DAY 1: Kugluktuk (Coppermine), NU, Canada

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.

A northbound charter flight will land in Kugluktuk and we will embark 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.

DAY 2–5: Kitikmeot Region

This is where the pinch-me part continues! We’ll navigate the ice-strewn denim 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’ll also 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 in 1903-06 in his tiny ship, Gjoa.

Day 6: Bellot Strait

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 2km (1.2 mile) wide waterway, we’ll join an exclusive club–those who have seen the northernmost part of mainland North America.

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

As we take a deep dive into the region’s open history books we’ll 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.

DAY 7: Beechey Island

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 in the 1980s as part of an anthropological examination, their bodies essentially mummified by the Arctic’s barometer and were later reburied here.

Franklin’s crew wintered on the barren expanse of Beechey Island during its 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?

Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator was also 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.

DAY 8–9: Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound)

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.

We’ll cruise by ship and Zodiac in search of wildlife encounters with expert biologists and ecologists. The crucial role Inuit play in conserving the vibrant biodiversity of these waterways is evident in their enduring connection with the ocean and survival. 

On this 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’ll explore the marvel of Devon Island–the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over 50,000-square-kilometers (31, 069 miles). The island’s landscape is startling with flat-topped mountains, spectacular 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 crevasses and streaks on Devon Island that (from a distance) resemble the traditional tattoos. 

We’ll cruise past the glacier face, visit a number of the silent bays, walk 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 semi desert vegetation) that collared lemmings go bonkers for year-round. 

Once home to Inuit and their irrepressible ancestors, we will visit sacred archaeological sites revealing human existence on 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 10: Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord), NU

The “place that never thaws” is a frozen expanse 1,150km (715 miles) 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 monument carved by Looty Pijamini erected by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in 2010. The plaque 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.” It is a striking, larger-than-life sculpture.

We’ll be welcomed into the hamlet, where we will have a chance to meet community members and hear poignant stories about their lives and dreams.

DAY 11: Smith Sound

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 US Army officer Adolphus Greely, Royal Navy officer Sir George Nares and Elisha Kent Kane (a US medical officer and assistant surgeon) 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 honour 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.

DAY 12: At Sea

On this free range day of exploration, we’ll take advantage of the unscheduled. Our expedition team will be scanning for polar bears, walruses, whales, seals and seabirds.

Chill out and take in an engaging workshop, watch a documentary or grab your binoculars and find your place on the deck. 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.

DAY 13–14: Northwest Greenland

Today we will explore stunning fjords of the coast. Luminescent glaciers and icebergs abound here. In true expedition style, we will 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’ll be 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.

DAY 15: Ilulissat

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. 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 (34 miles) 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 (of icebergs, not cows!). 

We’ll take a walk along the boardwalk of Iluslissat’s buzzy fishing harbour and view the icebergs from shore. In town, we can choose your own adventure. Try wolffish at a local resto–it’s also known as seawolf, Atlantic catfish, the devil fish, wolf eel, woof and sea cat!

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. There are several cafes and shops too. At the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre, it’s all about ice, ice baby!

Day 16: Sisimiut Coast

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 the Dorset culture was introduced 2,500 years ago. Dorset culture pulsed strong for 1,500 years and was followed by the people of the Thule culture—the ancestors of Canada’s modern-day Inuit population. 

Sisimiut is the second largest city in Greenland (population: 5,600) and has been dubbed as the adventure hub. The 160km (99 mile) Arctic Circle Trail begins here and snakes from the coast to the fabled Ice Cap on routes followed by locals for millennia. 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 dotted with sculpture-like glaciers, islands and fjords with a towering mountain backdrop for good measure. The waters are relatively warm here due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location just 40km (25 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. We’ll cruise by Zodiac and have the opportunity to hike today as well.

DAY 17: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

With 190km (118 miles) of endless panoramic scenery to stare at, we will 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 will disembark for our return charter flight to Toronto, Ontario. Zodiacs will transfer us to waiting buses for the short trip through the land beyond the airbase–be on the lookout for muskox!

We’ll say “Baaj” (goodbye in Greenlandic language) to the transformative Arctic landscape and the wonders held tightly within the Inuit culture, landscape and wildlife. Give your fellow Wild Women crew a big polar bear hug and start plotting your next life-changing adventure together!

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!

*Adventure Canada itineraries may be subject to change without notice due to weather, ice, and sea conditions.