In die Nordwestpassage

Having made your way to Toronto Airport, check-in at Westin Toronto Airport Hotel for an overnight stay. At the welcome briefing this evening, enjoy a drink and meet fellow expeditioners. A representative from Aurora Expeditions will provide you with important information about biosecurity and also about the charter flight to Kangerlussuaq tomorrow. You will receive Aurora Expeditions cabin tags for your luggage. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number.

Accommodation: Westin Toronto Airport Hotel (or similar)

Please ensure that your luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board.

After breakfast at the hotel, board our charter flight to Nuuk, where the Greg Mortimer awaits. After boarding, there is time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew.

After a morning sailing north towards the Arctic Circle, we arrive in Sisimiut, Greenland’s second largest town. Sisimiut is located approximately 54 kilometres (33.5 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, meaning that during summer, you can experience the midnight sun here. The town is famous for the old blue church with the gate made of whale bone. In the cosy museum next door to the church, you will find an excellent reconstruction of an Inuit turf house as well as exhibits of local history and early life in Greenland.  

Sisimiut offers hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty. The easier trails take you through the town itself, its outskirts and into the mountains, where you will find spectacular vantage points. 

Approximately 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture arrived from Canada and settled in the area. They lived here for approximately 2,000 years, after which they mysteriously disappeared from the area.  The Dorset culture arrived around 500 CE and stayed until the 1200s until they were replaced by the Thule culture, and today, the majority of the population of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.

Known as the ‘birthplace of icebergs’, this region produces some of the most dazzling icebergs found anywhere on Earth. Hike to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord and stand in awe at its immensity. Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as Jakobshavn Glacier, is the most productive glacier – not only in Greenland but the entire Northern Hemisphere. It produces 20 million tonnes of ice each day, all floating into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. Conditions permitting, enjoy a Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord and kayak through sea ice and icebergs. An optional 90-minute helicopter flight over the icefjord is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Optional helicopter flight (90 mins): this excursion is the only way you can get close to the gigantic glacier. The 12-seater helicopter departs from Ilulissat Airport sweeping over hills, lakes and ice fjords. Land on the mountain at Kangia, in the middle of the preserved area, where you can revel in the incredible surroundings. On the return flight to Ilulissat, fly above the edge of the glacier with breathtaking views of the massive icebergs drifting in the fjord. The views of some of the largest icebergs that become stranded on a moraine underneath the water, just outside the town, offers a wonderful finale to this excursion. Please note that this excursion requires a minimum of 8 passengers to operate.

Westgrönland beherbergt einige der aktivsten Gletscher in der Arktis. Nördlich des Polarkreises bietet die kleine Stadt Kangerlussuaq den einfachsten Zugang zum riesigen Inlandeis und ist ein beliebter Ort, um das Nordlicht zu sehen. Die Diskobucht ist auch gut für Walbeobachtungen geeignet.

Eisbären kommen in Westgrönland zwar vor, sind aber aufgrund der Bejagung äußerst selten.

Der nordöstliche Teil Grönlands ist durch das Inlandeis vom restlichen Westgrönland getrennt und im Winter durch das Meereis mit der Ellesmere-Insel verbunden. Das bedeutet, dass dieses Gebiet viel mehr mit der kanadischen Arktis und der dortigen Tierwelt gemeinsam hat.

Atemberaubende Küstenlandschaften und eine Fülle von Wildtieren machen diesen Teil Grönlands zu einem lohnenden Ziel auf Ihrer Arktis-Kreuzfahrt.

Explore the coast of Baffin Island farther south before crossing Baffin Bay to Greenland, when we may encounter Greenland’s famous icebergs. Keep watch for humpback, sei, sperm and fin whales, as well as various species of seals such as ring and harp seal. Your team of experts entertain us with informative talks about wildlife, geology and epic tales of early explorers such as Franklin and Amundsen.

Farther south along the east coast of Baffin Island we visit Isabella Bay, an important summer and autumn feeding ground for a large population of bowhead whales.

Sail around Sillem Island, with glacial features on all sides. A slow cruise offers the chance to see many glaciers, discharging cascades as well as a variety of seals and other arctic wildlife.

The picturesque hamlet of Pond Inlet, overlooking Eclipse Sound, is surrounded by scenic mountain ranges and numerous glaciers and fjords. Travelers come to marvel at the abundant wildlife hoping to see narwhals, beluga and orca whales, ringed and harp seals, caribou and the occasional polar bear. Explore churches and visit the Natinnak Center to see exhibits showing the culture and history of the local Inuit people. Husky dog pens are near the landing beach.

In the afternoon, you will sail along the coast of nearby Bylot Island. Covered with mountains, icefields, steep cliffs, snowfields and glaciers, Bylot Island provides nesting habitat for large numbers of thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes. A total of 74 distinct species of Arctic birds thrive on this island. Due to the richness of the wildlife with the beauty and diversity of the landscapes in the area, a large portion of the island was also included in the Sirmilik National Park, established in 2001.

At a latitude almost 75° degrees north, you are now truly in the High Arctic. Here, nutrient-rich waters support an abundance of wildlife, giving the area the moniker ‘wildlife super highway’ of the Arctic. Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island on Earth and features stunning geology, with flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys giving Devon Island its unique character. We may explore Croker Bay or Maxwell Bay, both offering great opportunities for Zodiac cruising. Dundas Harbour offers walks on undulating tundra and the area is great for birdwatching. A dilapidated Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost and remnants of a former Hudson’s Bay Company trading post and ancient semi-subterranean Thule dwellings can be found here. In the bay, walruses are often present.

Die Nordwestpassage ist der berühmte arktische Seeweg zwischen dem Atlantik und dem Pazifik. Es gibt keine festgelegte Route durch die Hunderte von arktischen Inseln, und viele Menschen verloren ihr Leben bei dem Versuch, durch die tückischen, eisbedeckten Engpässe zu navigieren, darunter auch die Franklin-Expedition. Erst 1906 gelang Roald Amundsen eine erfolgreiche Reise zwischen den Weltmeeren.

Die Nordwestpassage ist für Schiffe in der Regel nur von Ende August bis September vollständig zugänglich, wenn sich das Eis soweit zurückgezogen hat, dass ein Durchfahrtsversuch möglich ist. Zuvor kann der äußere Teil der Nordwestpassage erkundet werden, und es besteht die Möglichkeit, arktische Wildtiere wie Eisbären, Rentiere, Moschusochsen und sogar Wölfe sowie Wale und Robben zu beobachten, wobei der Narwal ein schwer zu fassendes Highlight ist. Viele Seevögel befinden sich am Ende der Brutsaison, aber es besteht auch die Möglichkeit, eine Reihe von für Nordkanada typischen arktischen Vögeln zu beobachten.

Die Nordwestpassage ist der berühmte arktische Seeweg zwischen dem Atlantik und dem Pazifik. Es gibt keine festgelegte Route durch die Hunderte von arktischen Inseln, und viele Menschen verloren ihr Leben bei dem Versuch, durch die tückischen, eisbedeckten Engpässe zu navigieren, darunter auch die Franklin-Expedition. Erst 1906 gelang Roald Amundsen eine erfolgreiche Reise zwischen den Weltmeeren.

Die Nordwestpassage ist für Schiffe in der Regel nur von Ende August bis September vollständig zugänglich, wenn sich das Eis soweit zurückgezogen hat, dass ein Durchfahrtsversuch möglich ist. Zuvor kann der äußere Teil der Nordwestpassage erkundet werden, und es besteht die Möglichkeit, arktische Wildtiere wie Eisbären, Rentiere, Moschusochsen und sogar Wölfe sowie Wale und Robben zu beobachten, wobei der Narwal ein schwer zu fassendes Highlight ist. Viele Seevögel befinden sich am Ende der Brutsaison, aber es besteht auch die Möglichkeit, eine Reihe von für Nordkanada typischen arktischen Vögeln zu beobachten.

In Cambridge Bay, farewell the crew, expedition team and fellow travellers before a Zodiac shuttle whisks you ashore. Transfer to the airport for a charter flight to Calgary, where you will stay overnight. 

After breakfast, check-out of your room and continue your journey. 

Please note: Cruise itinerary is subject to change depending on weather conditions, ice conditions and other factors.