Out of the Northwest Passage

Chills and Thrills

Feel the chills and thrills as your adventure begins at the wide mouth of the Coppermine River in Kugluktuk, the westernmost community in Nunavut. The “place of moving waters” shifted back to its original Inuinnaqtun name, Kugluktuk, in 1996.

Our northbound charter flight will land in Kugluktuk, where we transfer to the ship by Zodiac. Ultimately, Mother Nature holds the playbook and Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), Nunavut, will be the alternate embarkation point based on sea, ice and weather conditions.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

The Ghost of Gjoa

The pinch-me part continues as we navigate the ice-strewn denim-blue waters of this historic waterway in search of wildlife. Nunavut’s least-populated region is abundant in species, both in the sea and on land.

We visit a local Inuit community where our hosts will share stories of their traditions and the area’s deep history. 

The legacy of this integral waterway will become instantly palpable through explorers’ tales and learning about the vital role that Inuit knowledge played in the survival and success of those seeking the passage. Seafaring legend Roald Amundsen overwintered in the bay for two years while searching for the Northwest Passage. He successfully navigated it from 1903 to 1906 in his tiny ship, Gjoa.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The Strait and Narrow

What’s the point? This is the most northerly point of continental North America! Bellot Strait is a narrow passage separating Somerset Island from the Boothia Peninsula. As we sail through this 1.2 mile-wide (2 km) waterway, we join an exclusive club—those who have seen the northernmost part of mainland North America!

As we take a deep dive into the region’s open history books we learn more about Joseph René Bellot, the namesake of the strait. In the 1850s, this steely French naval officer and Arctic explorer joined an expedition in search of Sir John Franklin’s HMS Erebus and aptly-named HMS Terror.

This area is full of surprises below the surface too—keep watch for beluga whales, narwhal and seal pop-ups!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

In Franklin’s Shadows

The ghostly Franklin Expedition Historical Site is a testament to the resilience of several ship crews (and later, search parties) who had winter encampments here, beginning with Franklin’s team in 1845–46. Three of his 130-person crew are buried here: John Torrington, William Braine and John Hartnell. They were exhumed (and reburied) in the 1980s as part of an anthropological examination, their bodies essentially mummified by the Arctic’s barometer.

Franklin’s crew wintered on the barren expanse of Beechey Island during their search for a Northwest Passage but became icebound off King William Island the following year. The death of these three men is still an unresolved Nancy Drew mystery. Was it really lead poisoning from their canned food diet? The rest of the crew resorted to cannibalism, so whose fate was worse? We visit the haunting memorial to the expedition that went sideways in a valiant attempt to make history.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The World’s Largest Uninhabited Island

Tallurutiup Imanga is one of the newest National Marine Conservation Areas in Nunavut. Narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales travel and feed along this protected marine highway. On our sub-zero safari we should also be on high alert for polar bears from the ship and onshore! 

On the northern border of Tallurutiup Imanga, we explore the marvel of Devon Island—the largest uninhabited island on Earth. The startling landscape is a collision of flat-topped mountains, glacial valleys and a substantial ice cap. Talluruti translates to “a woman’s chin with tattoos on it,” and the place name is derived from the islands’ crevasses and streaks that (from a distance) resemble the traditional tattoos. 

We also visit sacred archaeological sites, once home to Inuit and their irrepressible ancestors, as well as the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police post and a Hudson’s Bay Company site.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The Place That Never Thaws

The “place that never thaws” is a frozen expanse 715 miles (1,150 km) above the Arctic Circle. During the Cold War, Ausuittuq was Canada’s northernmost civilian community. In 1953, Inuit were relocated here by the Canadian government under false pretenses, with the hidden agenda of asserting Canadian sovereignty. The “Inuit Relocation Experiment” was an embarrassing failed attempt. 

A striking, larger-than-life monument carved by Looty Pijamini was erected in 2010 with a commemorative plaque that reads: “They came to these desolate shores, to pursue the Government’s promise of a more prosperous life. They endured and overcame great hardship and dedicated their lives to Canada’s sovereignty in these lands and waters.” 

We have the opportunity to meet community members and hear poignant stories about their lives and dreams.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The Sound of Silence

Smith Sound, an ancient Inuit travel route, divides Ellesmere Island from Greenland and served as the main route for fearless explorers and adventurers searching for the North Pole. Polar explorers and U.S. Army officer Adolphus Greely, Royal Navy officer Sir George Nares and U.S. medical officer Elisha Kent Kane all navigated these waters with varying degrees of success (and scurvy, no doubt).

It was William Baffin who named the Sound after Sir Thomas Smythe in honor of his tireless promotion of voyages seeking a northwest passage. Earning a fortune from commerce, Smythe was eager to find more efficient trade routes to Asia.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Chill Out

On this free-range day of exploration, take advantage of the unscheduled! 

Chill out and sit in on an engaging workshop, watch a documentary or grab your binoculars and find your place on the deck. Our Expedition Team will be scanning for polar bears, walruses, whales, seals and seabirds. Minke, humpback whales as well as several species of seabirds are frequent fliers on this particular passage.

This small ship expedition provides the unique opportunity to learn more about the Inuit in their homeland as we traverse the very landscape they rely upon. Vibrant cultural performances, Inuit games and sharing traditional food make for an unforgettable experience.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Just Add Ice

Today we explore the stunning fjords of the coast. Luminescent glaciers and icebergs abound here. In true expedition style, we seize every opportunity to hike, explore and spot wildlife. Also in expedition style, all of this will be dependent on the weather and sea conditions!

Whether you choose to set foot on land, casually cruise by Zodiac or situate yourself on the ship’s deck, we are in the esteemed company of Inuit cultural educators, expert geologists, naturalists and marine biologists eager to share their knowledge.

On foot, photographers and amateur botanists will appreciate the abundant flora and resilient plants that take root. Take a moment to absorb the precious silent serenity of this land.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

A Floating Sculpture Park

Ilulissat literally translates to “iceberg” and it’s a no-brainer to see why. Located at the open mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord (a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site), this waterway is the main artery of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier and the source of countless icebergs in the North Atlantic. 

The 34 mile-long (55 km) floating natural sculpture park is jammed with surreal icebergs. We will cruise in our fleet of Zodiacs and learn about growlers, bergy bits and calving.

A boardwalk that skirts the fishing harbor permits us to view the icebergs from shore. In town, you can choose your own adventure. Expect a howling soundtrack from the local motley crew of Greenland sled dogs. Museum nuts will want to check out the namesake Ilulissat Museum and its tribute to Danish explorer and hometown hero, Knud Rasmussen. Or head to the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre. There are several cafes and shops too.

Included Meals

All on-board meals

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

The Culture of the Circle

Sisimiut means “the people living in a place where there are fox dens.” How magical is that? For the first 2,000 years, the people of the Saqqaq culture occupied the area until Dorset culture was introduced 2,500 years ago. Dorset culture pulsed strong for 1,500 years and was followed by the Thule (ancestors of Canada’s modern-day Inuit population).

Sisimiut is the second largest city in Greenland (population: 5,600). This cool and contemporary Arctic Circle community has a city bus and skate park where lanky teens might be showing off their best ollies and BMX wheelies.

We’ll explore West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways of time-scraped glaciers, islands and fjords. The waters are relatively warm here due to the West Greenland Current and a subarctic location just 25 miles (40 km) north of the Arctic Circle. Today, we have the opportunity to hike and explore by Zodiac as well.

Included Meals

All on-board meals

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Polar Bear Hugs

With 118 miles (190 km) of endless panoramic scenery to stare at, we travel down the longest fjord in the world, Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord) and cross the invisible lines of the remarkable Arctic Circle on our way to Kangerlussuaq.

Kangerlussuaq, the town pocketed at the eastern head of Greenland, is a former U.S. Air Force base and the island’s primary flight hub. Here we disembark for our return charter flight to Toronto, Ontario. Zodiacs transfer us to waiting buses for the short trip through the land beyond the airbase—be on the lookout for muskox!

Forever knitted together by this transformative experience, it’s time for polar bear hugs goodbye. The Arctic landscape and the wonders held tightly within the Inuit culture, landscape and wildlife will remain in our hearts, minds and stories.

Included Meals

All on-board meals

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour