Heart of the Arctic 2026

Harboring Feelings

We start our adventure by boarding a northbound charter flight from Toronto (Ontario) to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, site of a former US Air Force base.

Via Zodiac, we transfer to the Ocean Nova to begin our navigation of the 118 mile-long (190 km) Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjor is Danish for “big fjord”).

Is your heart-pounding with anticipation yet?

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Sensory Massage

Greenland’s west coast is simply stunning—the complex coastal waterway is one big panoramic postcard of superlatives. From calving glaciers to sheer cliffs peppered with seabirds, the daunting mountains and tiniest sprays of tundra flowers offer both visuals that are both micro and macro. 

Kangerlussuatsiaq means “the rather big fjord” in Greenlandic, while the Danish name (Evighedsfjorden) translates to “the fjord of eternity.” The extreme vastness and silence consumes hikers, poets, photographers, daydreamers and self-proclaimed philosophers. This is the kind of place where epiphanies unfold! We take a Zodiac cruise to the foot of a towering glacier and learn more about the West Greenland current and the (relatively) warmer waters of this subarctic region.

Later, we can reflect on the day in the aft saloon, panoramic lounge, shipboard library or sweat it out in the ocean-facing gym.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Museums, Shops, and Cafés

Nuuk, the brightly-painted capital of Greenland, is a collision of nature, modernity and tradition. The Old Harbor is a reflection of Danish colonial days, while contemporary Nuuk is known for its cool vibe, minimalist gallery cafes, upmarket Danish steakhouses, boutique shops and rowdy pubs. We may be spontaneously pulled in to join in on a Greenland Polka!

The University of Greenland is Greenland’s only university—and it’s located in Nuuk. Most courses are taught in Danish with a few offered in Greenlandic. West Greenlandic is the official dialect that all children learn in addition to Danish and English. Greenlandic words can be extremely long but they often convey an entire sentence. 

We have a guided orientation of the metropolis before visiting one of Nuuk’s treasures, The Greenland National Museum. The collection of Inuit skin boats and the famed 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies is a must-see. Later, we have free time to explore Nuuk independently.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Adventures at Sea

The Davis Strait is the ocean expanse that links southeastern Baffin Island and southwestern Greenland.

Kick back with binoculars and scout the northern Atlantic for minke whales, humpbacks, auks and other unexpected pop-up wildlife. Or, find a seat in a workshop, watch a documentary or test your agility in an interactive cultural performance of Inuit games. This time on board provides the unique opportunity to learn more about the cultural traditions and history from Inuit educators eager to share stories of their homeland.

We can also take advantage of the ship’s amenities–check out the gym with a view, the library or saloon. Chat, chill or sweat it out with your fellow Wild Women.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

The Birds and the Breeze

In the winter, Ungava Bay is choked with a tumbler of first-year ice rubble. By summer, the bay clears and has recorded some of the highest tides in the world, including a 56-foot (17 m) tide in the Bay of Leaves (Baie aux Feuilles). Hold on to your hat and gin!

Ungava Bay is a thriving and impressive ecosystem. By Zodiac, we comb the shorelines and any outlying ice in an attempt to spot polar bears and walrus. Here, endangered belugas and Canada’s largest number of breeding Akpat (thick-billed murres) mingle. We visit the uninhabited Akpatok Island, the biggest island in Ungava Bay, at over 559 square miles (900 km). It’s named for the Akpaits (thick-billed murres) that nest on the precarious limestone ledges and cliffs—it’s also home to Canada’s largest colony of breeding pairs.

Ungava Bay’s basin is a peculiar mix of black spruce, dwarf birch, lichens, sphagnum moss, northern Labrador tea, sedge, peat-filled depressions, moraines and volcanic rock. We take a Zodiac cruise in the large and shallow waters of the bay to scout the shorelines in search of polar bears, walrus and marine life like the endangered beluga.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Rockin’ the Tundra

Along the Ungava Peninsula of Nunavik, Quebec, we explore an area of treeless tundra dissected by rivers, glacial lakes rich in geology (especially iron ore deposits) and flora. Inuit cultural educators will guide you through their treasured homeland with moving stories of resilience and resourcefulness.

We have the unique opportunity to hike across tundra and take advantage of random wildlife and bird encounters on a Zodiac excursion along the inlets and islands that pepper the peninsula.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

An Inuit Welcome

Salluit is the second northernmost community in Nunavik with a population of approximately 1,500 Inuit. Here, we can learn more about the locally made products that range from intricate carvings to jewelry and mittens. 

After finding the perfect take-home treasure, we experience the warm hospitality of the locals as we gather in the community hall to hear traditional stories and more about their modern shift.

We can hike the rugged terrain that hugs Salluit to truly feel the connection between the Inuit, their art, song and generational connections.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Arctic Arts

In 2020, Kinngait reverted back to its original name (from Cape Dorset)—it means “mountains” in Inuktitut. This creative Dorset Island hamlet located near Foxe peninsula is a coveted Inuit art market hotbed. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative was established to showcase the talents of carvers, illustrators and printmakers. The Co-op includes Toronto-based Dorset Fine Arts, which helps to extend the artists’ audience further south and globally.

The professional printmaking studio is one of the oldest in Canada and is now called the Kinngait Studios. It’s an integral part of the Kenojuak Cultural Centre.

Old and new generations of artists, carvers and printmakers continue to make Kinngait the beating heart of Inuit art. We visit a few studios and meet some of the legendary artists. There will be an opportunity to purchase a one-of-a-kind Arctic memento that will continue to transport us back to the tundra and our pinch-me Wild Women expedition.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Sea’s the Day

English explorer Henry Hudson successfully navigated the strait in 1610 and it became the main marine artery for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Today, we navigate the fast-moving waters of the 497 mile-long (800 km) Hudson Strait. The outstretched arm of the Atlantic Ocean between Nunavut’s Baffin Island and Quebec links Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin with the Labrador Sea. Did you follow that bouncing ball?

Join expert expedition staff on deck as we scan for skulking polar bears, rasping walrus, lunging whales, barking seals and careening seabirds together! We’ll take advantage of every opportunity to explore the area on foot or by Zodiac in search of the wildlife that calls this biodiverse strait home!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Finding Balance

We gain quick appreciation for the fine balance shared between wildlife and humans living in isolated Arctic communities like Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay). Located on an inlet of the Davis Strait in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Iqaluit is dense with mistaken identities, wrong turns, fur and gold.

Between 1955 and 1987, the settlement of Iqaluit was known as Frobisher Bay. In 1576, Martin Frobisher was a turned-around English explorer on a quest to find the elusive Northwest Passage. His easy shortcut to China was a bust, as was his discovery of gold. Appropriately, it was fool’s gold.

Hot on his heels, commercial whalers introduced ships and trade to the area and the British Government transferred sovereignty of the Arctic archipelago to the Canadian government. Fast forward to the early 1900s: the whaling industry collapsed, the fur trade took precedence and missionaries arrived as did a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post.

Our onboard geologists will introduce the rocks and landscape they are consumed by in an addictive way.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Nova

Anchored Friendships

In Inuktitut, Iqaluit means “place of many fish” and it’s easy to become hooked! Situated at the chilly head of Frobisher Bay, Iqaluit is Nunavut’s capital (population: 8,000). An instant bite of the distinct culture is visible on menus offering  pan-seared Arctic char, turbot tacos and muskox burgers.

The Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum and Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre are magnetic attractions in addition to the territorial Legislature and the igloo-inspired St. Jude’s Cathedral (referred to as the “Igloo Cathedral”). A myriad of shops and galleries displaying Inuit carvings also tempt those seeking a commemorative piece to remind of the expedition.

We’ll transfer to shore by Zodiac through Iqualuit harbour then board a bus to the airport for our southbound charter flight to Ottawa, Ontario. If time and logistics permit, a bus or town tour of Iqaluit may occur but this is not guaranteed.

The Inuktitut word for ‘goodbye to all’ is “tavvauvusi” though we know you’ll be reluctant to say it and part this surreal landscape and the Wild Women you’ve found fast friendships with.

Included Meals

Breakfast