Baffin & Greenland and Solar Eclipse

During this 13-day active adventure from Iqaluit to Resolute, via Greenland, we intend to position the ship on August 1, to afford a view of a total solar eclipse. En route, optional kayaking will be available. We`ll cruise in Zodiacs along the base of bird cliffs and hike tundra carpeted hills.

Itinerary

Day 1 — Embarkation: Iqaluit
You can add charter air transportation from Ottawa to Iqaluit to your package. If you do so, a transfer from a pre-arranged location in Ottawa to the airport is included.

Day 2 — Monumental Island
If there is pack ice near the island, then we’ll be on the alert for walrus and polar bear. The survival of both marine mammals depends on the presence of pack ice.

Day 3 — Pangnirtung, Baffin Island
Inuit art is coveted by art collectors around the world. Our exploration of “Pang” includes a visit to the Artists’ Co-op to learn the importance of print-making and weaving to the local economy.

Pangnirtung is the only community on the shores of Cumberland Sound, which is about 250 km (155 miles) long and 80 km (49 miles) wide. Belugas and orcas frequent the massive sound, so we’ll be keeping watch.

Day 4 — Davis Strait
Our Adventure Ship will sail across Davis Strait to Greenland. En route, we will cross the Arctic Circle to enter a world of virtually continuous daylight.

Some of the deepest waters in the Eastern Arctic are in southern Davis Strait, which is name for John Davis, who explored the area nearly 425 years ago.

Day 5-7 — From Sisimiut to Uummannaq, Greenland
Perhaps the most significant difference between the Canadian Arctic and Greenland is the production of icebergs. More are produced in Greenland than any other area in the Arctic.

Ilulissat – Greenlandic for iceberg – one of the island’s most productive icefjords has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We plan to explore the town at the head of the fjord as well as cruise among the icebergs.

Day 8-9 — Baffin Bay
While we sail to Greenland via Baffin Bay our Expedition Team will deliver illustrated presentations about Arctic wildlife, its indigenous peoples, and the life cycle of ice.

Day 10-11 — Devon Island and Solar Eclipse
At Dundas Harbour, we will explore an abandoned Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost, nestled among tundra covered hills.

The Expedition Leader will be reviewing charts and weather reports to identify the best location to view the solar eclipse. According to NASA, the event should occur August 1, 2008 at 04:20. Our goal will be to go ashore on the northeastern tip of Somerset Island, near Port Leopold. From there we hope to get an excellent northerly view of the eclipse. The event should occur just above the horizon, northwest of Port Leopold.

Following the eclipse and a morning nap, we will visit Prince Leopold Island’s towering limestone cliffs. They are renowned as a breeding ground for many species of Arctic seabirds. If the conditions are right, we’ll see thousands of birds in flight or at rest on the cliffs.

Day 12 — Beechey Island
In 1845, three members of Sir John Franklin’s expedition in search of the Northwest Passage died on Beechey Island. Their grave markers are silent reminders of the sacrifice explorers made to find the northern sea route to the Orient.

Day 13 — Disembarkation: Resolute
We offer optional charter air transportation between Ottawa and Resolute. If you include the optional airfare in your package price, we’ll transfer you to the airport from a pre-determined departure point.

What's Included:

• Shipboard accommodation from embarkation to disembarkation
• All meals while aboard, including afternoon tea when at sea
• Zodiac cruising per the daily program
• Shore landings per the daily program
• Formal and informal presentations by members of the Expedition Team
• Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities.
• Solar eclipse viewing
• Photographic Journal on DVD
• Port charges
  

What's Not Included:

• Fuel Surcharge
• Transportation to/from embarkation/disembarkation and home
  

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All rates are per person, double occupancy. Port charges, Government taxes and fees are additional. Limited availability and based on minimum fares for select departure dates. Other dates may be higher. These rates are for new, individual bookings only. Not responsible for last minute changes of price or itinerary by cruise line, or any errors or omissions in the content of this site. Some restrictions and cancellation penalties may apply.