Greenland and Wild Labrador

Break the Ice

We begin our adventure by boarding a northbound charter flight from Toronto, Ontario to Kangerlussuaq.

Kangerlussuaq is a former U.S. Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub. Cue up the Top Gun soundtrack, right? Your first lesson begins with the pronunciation of Kangerlussuaq, which is kaˌŋɜˈɬːusːuɑq 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. For starters, try “aluu” (hello) or “baaj” (goodbye).

After a few stumbly aluus and a baaj we transfer by Zodiac to the Ocean Endeavour. With 104 miles (168 km) of staggering scenery to stare at, we follow the longest fjord in the world, Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord) and cross the imaginary but remarkable Arctic Circle as we head southbound.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

A Sensory Massage

Greenland’s west coast is simply stunning—it’s one big panoramic postcard of superlatives. From daunting mountains to the tiniest sprays of tundra flowers, our time in this area is precious and difficult to part. The waters are relatively warm here due to the West Greenland Current and the sub-Arctic location (but not as warm as the on-board hot tub).

Hikers, birders, poets, photographers, daydreamers and self-proclaimed philosophers all fall under the dramatic coastal spell. Later, we can reflect on the chills and thrills of the day’s total sensory massage in the sauna or hot tub.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Pop-up Polkas and Mummies

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 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.

The Greenland National Museum is one of Nuuk’s treasures. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the Inuit skin boats and 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies. Move over Tutankhamun! There’s a new mummy in town!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

Unicorns of the Sea

The Davis Strait is the ocean expanse that links southeastern Baffin Island and southwestern Greenland. Narwhals, bowhead and pilot whales cruise through the strait, though sightings are dependent on zooplankton and schools of fish. Inuit fishermen have also relied on these shallow waters for Arctic char.

Baffin Bay’s estimated population of 50,000 narwhals accounts for 80 to 90% of the world’s population. The “unicorns of the sea” are playful year-round residents of Baffin Bay, feeding and mating in the winter.

This is an ideal time to kick back and scout the northern Atlantic for unicorns, minke, humpbacks, auks and other unexpected pop-up wildlife. Find a seat in a workshop, watch a documentary or take advantage of the ship’s amenities! There’s a gym, library or bar—as well as wandering Wild Women eager to keep you company if you want to chat, chill or sweat it out!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The Peak Moment

East of the Rockies, Canada’s highest peaks are found in Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador’s first park. The signature saw-tooth skyline is instantly captivating. Blue-jean waters snake through glacier-scraped fjords that open up to the marine highway where icebergs silently glide by like ships.

There are 6,027 square miles (9,700 km) to hike in this sharp wedge-shaped park that sits on continental Canada’s most northerly tip between Northern Quebec and the Labrador Sea.

The subarctic mountains are the homeland of the Inuit of Nunatsiavut, polar bears, black bears and caribou. Birders should be on high alert for sightings of the red-throated loon, Harlequin duck, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, rock ptarmigan, glaucous gull, snow bunting, Lapland longspur and Northern wheatear! (Depending on the time of year and migratory patterns, of course!)

We hike and cruise in the Zodiacs, seeking out birds and bears. For the amateur historians on board, we visit archaeological sites as well.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

A New Mission

On the northeast coast of Labrador, this haunting site is the surviving remains of a Moravian Mission station. The Hebron Mission National Historic Site of Canada protects the interconnected buildings erected by the Church of the Brethren (the Moravians) in the 1830s. There’s a church, mission house and store designed in Germanic-style with steep, elongated rooflines and small dormer windows. It’s possible that these buildings were pre-fabricated in Germany (IKEA-style!). The church’s cupola is a link to the Moravians’ southeast European birthplace. The forge, carpenter’s shop and other structures are now left to the imagination.

The Moravian mission was abandoned in 1959, forcing the relocation of the Inuit who resided there. In 2005, Newfoundland and Labrador issued an apology to people affected by the relocations. Former Hebron residents and their kin continue to visit the site and to hunt and fish nearby.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The Stories and Songs of Labrador

Nain (population: 1,170) is the most northerly community in Labrador and the administrative capital for the Nunatsiavut Government. This gateway city to the national park is home to Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative (the local Arctic char industry), Voisey’s Bay Nickel Mine and the OKalaKatiget Society, a TV and radio agency that delivers weather updates, vessel reports, children’s songs and an Inuktitut language program featuring language lessons and recipes.

The recently built Illusuak Cultural Centre was designed by world-renowned architect Todd Saunders (the mastermind behind Newfoundland’s drop-dead gorgeous Fogo Island Inn). Here, we step inside an igloo and take another step deep into Inuit culture through stories and songs. We also visit the Moravian Church and learn more about the mission efforts of the Moravians.

Expect the warm embrace of the community, an introduction to the art and carved works of Labrador Inuit and samples of local food and music.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

An Open Air Gallery

Labrador’s coast is untamed, storm-battered and pristine. It’s an open air gallery of ancient history and landscapes that beg to be painted. From the ship we see the transition in landscape from coastal barrens and high subarctic tundra to high boreal forest, mid-boreal forest and string bog (also known as strong mires). String bogs are defined by slightly elevated ridges and islands with woody plants that alternate with flat, wet sedge mat areas. They appear like oversized terrariums built with spongy moss, lichen, feathermoss, Labrador tea and dwarf black spruce.

Fun fact: the black spruce is the most abundant tree found in Labrador. It’s also featured on the Labrador flag!

Dotted with islands, this area is equal parts raw and fairytale. Landings will be based on the day’s weather conditions.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

A Nancy Drew Mystery

L’Anse aux Meadows is the only authenticated Norse settlement in North America and is a celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic site. The archaeological remains of the Norse encampment are over 1,000 years old, making it the oldest known European encampment in North America. It wasn’t until the 1960s that legit Viking remains were confirmed by a small bronze cloak pin. Nancy Drew would have had a heyday pulling at the threads of this mystery!

Full-scale replicas of the traditional Norse sod buildings will make us grateful for architecture’s evolution to energy efficient windows and doors. However, it’s awesome to play make-believe and conjure up the sagas of the Viking voyages. We can climb aboard the Snorri, a replica of the Viking ship that retraced Erickson’s course from Greenland to the Meadows. Thor, Loki and Eric the Red’s indomitable spirit loom here.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

The Warmest Welcome

The east coast of Newfoundland is known for the dozens of vibrant villages that color its rugged shores. We’ll find harbor in one of these communities to truly experience the generosity and flavor of the most easterly province in Canada.

Photographers will exhaust their SD cards and batteries in an attempt to capture the ominous mood, jagged coastlines, secluded island communities and pulse that is exclusive to The Rock. 

Expect a characteristically warm and jolly Newfoundland welcome upon our arrival—there is no other kind!

Included Meals

All on-board meals

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Come from Away

Sailing into the port of St. John’s is a moment that requires contemplative pause. Palms get clammy at the thought of taking the captain’s wheel to navigate the ship into the famous Narrows.

Watch for locals and tourists alike, madly waving from the iconic Signal Hill just before we slip into the harbor of North America’s oldest city. The carefree and bold paint palette of the houses of Jellybean Row and The Battery are a pure marvel. 

Here, we disembark the Ocean Endeavour with heavy but full hearts. 

Be sure to squeeze in a Screech ceremony to make your landing in Newfoundland 100% official! It’s a Wild Women prerequisite! For everyone who is a “come-from-away” there’s a full, unspoken guarantee that you’ll be back.

Included Meals

All on-board meals