Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route

This morning, catch your flight to the northern gateway of Qausuittuq (Resolute) in Nunavut, where you start your adventure in the middle of the legendary Northwest Passage. You will be transferred to your ship by Zodiac or helicopter depending on ship location and weather conditions.

Qausuittuq (Resolute), located on the southern shores of Cornwallis Island, means “the place with no dawn” in Inuktitut. This name, unsurprisingly, refers to the 24-hour winter nights that occur in this remote northern region.

Timing of this expedition, however, is aptly positioned to take advantage of the late summer and early fall ice conditions, which make Quasuittuq accessible, while at the same time welcoming the setting sun high above the Arctic Circle. Upon departing Qausuittuq, your ship will navigate through Tallurutiup-Imanga (Lancaster Sound). This roughly 200-mile (320km) waterway and the surrounding lands are extremely rich in wildlife and history, both indigenous and European. The Inuit and their predecessors have made their home in this domain for thousands of years.

Today, head to the western end of Devon Island, on the north side of Tallurutiup-Imanga, and go ashore at wind-swept Beechey Island, which is home to Beechey Island Sites National Historic Sites. These sites, maintained by Parks Canada, tell the story-or at least the part that’s not still shrouded in mystery-of Sir John Franklin’s much-chronicled 1845-46 expedition to explore the Northwest Passage.

The island is small, only 1.5 miles (2.5km) at its widest point, but its shores are steep and rise to a flat plateau 800 feet (244m) high. That’s where Franklin and his crew of 128 men spent the winter after embarking from England aboard their two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The ill-fated 1845-46 expedition—to navigate and chart the Northwest Passage—ended in tragedy for all 129 men and their two vessels.

What happened to Franklin and his men is the stuff of legend—but also the focus for several search expeditions over the years, which discovered bodies, personal belongings of crew members, and handwritten notes that suggested starvation, deaths from hypothermia, scurvy and lead poisoning from the tinned food supplies. Accounts by Inuit suggest the crew split up into small groups and subsequently perished. What is known for certain is that no one survived.

The graves of three officers from HMS Erebus—John Hartnell, William Braine and John Torrington—were discovered in 1851. You will have an opportunity to visit their graves and honor the memory of the entire Franklin crew who braved massive challenges to explore the Northwest Passage. Franklin’s story is an integral part of the history of Arctic exploration. The wrecks of Erebus and Terror were discovered in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Continue your exploration of Tallurutiup-Imanga which, in 2017, became the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area (Lancaster Sound National Marine Conservation Area). At 42,085 square miles (109,000 square km), it’s the largest marine-protected area in Canada. Heed your guide’s advice for this voyage above the Arctic Circle: keep your binoculars ready—especially when out on deck—to view the diverse wildlife that inhabit these waters. Upon leaving Tallurutiup-Imanga, the ship heads into the Davis Strait, which separates Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and forms part of the historic Northwest Passage. Clear skies later in the evening herald the possibility of a spectacular display of the Northern Lights. Hope to be awestruck.

This is an especially exciting day as you become one of the very few travelers to explore the stunningly majestic Icy Arm Fjord, which cuts almost 50 miles (80km) deep into northern Bafffin Island.

Accessible only by water in summer months when the sea ice recedes, this rarely-visited fjord is known for its unrivalled landscape of towering cliffs and stunning glaciers, and is valued as much for its sheer remoteness as it is for its singularly pristine environment. Icy Arm Fjord is the epitome of unspoiled Arctic wilderness. You may observe polar bears, arctic foxes, seals, walruses, as well as guillemots, kittiwakes and other Arctic-dwelling birds.

Excitement grows on Day 5 as the ship’s two twin-engine helicopters are made ready for heli flightseeing excursions. Prepare to view the remote Arctic terrain from the seat of a helicopter—camera at the ready. It’s also an excellent day for Zodiac cruises, which offer guests a sea-level intimacy with the surrounding lands and waters.

Cruising along the east coast of Baffin Island, particularly from the middle of the island to the southern tip, brings into sharp perspective the sheer vastness of the largest island in Canada, and the fifth-largest in the world. Day 6 is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the features of your ship, including the fitness center, spa and library. Any surplus time between the expert-led polar presentations—and delicious meals, of course—is perfect for editing your digital photos. You’ve taken hundreds by now!

Qikiqtarjuaq, fondly called Qik, is a small hamlet populated mostly by Inuit, north of the Arctic Circle on Broughton Island, off the east coast of Baffin Island. Known as the iceberg capital of Nunavut, Qikiqtarjuaq is located at the northern entrance to the mountainous Auyuittuq National Park, which is home to narwhals, bowhead and orca whales, polar bears, seals and migratory birds. Community visits, arranged in collaboration with local partners, enable guests to learn about local culture, and purchase art and traditional handicrafts, such as parkas, boots and local art when available.

History buffs will enjoy a visit to Cape Mercy, an isolated cove at the southern tip of Cumberland Sound in Nunavut.

Cape Mercy was named by British explorer John Davis, who sailed through this part of the Arctic in 1585. Fast-forward several centuries to the 1950s when Cape Mercy was chosen as the site of a Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) installation, which was part of a system of radar stations set up during the Cold War to detect nuclear attacks.

Today, Cape Mercy, accessible by water, offers modern-day travelers the chance to experience the splendid isolation of the Arctic—with no sign of civilization in sight. You can join a guided hike to a glacier-carved freshwater lake on Cape Mercy. Make sure you bring your camera for this off-ship excursion.

There’s no shortage of activities on board for your at-sea days. You can relax and rejuvenate in the sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, book a soothing treatment in the Tundra Spa, visit the fitness center, practice yoga, or deepen your Arctic knowledge by attending expert-led presentations on geology, wildlife, history, glaciology or botany, among other polar subjects.

Today’s wilderness adventure into Torngat Mountains National Park will leave you awestruck. Within the roughly 3,860-square-mile (10,000 sq km) national park, established in 2008, are Canada’s highest mountains east of the venerable Rockies. The park is a wilderness landscape painting brought to life: breathtaking fjords, dramatic glacial formations, stunning landscapes and wildlife. For students of Indigenous history, Torngat Mountain National Park is especially meaningful: the park is located at the northern edge of autonomous Nunatsiavut territory, which was recognized as the homeland of the Labrador Inuit in 2005, with its own constitution and administration.

In fact, these lands have been home to the Nunatsiavut and their predecessors for over 7,500 years. It’s an honor to explore this majestic wilderness territory. Torngat, in Inuktitut, means “place of the spirits,” which reflects the spiritual significance of the region to the Inuit communities. As a national park, this wilderness domain offers protection to boreal woodland caribou, black bears, Labrador wolves, red and arctic foxes, polar bears and peregrine falcons, among other species.

You will have incredible opportunities to explore this national wilderness area during helicopter, Zodiac and kayaking excursions, and guided hikes.

As you continue sailing, take note of the ever-changing landscapes and scenery throughout your 2,500-nautical mile voyage. You’ve progressed from a pristine tundra environment in the Arctic, down along the rocky, big-walled coast of Baffin island, to the wind-battered coastal forests of Newfoundland and Labrador.

As you sail toward L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site on the northern tip of Newfoundland, consider the differences in modern and ancient marine vessels. Today, you’re comfortably ensconced on a state-of-the-art, beautifully designed ship with helicopters, quick-launch Zodiacs, a sauna and spa, dining areas surrounded by glass, high-tech presentation spaces, cabins with the best of amenities, and a wide array of exciting off-ship adventure options. Then consider the wooden longboats that transported the Vikings an incredible 1,354 miles (2,180 km) from Greenland to Newfoundland in 1000 AD. Today, you’re going to visit the archeological remains of where they landed in their hand-hewn vessels. L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (also a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the only confirmed Norse or Viking settlement in North America.

Enjoy a guided tour to see where Norseman Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, is believed to have founded “Vinland” (the East Coast area including what would later be known as Newfoundland) around 1000 AD. Explore the reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins throughout the historic site—proof that Vikings discovered North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus’s much-chronicled arrival.

Enjoy another evening of kitchen party music performed by guest artists on board. If you haven’t already, seize the opportunity when the musicians take a break to inquire about the various musical traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly the origins of kitchen party music. Also, try to spend time with the expedition team, all of whom are polar experts with vast expertise they’re always eager to share.

Experience the traditional culture of France during your visit to the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This small archipelago, only 12 miles (20 km) from Newfoundland, is the only French territory on the North American continent. Disembark in the colorful and vibrant port town of Saint-Pierre, where you can stroll along the seaside, sample French patisseries and enjoy the café scene. Get a taste of Europe where you least expect it.

While Europeans have had a presence on the tiny archipelago since the early 17th-century, the islands are traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq, the Indigenous people who first appeared in Atlantic Canada 10,000 years ago. The Mi’kmaq culture thrives throughout Eastern Canada.

Your ship arrives at the pier in St. John’s for a morning disembarkation. After breakfast, you may make your way to St. John’s International Airport to connect with your homeward flight, or stay longer if you have booked additional accommodation.