nearly 3.5 million km2, more than 80 percent is covered either by the ice cap or small glaciers. Throughout the voyage we have ample opportunities to view and photograph the unique wildlife that calls the Arctic home. Narwhal, beluga, polar bears, and the rare and immaculately white Ivory Gull are all found here. Nesting colonies on Coburg and Prince Leopold Islands host tens of thousands of Thick-billed Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes. We are also likely to encounter shorebirds, Dovekie, Northern Fulmar, and, with luck, Gyrfalcon. At each stop, we board zodiacs to go ashore, or position ourselves for the best views or photographs of the wildlife, flowers, icebergs and landscapes.
Day 1: Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay)
Arrive in Resolute early afternoon and embark the Clipper Adventurer.
Day 2: Prince Leopold Island, Somerset Island and Beechey Island
The tall cliffs of Prince Leopold Island are one of the top bird sites in the High Arctic both during the breeding and summering seasons. It is a breeding site for Thick-Billed Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar, Glaucous Gull, and Black Guillemot. It was beneath these tall cliffs, that Sir James Clark Ross, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of the 19th century, was based in 1848-49. Ross's 1848-49 expedition in search of the Franklin expedition was not successful; they spent a frustrating winter locked by ice in Port Leopold on the northeast coast of Somerset Island and returned to England the following summer. It was also from this area that Sir John Ross (James's uncle) escaped in 1833 after abandoning the Victory and spending four harrowing winters in the Arctic.
Beechey Island
This island is best known as the epicentre of the Franklin search, for it was here that the lost expedition spent its first winter (1845-46). The only record of the expedition, and subsequent explorers making it to Beechey, is the remains of three storehouses, workshops, a washhouse, many empty meat tins, and of course, three eerie graves. Polar bears, walrus and penguin-like thick-billed murres are the only inhabitants of this island of soaring bird cliffs and small rocky beaches. Here we’ll use our zodiacs to scout the beaches in search of exotic wildlife.
Day 3: Dundas Harbour and Croker Bay, Devon Island
The largest uninhabited island in the world supports significant concentrations of wildlife, including 26 species of seabirds and 11 species of marine mammals. At Dundas Harbour we find the lonely remains of an RCMP station dating from the 1920s. We have also spotted walrus, polar bear, muskox and caribou here. At nearby Croker Bay, we have a chance to Zodiac cruise though this scenic bay and marvel at icebergs, freshly calved from the glacier at the head of the bay.
Day 4: Coburg Island
At the entrance to Jones Sound is Coburg Island, whose spectacular seabird cliffs are a designated National Wildlife Area. 30,000 pairs of black-legged kittiwakes and 160,000 pairs of thick-billed murres crowd the rocky ledges on this island almost completely covered by an ice cap.
Day 5: Aujuittuq (Grise Fiord)
Aujuittuq means 'place that never thaws,' and at 1,150km above the Arctic Circle, it is Canada?s northernmost civilian community. With a population of 165, we will be welcomed into this peaceful and warm hamlet. Our activities will center around the school where we will have a chance to meet members of the community and learn about their way of life.
Day 6: Smith Sound
We will spend a day exploring north into this fabled body of water that served as the main route for explorers and adventurers searching for the North Pole. Adolphus Greely, Sir George Nares and Elisha Kent Kane all travelled these waters with varying degrees of success. The Sound was named by William Baffin after Sir Thomas Smythe, promoter of voyages to find a Northwest Passage. Only 48-72km wide and 88km long, it is often packed with ice and provides favourable conditions for wildlife viewing.
Day 7: Kap York
The rugged coastal environment at Kap York is rich in wildlife and is part of an extensive network of traditional hunting grounds. During the spring and summer months the skies and cliffs are dotted with millions of birds, primarily auks and murres. This district boasts the largest seabird population in northwest Greenland. Whalers and explorers often entered these waters and later Admiral Robert Peary's family raised a monument in honour of his achievements on the cape. Sailors' and ships' logs record multiple climbs of the cape in order to survey the ice conditions in Qimusseriarsuaq. We will hike the tundra landscape and enjoy our own magnificent vistas.
Day 8: Karrat Fjord
In Karrat Fjord we will cruise one of Greenland's most spectacular fjords. During ice breakup, narwhals and seals use the long leads created by high winds in this region to hunt the rich waters of the fjord. The cliffs within the fjord should give us good opportunities to see colonies of dovekies. Time spent on deck today should result in some good wildlife sightings, not to mention unbeatable photographic opportunities.
Day 9: Ilulissat (Jakobshavns Isfjord)
With a population of just over 4,000 people, Ilulissat is Greenland's third largest town. The harbour is a picturesque mishmash of icebergs, fishing boats, hovering gulls and friendly faces. Once ashore we will learn about the inhabitants of Ilulissat and West Greenland at the museum and cultural centers. Art lovers can look for their very own Tupilak, a small carving, characteristic of the area, meant to ward off evil spirits. After our community experience we will walk to the ridge of the Ilulissat Icefjord, an awe inspiring setting where we can hear the fast moving glacial ice-stream and grumbling as the massive icesheets and bergs make their way out into the harbour set on a course for Newfoundland and beyond.
Day 10: Itilleq
A small town with a population just over 140, Itilleq became a trading station in 1847. Primarily a fishing community, its residents are closely tied to the land and surrounding seas for their food and livelihood. Located right on the Arctic Circle, Itilleq is the southernmost point for dog sledding in Greenland. The colourful buildings charm visitors as we engage the local soccer team in our annual match.
Day 11: Kangerlussuaq (Sondre Stromfjord)
The final day of our journey brings us up Sondre Stromfjord, the longest (185km!) fjord in Greenland to Kangerlussuaq. Here we disembark the Clipper Adventurer and make our way home.
As with all our expeditions, weather, ice, tides and other conditions will dictate our actual itinerary and shore excursions. Unusually strong tides and currents combined with drifting sea ice means our route and landing sites will vary from one expedition to the next. Wildlife sightings and some activities depend on favourable conditions.
(Image copyright Nick Russill)
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