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Sable Island: Wild Horses
8-day expedition to Sable Island and Saint-Pierre aboard Ocean Nova.
Best Price Guarantee
Best Price Guarantee
Best Price Guarantee
Best Price Guarantee
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The Ocean Nova is a sturdy but nimble expedition vessel, originally built in Denmark to sail through the ice-packed waters off Greenland. With its ice-strengthened hull, and after a full refit in 2006, she was converted to become the perfect Antarctic cruise ship. Since then, she has been upgraded and improved every year to maintain her excellent reputation.
For our air-cruises, Ocean Nova has capacity for only 67 passengers who will find themselves in comfortable outside cabins. The ship offers three categories of accommodation for Antarctic cruises: dedicated Single Cabins, Twin Cabins, … Read more about Ocean Nova
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Fitness Center
Bar
Lecture Theater
Zodiac Fleet
Observation Lounge
Private Flight to Antarctica
Medical Services
Library
-5% for children ≤ 10
When booking online, you can choose the option to "Upgrade to single occupancy". This will guarantee you the whole cabin to yourself, for an additional fee. If you don't select this option, then another traveler of the same sex might be placed into the same cabin with you. Exceptions may apply.
Passage aboard the Ocean Nova
Applicable taxes and credit card fees
Complimentary expedition jacket
Special access permits, entry, and park fees
Expert expedition team
Guided activities
Sightseeing and community visits
All Zodiac excursions
Port fees
Pre-departure materials
Educational program
Interactive workshops
Evening entertainment
All shipboard meals
Wi-Fi access (basic service included)
Commercial and charter flights
Program enhancements/optional excursions
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Mandatory medical evacuation insurance
Additional expenses in the event of delays or itinerary changes
Possible fuel surcharges and administrative fees
Pre- and post-trip hotel accommodation
Premium internet access available at an additional cost
Sable Island landings depend on Atlantic weather, surf, permissions and Parks Canada requirements and cannot be guaranteed.
Wild-horse, seal, whale and seabird sightings are possible but never guaranteed.
The voyage starts and ends in St. John’s; pre- and post-trip hotels are not included.
Commercial and charter flights, gratuities and optional programs are not included.
Mandatory medical evacuation insurance is required by the operator and is not included in the voyage price.
After completing your booking, you will receive an invoice from your travel specialist by email. A deposit of 30% of the trip price is required to secure your booking. Payment can be made through bank transfer or by credit card through a secure payment link.
Full payment is expected 30 days before your trip. Payment can be made in installments.
Long-haul flights and the on-the-ground program generate 2.4 t CO₂e on this trip. Polartours regularly measures and monitors the carbon footprint of its journeys and actively reduces emissions through sustainable travel design: no unnecessary flights, fewer feeder flights, integration of rail and public transport, and promoting longer stays for a more balanced relationship between travel distance and impact.
From 2018 to 2024, we supported carbon reduction projects equivalent to the emissions generated. Recognizing the limits of traditional offsetting, we now focus on active environmental protection through our own rainforest project, Forest Guardians.
More information on our climate and environmental responsibility: https://www.venturatravel.org/impact
All cruises in the polar regions operate to itineraries that are more-or-less fixed. We say "more or less", because wildlife (breeding, seasonality) and weather always play an important role in routing. Most cruises will offer a range of land-based and water-based activities that you will enjoy at various points in your cruise, including:
All boats carry English speaking, scientifically trained guides. They will lead you on your excursions, allowing you to learn as much as possible about the unique wildlife and habitats of the Polar Regions.
Choosing the right ship for a cruise to Antarctica or the Arctic seems difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Our fleet is over 30 vessels, we are sure that there is the perfect one for you. Please, follow these simple steps, and you will be able to find your ideal ship:
In addition: We work with responsible partners who provide a great experience for their passengers. All of our providers are committed to sustainability and to preserving the beauty of the polar regions. You don’t need to worry about the impact of your cruise, because we’ve already taken care of it.
We love to help people find their dream vacation to the Arctic and Antarctic. Whether you give us a call, contact us via email, or use our website inquiry form, one of our Polar travel experts will be more than happy to answer any questions, recommend ships and itineraries, and walk you through the whole process!
Step 1: Find your perfect trip. If you have already started looking for Polar Cruises, you will have quickly noticed that the sheer amount of options can be quite overwhelming. To help you navigate the countless departures and itineraries that our fleet offers, we have put together a great filter page for Antarctic and Arctic Expedition Cruises. Use this page to filter all trips by price, date, ship category, and even destinations you wish to visit. We update all dates, prices, and availabilities daily, and are proud to host what is doubtlessly the world's most complete collection of information.
Step 2: Found something you love? We'll hold your spaces, free of charge! If you find a cruise you like, you can either inquire directly with us or make an unbinding booking online. We will then reach out to the shipowners to put a hold on your spaces for a limited time, free of charge. Once we have confirmed your block with the ship, we will send you a written confirmation of your reservation and include full payment details in an invoice. Typically, we are able to hold unpaid reservations for up to 1 week*. This gives us time to clarify all your remaining questions, and also ensures that no other passengers can book your spaces, while we continue our conversation.
Step 3: Confirm your booking. In order to confirm your booking, we ask for a deposit payment. You can pay via bank transfer or credit card. Keep in mind, that we can only hold your spaces for a limited amount of time. If we don't receive your payment after this time, we can no longer guarantee that the places will be available or that the price won't increase. To prevent disappointment, we will automatically cancel your reservation if we don't receive your deposit by the due date stated on your booking reservation.
Step 4: Booking confirmation & Payment. As soon as we have received your deposit and a completed passenger information form, we will be pleased to send your booking confirmation and updated invoice, along with your trip itinerary, important information, and other great tips for your cruise.
Step 5: Final payment. In your initial invoice, we will define a final payment date by when you need to pay us the remaining amount of your trip. Once we have received your final payment we'll send you your cruise documents and voucher. As your trip approaches, we make sure to pass along all necessary information, so you feel super prepared and stress-free.
*For last-minute bookings, we might not be able to hold your spaces for so long. We will also require the full payment of your cruise upon booking.
An expedition cruise to Antarctica or the Arctic is a big deal! Most people plan for this type of trip at least 8 months in advance. This means the earlier you book, the better chance you'll have to reserve your prefered cabins. Early bird discounts are also popular and a great way to get 10-30% off your cruise.
Most expedition cruises offer optional activities like camping and kayaking, but the spaces are limited. A cruise with 120 passengers can have only 10-15 spaces for kayaking. These are reserved on a first come first served basis. The earlier you book, the higher your chance of grabbing a spot.
Even though last minute deals do occur, keep in mind that the airline prices will be much higher if you purchase them last minute. You may save a few hundred on your cruise, but you may end up paying the most for airfare.
Price
Upon Request
Sable Island’s free-roaming wild horses.
Grey seals along the island’s beaches.
Ipswich sparrows, terns and dune ecology.
Saint-Pierre’s French Atlantic culture.
Best Price Guarantee: Find a better price elsewhere, and we’ll match it.
Polar Expedition Specialists: We focus exclusively on polar voyages, with advice rooted in real, firsthand expertise.
Travel that gives back: Every booking directly funds our mission to protect and restore global rainforests.
Sail from St. John’s on an eight-day expedition centred on Sable Island aboard Ocean Nova. Four planned days around this protected crescent of sand create time for weather-dependent Zodiac landings, guided walks and patient wildlife observation in close collaboration with Parks Canada.
Wild horses are the island’s best-known residents, but grey seals, Ipswich sparrows, terns, shifting dunes and the remains of life-saving stations reveal a much broader story. Expedition naturalists add context on ecology, geology and shipwreck history before a final cultural call at Saint-Pierre. Wildlife sightings and landings can never be guaranteed.
Sable Island is exposed to Atlantic weather and landing access is tightly controlled. The expedition team may adjust the daily plan, remain offshore or replace a landing when conditions or Parks Canada requirements make that necessary.
Keep in mind this is an expedition cruise, so your itinerary will depend greatly on the weather, amount of ice and wildlife breeding behavior.
Our journey begins in the vibrant, salt-tinged heart of Newfoundland: St. John’s. With its colourful row houses, steep streets, and lively spirit, this harbour city is not only picturesque—it’s storied. Since 1498, Europeans have fished here, making St. John’s the oldest continuous European settlement in North America. But long before that, this coast was known to Indigenous peoples, the Beothuck, who populated the coast and navigated these waters. Casting off from St. John’s is a moment to savour. We’ll pass through the legendary Narrows, where Signal Hill towers above—a sentinel to centuries of comings and goings. As Cape Spear, North America’s easternmost point, slips past on starboard, we’ll head into open waters with stirring anticipation. The adventure is underway.
As we approach Sable Island, its long crescent of sand emerges from the Atlantic, an isolated world shaped by wind, water, and time. Our time there is conducted in close collaboration with Parks Canada, ensuring all visits are respectful of this delicate and protected ecosystem. Landing by Zodiac (weather permitting), we step onto sand sculpted by wind and tide.
Grey seals dot the shoreline like boulders, their grunts and scent carried by the salty breeze. Endemic Ipswich sparrows—the island’s signature songbird—flit among marram grass and beach peas. Arctic and common terns wheel overhead.
Looking to the horizon, wild horses may appear first as ghostly shapes in the mist or as distant silhouettes cresting the dune ridges. You may hear the rhythmic thunder of hooves, and, with patience, you may witness tender moments between mares and foals, or stallions sparring over the attention of a mare. These animals are not just icons of wildness—they’re testaments to survival, having endured decades of isolation, wind, and shifting sands.
Naturalists will guide our experience with insight into the island’s layered history. We'll hear shipwreck tales, explore shifting landscapes, and learn about Sable’s former life-saving stations—hubs of human endurance in a remote and volatile world. Zodiac outings offer a unique sea-level view of the island’s coastal life, seal colonies, and its ever-changing contours.
Today we arrive in Saint-Pierre—a small but spirited remnant of France nestled off Newfoundland’s southern coast. As the last vestige of France’s once-vast colonial presence in North America, Saint-Pierre offers a cultural experience that feels both familiar and entirely unexpected. The island’s 6,500 residents are of diverse descent, including French, Basque, Breton, and Norman. Their heritage is evident not only in the language but in the rhythm of daily life—from cafés that spill onto cobbled sidewalks to the melodic lilt of local conversation. Saint-Pierre’s architecture is as eclectic as its history: narrow alleys, colourful facades, and charming storefronts evoke a sense of old-world charm that’s rare this side of the Atlantic. During our visit, you’ll enjoy a guided tour as well as time to explore at your own pace. Perhaps you’ll sample French wine and cheese, visit a local museum, or simply soak in the island’s unmistakable ambiance. It’s a day to savour—a little slice of Europe wrapped in salt air and Atlantic mist.
We sail back through the Narrows into the wide embrace of St. John’s harbour. The colourful houses of the Battery welcome us home, and Signal Hill stands watch, just as it did at our departure. As we disembark, we’ll say farewell to shipmates and expedition team members who have shared stories, sightings, and unforgettable moments along the way. The journey ends—but the experience, and the connections made, will travel with you long after the lines are tied.
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