Departure dates 2009: Aug 26, Sept 6
Tour Itinerary:
Days 1-2: Ottawa to Resolute. Overnight at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in the heart of the Canadian capital. The next morning, fly from Ottawa to Resolute, a hamlet on Cornwallis Island far above the Arctic Circle.
Day 3: Peel Sound. Overnight, we will cross Barrow Strait, and we will wake deep in the waters of Peel Sound, which runs between Somerset and Prince of Wales Islands. The names evoke the European history of exploration of the area: John Barrow, Second Secretary to the British Admiralty in the early 1800s, sent explorers to all parts of the unknown (to the British) world, including many to northern Canada. His most famous expeditioner was almost certainly John Franklin.
The discovery of Peel Sound is accredited to James Clark Ross, who led the first (but not the last!) rescue team to go looking for the Franklin Expedition, which had been missing since sailing in 1845. John Franklin had taken his two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, down into Peel Sound and beyond, but never returned. We will explore this area, which is known for rapidly-moving ice, while keeping a good lookout for narwhal and beluga, thousands of which can be found in Peel Sound during summer.
Day 4: Beechey Island and Lancaster Sound. Beechey Island is a reminder of all the courageous people who died while seeking the northern route to Asia. Many of the expeditions sent to discover the fare of the Franklin Expedition, perhaps the most infamous failure of all searches for the Northwest Passage, stopped at Beechey Island. There, as you will, they paid their respects to three of Franklin’s crew who were buried on the desolate island.
Day 5: Bellot Strait. Today we hope to explore and possibly sail the length of Bellot Strait, the steeply sided and narrow strait which separates mainland Canada, from Somerset Island to the north. The strait was discovered in 1852 and named after the young French naval officer who was second-in-command of Captain William Kennedy's search for remains from the 1845 Franklin expedition. Later, Francis McClintock wintered in the shelter of the strait in 1858-59, while on another search for the Franklin Expedition. The channel scenery is quite spectacular, with the southern shore rising to over 750 m in some places and the northern shore reaching almost 500 m. and if ice permits, it should make for great sailing.
Day 6: King William Island. We return to the saga of Sir John Franklin’s men and ships. For two winters, his ships Erebus and Terror were beset in ice near the island. In 1848, Franklin’s men abandoned ship. A decade passed before a cairn was discovered on Victory Point under which an officer had place a note explaining their circumstances. About 50 years later, Amundsen was able to sail the same stretch of water with little trouble.
Days 7-9: Coronation Gulf to the Beaufort Sea. Now, deep in the Arctic Archipelago, we will be exploring where ships seldom manage to navigate. Our course will depend on the ice and seas, but we will aim for the west, and the Beaufort Sea. We will be sailing in shallow, iced over seas, passing beyond the channels used by Canadian Icebreakers to escort provisioning vessels into Cambridge Bay. Here, wildlife rules, and we will follow the polar bear through the ice as they track ringed seals, and watch as seabirds feed in the open stretches of water between ice floes.
Many explorers have aimed for these waters, but few have succeeded. The first European known to travel this part of the world was Robert McClure, who traveled from west to east in 1853-1854, but passed across land, and used sledges for a large part of the journey over sea ice. The information he collected helped to dampen Europe's enthusiasm for the fabled Northwest Passage, largely because he proved that there was not a viable shipping route to the east.
The Northwest Passage was finally successfully traversed east to west by Roald Amundsen. He began in 1903, and finally completed the amazing feat in 1906. The Norwegian Explorer traveled from east to west, down Peel Sound, through Queen Maud and Coronation Gulfs, and out into the Beaufort Sea in his little ship the Gjoa. It was not until 1942 that Henry Larsen was the first to navigate the Northwest Passage from west to east, in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police vessel St Roch, following a similar route through the southern-most Arctic Archipelago waters. Larsen exited the Arctic through Bellot Strait, and went on to Baffin Island. In 1942 the St Roch returned from east to west, mapping a new route which took the vessel west of Lancaster Sound and through Prince of Wales Strait.
While following in the metaphorical wakes of these special ships and incredible people, we will also make time to investigate the region to satisfy our own curiosity and explore its unique wonders. Every corner of this vast and almost unexplored land is beautiful, harsh and bountiful. The low tundra provides for an incredible array of wildlife that in turn supports complex and flourishing Inuit society. Returning to Coronation Gulf, we will take every opportunity to go ashore for long and short walks, enjoying the color and texture of the tundra.
Days 10-13: Pearce Point to Bernard harbor. We will reach the end of the Canadian Northwest Passage when we enter Amundsen Gulf. We will begin our homeward journey. En route to Cambridge Bay, we plan to visit historic outposts and villages. On Victoria Island we seek musk oxen – prehistoric beasts with shaggy coats and massive heads.
Days 14-15: Cambridge Bay/ Edmonton/ Return Home. Fly from Cambridge Bay to Edmonton to spend the night. In the morning, transfer to the Edmonton airport for flights home.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
- All of the Akademik Ioffe's departures include optional sea kayaking at an additional price.
- Camping Option: There is no supplementary charge for this option. Participation will be confirmed at booking on a first come, first served basis.
- 3 day/2 night overnight sea kayaking and camping trip on select departures. Supplement is $300 per person in addition to the sea kayaking fee
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy. Request the Twin or Triple Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
- Single costs are 1.7 times the twin rate for most cabins (2 times the twin rate for suites).
- Emergency medical evacuation coverage for a minimum of US$100,000 per person required. Contact us for details on arranging travel insurance.
- Prices are based on a 3% cash discount.
Also see tour packages in:
Arctic
Arctic
Sightseeing
Boating and Sailing
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