Heart of the Arctic
Trip Overview
South Greenland’s stunning coast. The communities of south Baffin. The islands of Ungava Bay. People, wildlife and landscape are the true Heart of the Arctic!
Visit three distinct Arctic regions on this voyage aboard the Ocean Endeavour. Explore the deep fjords and vibrant communities of Greenland, including the world’s smallest capital, Nuuk. Cross the Davis Strait in the wake of the explorers, searching for marine life and seabirds.
South Baffin Island’s Inuit art-making communities are famous throughout the world. Meet the artists. Pick up a carving, a print, or a tapestry. Nunavik, the Arctic coast of Quebec, offers outstanding archeology and wildlife.
Plentiful sea ice means great opportunities for wildlife viewing from the ship or board a Zodiac—or board a Zodiac to seek whales, bears, and caribou. Keep your binoculars ready for thick-billed murres, guillemots, dovekies, and more.
Journey with scientists, historians, Inuit artists, and culturalists to the heart of the Arctic!
The Heart of the Arctic takes place aboard the Ocean Endeavour.
Photo: ©Michelle Valberg
Contact us to book a trip, or view the itinerary to learn more.
The Experience
Steeped in a culture that is all its own, the heart of the Arctic will stay with you long after you return home.
Day 01
Iqaluit, NU
Located at the head of historic Frobisher Bay and sitting amid gentle rolling hills is the transportation hub of the Arctic, Iqaluit. A major transfer point between flights to other northern communities, Iqaluit is also the smallest capital city in Canada with a population of just under 8,000! At one time dotted with Inuit huts, the beaches are now adorned with modern houses, shops, and public buildings reflecting Iqaluit’s importance as a government town. We will have time to tour the town before embarking the Ocean Endeavour.
Day 02
Frobisher Bay
We’ll be on the lookout for wildlife, of course, and our geologists will have you raving about rocks. Expect compelling scenery, and soak up the Arctic splendour as we go!
Photo: ©Augie Globalog
Day 03
Kimmirut (Lake Harbour)
Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut, referring to an outcrop of marble across the bay from the community.
Art aficionados may know the hamlet as Lake Harbour, home to one of the first Hudson's Bay Company outposts on Baffin Island. Art has played a major role in putting Kimmirut on the map. The hamlet of approximately four hundred people is known for its ivory scrimshaw and jewelery making. The blooming tundra offers easy walking.
Photo: ©Michelle Valberg
Day 04
Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
Along the northwest shore of Dorset Island, surrounded on one side by rocky hills and on the other, by Hudson Strait, lies “the community that art built”. Between 1950 and 1962, Kinngait hosted a historic collaboration between James and Alma Houston and local Inuit—the collaboration that launched Inuit art onto the world stage. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative was established: it remains the oldest arts organization in the Canadian Arctic and the oldest professional Inuit printmaking studio in Canada.
Old and new generations of outstanding artists, carvers, and printmakers have made Kinngait the Inuit art capital of the world.
Photo: ©Grant Stove
Day 05
Hudson Strait
Today we'll navigate the icy, fast-moving waters of Hudson Strait. Join our expedition staff on deck, scanning for polar bears, walrus, whales, seals, and seabirds.
Photo: ©Andrew Stewart
Day 06
Ungava Peninsula, QC
We will spend two days along the Ungava Peninsula, where we explore an area of treeless tundra rich in geology and flora. We’ll enjoy hiking and a Zodiac cruise.
Day 07
Ungava Peninsula, QC
Day two of exploring the Ungava Peninsula.
Photo: ©Andrew Stewart
Day 08
Ungava Bay
We will spend two days exploring this region. Large and shallow, Ungava Bay is a rich ecosystem and home to a variety of wildlife, including an endangered Beluga population and Canada’s largest number of breeding Thick-billed Murres. Here, we will use our Zodiacs to scout the shorelines and any outlying ice with hopes of seeing polar bears, walrus, and other marine life. We’ll pay a visit to uninhabited Akpatok Island, the biggest island in Ungava Bay, at over nine hundred square kilometres. It’s named for the akpat—the Thick-billed Murres—that nest on ledges of Aktpatok’s lofty cliffs.
Photo: ©Stephen Gorman
Day 09
Ungava Bay
Day two of exploring Ungava Bay.
Photo: ©Robert Poulton
Day 10
At Sea — Davis Strait
Our resource staff will deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we steam across the Davis Strait toward Greenland. Enjoy workshops, watch a documentary—and get out on deck! Keep your binoculars ready for minke and humpback whales, as well as the seabirds that are sure to accompany our ship.
Photo: ©Michelle Valberg
Day 11
Nuuk, GL
Welcome to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland! Nuuk means 'the headland' and is situated at the mouth of a gigantic fjord system. Established as the very first Greenlandic town in 1728, Nuuk remains the bustling centre of the country today. We have the chance to spot Humpback whales in the fjord, reindeer roaming the land, and birds soaring in the sky. The town itself is home to Greenland's University, a cathedral dating back to 1849 and Greenland's National Museum, home to the world-famous Qilakitsoq mummies.
Photo: ©John Sylvester
Day 12
Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord
West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways include glaciers, islands and fjords against a towering mountain backdrop. The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the sub-Arctic location. We’ll explore this sublime landscape by ship, and by Zodiac.
Photo: ©Martin Lipman
Day 13
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
In the early morning we’ll complete our overnight journey up Sondre Stromfjord—a 168-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, bisected by the Arctic Circle.
Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at its head is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub. We’ll transfer to shore by Zodiac, then bus to the airport for our charter flight to Toronto, ON.
Photo: ©Dennis Minty
Itinerary
Day 01
Iqaluit, NU
Free time to explore; board ship. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 02
Frobisher Bay
Zodiac excursion. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 03
Kimmirut (Lake Harbour)
Community visit. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 04
Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
Community visit. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 05
Hudson Strait
Exploratory cruise. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 06
Ungava Peninsula, QC
Zodiac excursion. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 07
Ungava Peninsula, QC
Zodiac excursion. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 08
Ungava Bay
Zodiac excursion. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 09
Ungava Bay
Zodiac excursion. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 10
At Sea — Davis Strait
Presentations; marine life viewing. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 11
Nuuk, GL
Community visit. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 12
Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord
Exploratory excursion. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Day 13
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Final stop; disembark ship. Meals: All shipboard meals, 24-hour coffee, tea and snacks
Join the Adventure
Call To Reserve Your Spot Today
1 800 663 9832 (toll free)
1 204 949 2050 (international)
All prices USD, plus applicable taxes.
All prices, inclusions, and dates may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.
Additional Arctic Air Cost $2,295
Arctic Safari
Polar Bears at Legendary Cape Churchill
Into the Northwest Passage