DAY 1: KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND

We will start our adventure with boarding our northbound charter flight from Toronto 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 (part of the Inuit family of languages spoken by less than 50,000). Maybe you should try on ‘hello’ for size first. “Aluu!” Or, ‘goodbye,’ which is simply “baaj.”

West Greenlandic is the official language that all children learn in addition to Danish and English. Greenlandic words can be extremely long but they often convey an entire sentence. Kind of like a picture saying a thousand words. Fun fact: ‘computer’ is qarasaasiaq in Greenlandic, meaning ‘artificial brain.’

After a few stumbly aluus and a baaj we will be transferred by zodiac to the Ocean Endeavour. With 168 kilometres of OMG! scenery to stare at, we begin travelling down the longest fjord in the world, Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord), crossing the imaginary but remarkable Arctic Circle as we go.

DAY 2: SISIMIUT COAST

West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways include sculpture-like glaciers, islands and fjords with a towering mountain backdrop for good measure. The waters are relatively warm here (not bathtub warm), due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location (40km north of the Arctic Circle). 

People have lived in the Sisimiut area for 4,500 years. The name 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 the Dorset culture was introduced 2,500 years ago. The Dorset culture pulsed strong for 1,500 years and was followed by the people of the Thule culture—the ancestors of the modern-day Inuit population. 

Sisimiut is the second largest city in Greenland (population: 5,600) and has been dubbed as the adventure hub. While we won’t have time to squeeze it in, the 160km Arctic Circle Trail begins here and snakes from the coast to the fabled Ice Cap along routes followed by locals for millennia.

You may be surprised to learn that this cool and contemporary Arctic Circle community has a city bus and skate park where lanky teens show off their best ollies and BMX wheelies.

DAY 3: ILULISSAT

Ilulissat literally translates to “iceberg”—it’s easy to see why. Located at the open mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fjord is the main artery of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. Much like a giant Matryoshka doll (Russian nesting doll), it’s the source of countless icebergs in the mighty North Atlantic. Atlas Obscura suggests that if all the icebergs in Ilulissat were melted on a really big stovetop, they would provide enough drinking water for everyone in the United States for an entire year. 

The 55 km-long floating “natural sculpture park” is  jammed with surreal icebergs and we will cruise in our fleet of Zodiacs and learn about growlers, bergy bits and calving (of icebergs, not cows!). 

We will also visit the town of Ilulissat where you can try wolffish or howl with the local scene of Greenland sled dogs. Museum nuts will want to check out the namesake Ilulissat Museum and its tribute to explorer and  hometown hero, Knud Rasmussen.

DAY 4: WESTERN GREENLAND

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 stop in this area is one that has everyone stamping their feet in a tantrum when it’s time to leave.

Hikers, birders, poets, photographers, daydreamers and self-proclaimed philosophers will all fall under the coastal spell. You’ve been warned!

DAY 5: AT SEA—DAVIS STRAIT

Our engaging onboard presentation series continues as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Canada. The strait splits between southeastern Baffin Island and southwestern Greenland (in case you have a map on your lap and are wondering where the heck you are). Inuit fisherman have relied on these shallow waters for an abundant Arctic char supply. Have you tried char yet? 

Narwhals, bowhead and pilot whales cruise through the Strait in the company of little auks (dovekies) though sightings are always dependent on zooplankton and schools of fish like the Arctic cod. While you may fish for compliments, the auks and whales have another agenda. 

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. Fun fact: the narwhal tusk (most commonly found on males) is actually an enlarged tooth with up to 10 million nerve endings. If they were to promote a toothpaste, it would be Sensodyne! Their tusks can grow to 10 feet in length and some narwhals can have two spiral tusks while others have none!

This is an excellent time to kick back and scout the northern Atlantic for unicorns, auks and other unexpected pop-up wildlife. Find a seat in a workshop, watch a documentary or take advantage of the ship’s amenities! Hang out in the gym or library or bar–there will be wandering Wild Women to keep you company if you want to chat or chill out!

DAY 6: MITTIMATALIK (POND INLET), NU, CANADA

Mittimatalik is a buzzing Arctic community on the tip of northern Baffin Island. In the winter months (mid-November to mid-January) there is no sun, just a chandelier of stars, moonlight and the mystical choreography of the northern lights. The average temperature of -40°C indicates that this is NOT the place to try and stick your tongue on a metal pole. 

The views of nearby Bylot Island are stunning. Fun fact: Lawren Harris, a member of Canada’s famed Group of Seven, painted this very startling landscape. Harris’s Bylot Island I, an oil-on-canvas from the early 1930s, sold for $2.8 million at an auction in 2010. Perhaps you should do your own Bylot sketch for future prosperity and posterity?

Bylot Island has the largest breeding colony of greater snow geese in the Canadian High Arctic with 74 unique species of Arctic birds that thrive here in deafening colonies.

We will have the opportunity to explore Pond Inlet’s town which has evolved dramatically over the last century. Early visitors included whalers, failed gold prospectors and Anglican and Catholic missionaries. Long before the bounty hunters, Dorset, Thule and Inuit Culture followed the migratory paths of caribou, seal, fish, walrus, ptarmigans, hare and polar bear. Some still live traditionally on the land in outpost camps.

The vibrant cultural presentation at the local Community Hall will instill the resilient spirit and history of Mittimatalik and those who proudly call the frozen scape home.

DAY 7–10: LANCASTER SOUND & DEVON ISLAND

We will spend four days exploring Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), one of Canada’s newest National Marine Conservation Areas. Narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales frequent this area. We’ll cruise by ship and Zodiac in search of wildlife so make sure you’re well-rested and caffeinated for this sub-zero safari!

Devon Island lies on the northern border of Tallurutiup Imanga. It’s the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over 50,000-square-kilometres. The island’s geology is a showcase of flat-topped mountains, spectacular glacial valleys and a substantial ice cap. Not to be confused with the classic Tim Horton’s sweet fix Iced Capp®, though you might experience a similar brain freeze.

We’ll visit a number of the silent bays and hike across the tundra and actually stop to smell the flowers. The island’s growing season is short and sweet (40-55 days) and is characterized by “cushion plant” (polar semidesert) vegetation that collared lemmings go bonkers for year-round. Muskoxen prefer the sedge-moss tundra for their buffet of choice.

Once home to Inuit and their irrepressible ancestors, we will visit sacred archaeological sites to dive into the human history of this now-abandoned island. We’ll also visit the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police post and Hudson’s Bay Company site at Dundas Harbour.

It’s a big dose of nature, history and wow today.

DAY 11: BEECHEY ISLAND

In 1845, Sir John Franklin set out from England with HMS Erebus and the aptly-named HMS Terror, attempting to sail through the Northwest Passage. 

Beechey Island Sites is a testament to the resilience of several ship crews 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 in the 1980s as part of an anthropological examination, their bodies essentially mummified by the Arctic’s barometer. They were later reburied and the shrine provides instant time capsule access to the expedition’s demise.

Franklin’s crew wintered on Beechey Island during its search for a Northwest Passage, but became icebound off King William Island the next 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? There were no reports of access to Frank’s Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce in either case.)

Numerous search parties later used Beechey as a depot and rendezvous point. Legends like Amundsen, Bernier, and Larsen all visited Beechey but didn’t think it was peachy enough to stay. It’s windswept, barren and there’s not a single Tim Horton’s to be found.

Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator was buried here in 1854 alongside Franklin’s men. The graves and the ruins of nearby Northumberland House are a haunting memorial to the expedition that went sideways in a valiant attempt to make history (preferably living, not posthumous). 

DAY 12: QAUSUITTUQ (RESOLUTE), NU, CANADA

Qausuittuq, or “place with no dawn”, is named for its dark and moody winters. Travelling here in the summer months allows us to experience the midnight sun, a time of no darkness, unless your iPod playlist consists of Adele’s 25, Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Jann Arden’s complete discography. 

The end of our journey glides past shoreline gravel flats, rocky coastal bluffs, deposits of a glacial moraine and a rocky history. Insert melancholy here.

In 1953, Inuit from Inukjuak, Québec, and Mittimatalik were relocated, (under false pretenses) by the Canadian government to assert Canadian sovereignty. Today, the community is home to just under 250 people and is an important staging point for High Arctic research, tourism, and military activities.

Here we will disembark the Ocean Endeavour with a big sigh, maxed-out camera memory card and full heart to board the southbound charter flight to Ottawa, Ontario.

Say “baaj” to your fellow Wild Women until next time! Where next?

OCEAN ENDEAVOUR

The Ocean Endeavour is an opulent 137-metre (450-feet), 198-passenger ice-strengthened vessel with twenty Zodiacs, advanced navigation equipment and stabilizers. A doctor, paramedic and medical clinic offer complete peace of mind. The ship has several lounge areas, a library (Compass Room) and multiple viewing decks to totally chill out by yourself or with your newfound crew!

Please note: This is not an exclusive Wild Women Expeditions or 100% women-only trip. The Wild Women group size on the Ocean Endeavour can range from 10 to 40 women. In addition, the ship’s staff and crew will also be co-ed.

MAP

ADDITIONAL ADVENTURE ENHANCEMENTS

Kayaking Program

The Qajaq program provides a quiet, fun and relaxing way to reconnect with the marine environment. The Qajaq (the proper phonetic spelling of “kayak”) was invented by Inuit and is a feat of engineering whose design remains unchanged after thousands of years.

Paddling in pristine waters, near marine life, in the wilderness, or along a historic coast will overwhelm even the most seasoned adventurer.

Limited space is available per departure and an application process is required for this activity. If you’d like to add on this program, please book as soon as possible. Contact support@wildwomenexpeditions.com to apply.

Bicycle Rental Program

There is a fleet of thirteen Kona mountain bikes, available for rent during set times throughout each expedition.

This unique opportunity allows passengers to explore and discover the landscape on two wheels. Cycling excursions are only available in pre-determined community visits and may be modified at any time at the discretion of the Expedition Leader.

Passengers will be notified when excursions will be available, one to two days in advance of the excursion at the daily recap. Details on difficulty level, distance, and guides will be provided at this time.

For more information, please visit the Program Director Office once onboard.

Subject to Availability, Upon Request