Day 2 Lancaster Sound                                                                                                                         The search for the Northwest Passage captured the imagination of explorers for centuries. Many risked fortunes, and some their lives to be the first to find the route to the Orient. Perhaps the most tragic expedition was that of Sir John Franklin. Today, on Beechey Island you might visit the graves of three who lost their lives during in pursuit of Franklin’s dream.

Day 3 Bellot Strait                                                                                                                                  Bellot Strait is a narrow channel that separates the mainland of North America from Somerset Island. Halfway through the Strait we will sail past Point Zenith, the northernmost point of mainland North America.

Day 4 King William Island                                                                                                                   Near Coborg Island, Franklin’s ships HMS Erebus and Terror were beset in ice for two winters. The ships were abandoned in 1848, north-northwest of Victory Point. Ten years passed before remains of the expedition were found under a cairn at Victory Point. Unlike the men of Franklin’s expedition, Raold Amundsen easily followed the westerns shore of King William Island, stopping to make scientific observations en route.

Day 5 Gjoa Haven(Usqsuqtuuq)and Simpson Strait                                                                        Amundsen spent a winter in the small Inuit village of Usqsuqtuuq, which he renamed Gjoa Haven after his ship. Nearby is the Northwest Passage Territorial Park, with an interpretation center that pays tribute to Inuit culture and depicts the impact of European exploration on the region.

Simpson Strait, a shallow waterway that continues to defeat many ships, was the route taken by Amundsen during his first successful transit of the Northwest Passage. We will attempt to follow in his wake, if local conditions permit.

Day 6-7 Jenny Lind Island                                                                                                                  Moving sea ice, shallow water and limited charts make it impossible to predict in advance exactly which beaches we will explore and in which bays the Zodiacs will be lowered. That is the exhilaration of expedition style travel, every day begins with the element of the unknown.

Day 8 Holman, Northwest Territories                                                                                                    You enter the second of Canada’s three Arctic territories today, the Northwest Territories (NWT). We plan to visit the tiny community of Holman, where the indigenous people have established a print shop and artists’ cooperative.

Day 9 Smoking Hills, NWT                                                                                                               Witnessing an extraordinary natural phenomenon will be our goal for the day. The bituminous shale of the Smoking Hills has been burning spontaneously for centuries. The phenomenon has affected the local vegetation and the acidity of the tundra ponds in the vicinity.

Day 10-12 Amundsen Gulf to Queen Maud Gulf                                                                                    The history of the Canadian Arctic is also the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Our shipboard historian will relate stories of the redcoats, the fur trade and the merchants who ruled the Canadian Arctic for nearly two centuries.

We will be on the alert for musk oxen, prehistoric looking beasts with shaggy coats and massive heads.

Day 13 Cambridge Bay                                                                                                                         We offer optional chartered air fare from Cambridge Bay to Edmonton, or from Resolute to Ottawa. Please call for costs and availability. Disembarkation is in Cambridge Bay or Resolute, depending on the dates of travel chosen.

TOUR DATE AND RATE

Date Days Cabin     Triple Shared Facilities Twin Shared Facilities Twin Semi-Private Facilities Superior Superior Plus Suite Cook Suite Aug 25, 08 -Sep 06, 08 13 $4,600 $6,200 $6,500 $6,950 $7,450 $7,900 $8,400 .Sep 06, 08 -Sep 18, 08 13 $4,200 $5,600 $5,950 $6,400 $6,800 $7,200 $7,600 [+] Additional Notes and Options Note You can add charter air transportation to your expedition from either Ottawa to Resolute and Cambridge Bay to Edmonton or from Edmonton to Cambridge Bay and Resolute to Ottawa for approximately $1,650 per person. Call for a quotation. Optional We carry sea-kayaks, designed for ocean level paddling. A maximum of ten kayakers may participate per voyage. Cost per person: $395   Include Shipboard accommodation from embarkation to disembarkation All meals while aboard, including afternoon tea when at sea Zodiac cruising per the daily program Shore landings per the daily program Formal and informal presentations by members of the Expedition Team Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities. Photographic Journal on DVD Port charges                                                                                                                                                                                                 HOME