Canadian Arctic Discovery | Greenland & Canadian Arctic 17 Day Discovery Cruise

Kangerlussuaq boasts a WWII airbase history at the head of a long fjord in western Greenland. The airport’s Kangerlussuaq Museum recounts the tale and showcases Greenlandic Inuit artifacts. This glacial area is a haven for wildlife like muskoxen, reindeer, arctic foxes, and gyrfalcons. Around 10,000 musk oxen, native to Greenland, inhabit the tundra, blending seamlessly into the landscape. Inland, the 60-m tall Russell Glacier calves on the edge of the Greenland ice cap.

Just north of the Arctic Circle and the northernmost city in Greenland, Sisimiut remains ice free in winter and is known as an adventure sports hub. Inhabited for more than 4,500 years by the Inuit, Dorset and then Thule people, dog sled remains a common form of transport and we have a chance to see abandoned settlements but it also has a cool, modern side. Watch out for humpback whales and walrus between Sisimiut and the Thule district in the north.

Historical Walk to the Tele Island

Optional

02 h 10 m

From Tele Island, see Sisimiut’s famous landmark, Nasaasaq Mountain, soaring 785 meters into the sky
Enjoy a walking tour of Sisimiut as you learn about the fascinating history if Inuit cultures that have used this location as a hunting grounds for many years
Other points of interest you will pass on your visit include a burial ground, the local kayak club and the arts and crafts shop

Sailing through the iceberg capital of the world to Disko Bay, the Ilulissat Icefjord is one of the cruise highlights. Given UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the Ilulissat Icefjord is a popular tourist destination, and thanks to the productive Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, thousands of gargantuan icebergs calve from the Greenland ice cap into the sea. The city of Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is home to as many sled-dogs as people.

Shuttle to Ilulissat Icefjord, boardwalk and Icefjord centre

Included

02 h 30 m

Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Icefjord and see the massive Sermeq Kujalleq glacier at the size of nearly 66,000 football fields wide
Hike along the World Heritage Trail boardwalk and discover amazing views of the icefjord and maybe even have some wildlife encounters
At the Fjord Centre, learn all about the cycle of the ice, the abundant wildlife around the icefjord and the human existence in the area throughout thousands of years

Qeqertarsuaq is the largest town on Disko Island, the largest island in Greenland, on the west coast and part of Disko Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lyngmark Glacier rises above the town and the area’s lush hills, basalt columns and black sand beaches reflect its volcanic origin. The area is very fertile and home to diverse species not found elsewhere in Greenland. Keep an eye out for its hot springs as we move through floating icebergs and whales.

Disko Island Discovery Walk

Included

02 h 00 m

Join your Expedition Team on a hike to discover the island’s stunning black sand beaches and massive volcanoes
Spend time in the town and get a feel for the authentic experience and isolation that most Greenlandic communities live with
Learn about the longstanding presence of scientists in the region who have had an Arctic Station established for the study of local geology, flora and fauna

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

The scenic views of snow-capped mountains and picturesque fjords have given Pond Inlet - or Mittimatalik - in northern Baffin Island the name of Canada’s ‘jewel of the north.’ The area is a prime breeding ground for narwhals, and bowhead whales, ringed and harp seals, and walrus also warrant a vigilant eye. Stop by the Nattinnak Centre to discover more about the region and its wildlife. The Inuit community here are renowned for their craft skills from printmaking and stone carving. Nearby, Qulalukat’s thousand-year-old Inuit sod houses merit a visit.

Pond Inlet Discovery & Community Activities

Included

03 h 00 m

Journey by zodiac to this traditional Inuit community located on the northern tip of Baffin Island near the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage
Attend a captivating performance that weaves together Inuit language and tradition at the Community Hall
Enjoy an opportunity to hike with the group to Salmon Creek to see the archaeological site and sod houses near the river

Dundas Harbour on Lancaster Sound is the eastern entrance of the Northwest Passage on the southeast coast of the world’s largest uninhabited island, Devon Island. Despite the harsh terrain, signs of life remain with the relics of a 1000 A.D. Thule settlement and a 1920s outpost from where Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) controlled illegal whaling. Nearby, Croker Bay is one of the deeper inlets into Devon Island, on the northern shores of iceberg-laden Lancaster Sound. The Devon ice cap feeds the monumental South Croker Bay Glacier that calves into the bay.

Discover Dundas Harbour abandoned community - Town walk

Included

01 h 00 m

Discover this historic sight on a walking tour to the RCMP outpost which are the only buildings that still remain
Learn about the thousands of years old Thule (ancient Inuit) summer settlements that have been discovered in the area
See the spectacular beauty of Devon Island up close with its impressive mountains, Arctic wildflowers and glimmering glaciers that plunge into the sea

Croker Bay is a beautiful Arctic waterway located in the colorful Qikiqtaaluk Region. It lies off the southern coast of Devon Island in the eastern high Arctic. Croker Bay is one of the deeper inlets into Devon Island and is an arm of Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait.

Zodiac Tour with Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 00 m

Embark on a thrilling discovering of this spectacular tidewater glacier that’s fed by the expansive Devon Island ice cap
Your expedition team will navigate close to the face of the glacier to admire the striated, white, blue and grey slave of ice
Along with the many birds you might encounter around the area, you might also be greeted by seals and even the occasional walrus

This area is most closely associated with the exploration of Canada’s High Arctic and the Northwest Passage. Much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was mapped while searching for the missing crew of British explorer Sir John Franklin’s fateful 1845-46 Northwest Passage Expedition. Radstock Bay sits below the mighty Caswall Tower mountain and hides many secrets, such as evidence of sledge tracks, camps and food tins that may help to reveal what happened.

Nature & Discovery Walk with Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 00 m

Take off on an exploration of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago accompanied by your expert Expedition Team
Unveil the many mysteries of Radstock Bay like the sledge tracks, camps and food tins that give insight into the early Thule settlements
Once ashore, take some time to visit the Quarmat homes which are common among Thule and Inuit settlements

Beechey Island Sites are five locations across desolate Beechey Island, now designated as important historic sites. These include the sites where Sir John Franklin and his crew wintered.

Discovery Walk with Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 00 m

Visit the Beechey Island Sites National Historic Site of Canada, located primarily on Beechey Island, a rugged peninsula connected to Devon Island in the Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut
Learn the fateful history of Sir John Franklin and his crew of expeditioners who went missing here and the role this played in mapping the much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
As you tread the vast landscapes of Beechey Island, history unfolds before you, leading you to five historic sites that dot this area

Port Leopold is a place of raw natural beauty and rugged landscapes that evoke a sense of awe and wonder. The pristine wilderness and untouched terrain create a feeling of remoteness and isolation, while the Arctic wildlife that calls this place home adds a touch of wildness and unpredictability. The area's history as a former Hudson's Bay Company trading post also lends a sense of nostalgia and intrigue.

Expedition Landing in Remote Port Leopold

Included

01 h 00 m

Explore the stunning and remote Port Leopold in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada at the northeast tip of Somerset Island
Get to know the many historical figures who have put this port on the map including John Clark Ross, Sir John Franklin, Prince Leopold and King Leopold I of Belgium
The island is listed as a migratory bird sanctuary and terrestrial habitat site thanks to the many seabird species that live and breed here between late-May and midSeptember

Crossing the Lancaster Sound to Somerset Island, you pass the most important bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, the steep cliffs around flat-topped Prince Leopold Island are home to more than 500,000 nesting pairs of thick-billed murres, black guillemots, northern fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes. Beluga whales come to moult in the shallow gravel beds. Sailing south to Elwin Bay, a breathtaking fjord in Prince Regent Inlet, keep an eye out for polar bears hunting for ringed seals that haul out onto the sea ice. Nearby at Port Leopold on Somerset Island, English explorer James Clark Ross wintered while searching for the missing Franklin expedition in 1848.

Zodiac Cruise with your Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 00 m

Visit Elwin Bay aboard a Zodiac to go spotting for pods of beluga whales in the shallow waters
Cruise up to the cobblestone beach shore in search of fish runs that are often closely followed by hungry belugas
You might get the chance to pull up on shore in your Zodiacs to disembark and take in the area on foot

Fort Ross on Somerset Island is the abandoned last trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The timber building that remains, built in 1937, formed part of the most northerly established fur trading post covering the Bellot Strait, before being abandoned due to severe ice-choked conditions at sea. One of the straits along the Northwest passage, the narrow 16-mile long Bellot Strait with steep cliffs, is windy with strong tidal currents. Connecting Brentford Bay to icy Peel Sound, the strait separates Somerset Island in the north from the Murchison Promontory on Boothia Peninsula to the south, where Point Zenith, the northernmost continental point of the Americas is positioned. It was also here on the 1829 Second Arctic expedition of Sir John Ross, that his nephew Sir James Clark Ross located the Magnetic North Pole.

Zodiac cruise by Fort Ross

Included

01 h 00 m

Immerse yourself in the vast and unique landscapes of Somerset Island as your guide tells you of its storied past
Learn about the Arctic explorer. James Clark Ross who the for was named after
Take this one of a kind opportunity to cruise by this abandoned settlement at the eastern end of the Bellot Strait

The Bellot Strait is a narrow strait separating Somerset Island on the north from the Boothia Peninsula on the south. It is approximately 2.3 km wide and 25 km long. The inlet is named after the French explorer Joseph-René Bellot who died nearby in 1853 during an expedition to find Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition.

Cruising or Zodiac Cruising with Your Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 00 m

We will sail past Zenith Point on our port side, the northern most point of the entire North American continent
Enjoy a unique opportunity to explore this narrow passage at only 2 km wide and full of centuries old tales to tell
Just as the explorers before us, our ability to transit this channel will entirely depend on the tide, the sea ice and icebergs which often choke the passage

Choked up by ice in winter, Peel Sound is a 125-mile long channel separating Prince of Wales Island to the west and Somerset Island to the east. The icebound arctic waters prevented several 19th-century explorers from achieving their goals - Sir John Franklin in 1846, Francis Leopold McClintock in 1858 and Allen Young in 1875. Take time to learn more about these early adventurers as you relax and spot polar bears on the pack ice.

Cruising or Zodiac Cruising with Your Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 00 m

Have the opportunity to cruise with the ship or aboard a zodiac to explore Prince Leopold Island
In the summer is your chance to see the flourishing population on birds that come to the island to breed

Located on the shores of Prince of Wales Island, at the heart of the legendary Northwest Passage, Coningham Bay is a region of historical and cultural importance and a haven for Arctic wildlife. The surrounding nutrient-rich waters attract an abundance of beluga whales, providing plenty of food for the well-fed local polar bear population. This sheltered bay is a fantastic location for wildlife spotting in the correct conditions.

Cruising or Zodiac cruise in Coningham Bay

Included

01 h 00 m

Learn from your guide about this hotspot for polar bears thanks to the rich hunting ground for beluga whales
Apart from being a very good spot for fly fishing, it is one of the most remarkable wildlife sites in the Arctic
See some of natures most incredible creatures from your ship or zodiac, but please keep in mind spotting can’t be guaranteed

Days at sea are the perfect chance to relax, unwind and do whatever takes your fancy. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, trying to spot a whale from the deck, reading a chapter or two, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to the green days spent exploring on land.

Sam Ford Fjord, NU is a breathtaking natural wonder that will leave you in awe. The towering cliffs and crystal-clear waters create a serene atmosphere that will leave a lasting impression on any visitor. Think about kayaking among icebergs, hiking on the tundra, and observing local wildlife like polar bears, arctic foxes, and beluga whales. Overall, Sam Ford Fjord offers an unforgettable adventure for those seeking an authentic Arctic experience.

Discover Majestic Sam Ford Fjord

Included

02 h 00 m

Learn all about Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti, an isolated Arctic fjord on Baffin island’s northeastern coast as your cruise around it
The fjord stretches for approximately 110 kilometers and was an excellent hunting area for Inuit communities
If weather permits, follow your Expedition Team ashore for a closer look at the diverse landscape

Qikiqtarjuaqis is a remote and beautiful Baffin Island community surrounded by towering mountains and stunning glaciers. The town's Inuit culture and traditions are still alive, making it a unique and immersive experience for visitors. The rugged landscape and pristine wilderness offer endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, from kayaking to wildlife watching. But what truly sets Qikiqtarjuaq apart is the warmth and hospitality of its people, who welcome visitors with open arms and share their rich history and traditions with pride.

Discover the remote Inuit hamlet and natural beauty of Qikiqtarjuaq

Included

02 h 00 m

Explore the picturesque and welcoming community of Qikiqtarjuaq, an Inuktitut word meaning ‘big island’
The community is strategically located for iceberg viewing making it the perfect place to see them travel down the Davis Strait
See some of the many emblematic specifies of Arctic wildlife that call the island home

Today as you sail, you’ll bask in the endless comforts of your ship. From the deck, marvel at the dramatic sea views. Relax with a nurturing facial treatment or massage in the spa or delve into the ship’s learning resources. Or, simply take refuge in your cabin and enjoy the opportunity to rest.

Kangerlussuaq boasts a WWII airbase history at the head of a long fjord in western Greenland. The airport’s Kangerlussuaq Museum recounts the tale and showcases Greenlandic Inuit artifacts. This glacial area is a haven for wildlife like muskoxen, reindeer, arctic foxes, and gyrfalcons. Around 10,000 musk oxen, native to Greenland, inhabit the tundra, blending seamlessly into the landscape. Inland, the 60-m tall Russell Glacier calves on the edge of the Greenland ice cap.

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Voyage to the Northwest Passage

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