Itinerary
Ottawa
Canada’s capital city, Ottawa is located in eastern Ontario,
at the junction of three rivers: the mighty Ottawa, the Gatineau and
the Rideau. It is home to the oldest continuously operated canal system
in North America, and in 2007, the Rideau Canal was registered as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Connecting Lake Ontario with the Ottawa
River, the Rideau Canal ends in Ottawa with a set of locks right beside
the Parliament Buildings. We will have an introduction to this stately
city before an overnight in town and our early charter flight in the
morning.
Kuujjuak
Before it was named Kuujjuaq, early fur traders knew this region as
Fort Chimo. A mispronunciation of saimuk, which means ‘Let’s
shake hands’, ‘chimo’ was often used to welcome
early fur traders to the post. We will board the Lyubov Orlova
and embark on our adventure from here.
Ungava
Bay
Located on the northern coast of Quebec, and opening out to the Hudson
Strait and Labrador Sea, Ungava Bay can claim the highest tides in
the world, tied with the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. 260 kilometres
wide at its mouth, Ungava Bay freezes during the winter. During the
summer breakup, ice floes with seals, polar bears and walrus can be
found floating southward into the bay. We will travel north towards
the tip of Labrador before making our way across the Hudson Strait
to Baffin Island.
Southeast
Baffin Island (2 days)
Here the mixing of ocean currents from Hudson Strait, Frobisher Bay
and Cumberland Sound creates a rich environment for ocean life. A wealth
of wildlife should abound from walrus, polar bear, seabirds and whale:
we’ll keep our eyes peeled for them all. Rocky outcrops and skerries
are perfect hiding places for wildlife, and our Zodiacs are the perfect
vehicles for this landscape so we should have some luck with sightings.
Depending on ice and tide conditions we will explore the area, seeking
out the dramatic rise of the big mountains found here.
Kangiqtugaapik
(Clyde River)
Clyde River, or Kangiqtugaapik, means “nice little inlet”.
Fjords tickle Clyde River’s outskirts, stretching all the way
down from the Barnes Icecap. The unique landscape and nutrient-rich
waters attract caribou, narwhal and other sea mammals.
North
East Baffin Fjords, Buchan Gulf
We’ll investigate the rugged coastline and towering fjords of
the Buchan Gulf and Northeast Baffin by Zodiac. Virtually unknown to
modern travellers, we’ll have opportunities to photograph dog-tongued
glaciers spilling to the sea, and mountains sculpted by the ancient
Laurentian ice sheet that once covered North America.
Bylot
Island
Nestled in the northeastern corner of Baffin Island, at the entrance
to Lancaster Sound, Bylot Island hosts bold, rugged coasts, glaciers
and an interior not conducive to habitation. It is prime habitat for
seabirds including Thick-billed Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes.
Devon
Island
Sailing through Lancaster Sound we will explore one of the large bays
along the south coast of Devon Island. Depending on ice conditions,
we might search out scenic icebergs, walrus and polar bears, as well
as birdlife. Likely sightings are dovekies, and black guillemots, as
well as one of the largest fulmar colonies in the eastern Canadian
Arctic. Beechey Island & Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay)
This island is best known as the epicentre of the Franklin search,
for it was here that the lost expedition spent its first winter (1845-46).
The only record of the expedition, and subsequent searchers mpoaking
it to Beechey is the remains of three storehouses, workshops, a washhouse,
many empty meat tins, and of course, three eerie graves.
Arriving
in Resolute, we will disembark the Lyubov Orlova and make
our way to our charter flight south.
