This morning, we’ll board our charter flight to Iqaluit, Nunavut’s bustling capital, located at the head of Frobisher Bay. A population of nearly 8,000 (and growing) call Iqaluit home. Local attractions include the territorial legislature, igloo-inspired St. Jude’s Cathedral, art shops, and more. After a short bus transfer from the Iqaluit airport, we’ll ride through the harbour by Zodiac to the Ocean Endeavour, our home for the next two weeks. Once all are aboard, we’ll begin our journey down Frobisher Bay.

Join in presentations facilitated by onboard staff—featuring talks, discussions, and debates about a wide range of topics, from wildlife illustration to offshore drilling—designed to deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we go. Our geologists will have you raving about rocks, and the tundra plants beneath your feet are worth a closer look. Throughout this journey, and especially in our early days aboard the ship, we’ll be on the lookout for wildlife. Expect compelling scenery, and soak up the Arctic splendor as we go!

Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut, referring to a marble outcrop across the bay from the community. Today (weather permitting, as always!), we’ll visit Kimmirut, widely considered one of the most charming communities on the South Baffin coast. Art aficionados may know the hamlet as Lake Harbour, once the home of a Hudson Bay company post. Art has played a major role in putting Kimmirut on the map. The Dewey Soper Building houses a gallery of outstanding works of art.

We’ll continue on to Kinngait, long the epicenter of the Inuit art market. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-Operative was established here. Today, the cooperative is 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 continue to make Kinngait a proud hub for Inuit art. We’ll visit studios and meet the artists here—an opportunity to purchase outstanding works straight from the source and learn about the process of creating them.

On this exploration day, we’ll be making the most of what the weather and wildlife have to offer. We can expect to navigate the icy waters of Hudson Strait. Our expedition staff will scan for polar bears, walrus, whales, seals, and seabirds as we go.

We call in at Nunavik’s most northern community, Ivujivik. This village of just under 500 people sits at the confluence of Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay, where the high tidal environment provides for rich wildlife. Nunavik is the Inuit homeland in Quebec and comprises the northern third of the province.

Heading northwest along the Ungava Peninsula, stop to explore an area of treeless tundra rich in geology and flora—tiny, hardy, and complex flowers, lichens, mosses, grasses, herbs, and shrubs capable of thriving in the low light and temperatures of the Arctic. We’ll hike through this spare landscape and enjoy a Zodiac cruise.

At just over 560 square miles, uninhabited Akpatok Island is the biggest island in Ungava Bay. It’s named for the akpat—the thick-billed murres—that nest on ledges of its lofty cliffs. These penguin-like birds are truly a delight to watch: tremendous swimmers, but comical flyers. Here we’ll use our Zodiacs to scout the shorelines and any outlying ice with hopes of seeing polar bears, walrus, and other marine life.

Today will be an expedition day in the truest sense as we navigate the east coast of Ungava Bay. We’ll search for polar bears as we call in at an abandoned fishing community. As always, expedition staff will be watching for birds, marine mammals, and wildlife on the land. Vigilance pays off—keep your binoculars and expedition gear at the ready!

Today will be spent entirely at sea, as we steam across the Davis Strait toward Greenland. It’ll be an excellent time to enjoy workshops and group learning, watch a documentary, or dive into our shipboard library. While on deck, keep your binoculars ready for surfacing minke and humpback whales amid pack ice, as well as the seabirds that are sure to mark our passage.

Welcome to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland that bridges old and new. The old harbor region of town includes many buildings dating from the Danish colonial days. The modern downtown includes shopping, cafes, and restaurants, and public institutions with a European influence. The Greenland National Museum is one of Nuuk’s many outstanding features; the world-famous Greenland mummies are housed here. The museum’s exhibits also offer in-depth information about the colonial, Norse, and Inuit presence in Greenland. 

The western coastline of Greenland is a rich mixture of fishing communities, islands, and complex coastal waterways. The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the sub-Arctic location, making for lusher vegetation. In the spirit of expedition travel, we’ll keep plans flexible today and avail ourselves of the opportunities that present themselves.

Early this morning we’ll complete our overnight journey up Sondre Stromfjord—a 104-mile-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers. Kangerlussuaq, the town at its eastern head, means "the big fjord" and is a former U.S. Air Force base, as well as Greenland’s primary flight hub. We’ll transfer to shore by Zodiac before driving along Greenland’s longest road—less than 12 miles—to the airport. Our charter flight will take us to Toronto, where you can extend your stay or catch flights homeward.