Arctic Quest
One departure
Start: Ottawa, Canada
Finish: Ottawa, Canada
Day 1
Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa, Canada's national capital, is a city of green spaces and cultural institutions. You will spend the first night of the expedition in a centrally located hotel.
Day 2
Embarkation Day
We fly you from Ottawa to Resolute, a small village above the Arctic Circle, where you board Kapitan Khlebnikov.
Day 3-4
Lancaster Sound
From Resolute, you will sail along the south shore of Devon Island into Lancaster Sound. Narwhals, polar bears, Arctic seals and about two-dozen species of birds inhabit the Sound. Our first shore landing may be at Dundas Harbour, where we will visit the remains of millennia-old Early Thule winter houses.
Day 5-6
Greenland
Following the western coast of Greenland, we sail north through Smith Sound and Kane Basin. Our ultimate goal is the Lincoln Sea, more often than not the sea is covered in ten-tenths pack ice, making it virtually impassable, even for Kapitan Khlebnikov.
When satellite photos taken in May 2002 were compared to images taken in May 2007, we noted than area of open sea had developed. This open water may allow the icebreaker to enter the Lincoln Sea. Although we cannot be certain that an open passage will be found in 2008, we look forward to attempting to sail as far into Robeson Channel and the Lincoln Sea as conditions permit.
Day 7-9
Ellesmere Island
Fort Conger, on the eastern shore of Ellesmere Island, is another planned shore landing. From Fort Conger we plan to explore Buchanan Bay and its massive twin glaciers. In Alexandra Fjord we plan to visit Skraeling Island, where archaeologists have unearthed artifacts of Small-Tool cultures dating to 4500 BCE. If conditions permit, a landing is planned at Starvation Camp, Pim Island, where members of Adolphus Greeley's 1881-84 expedition died.
Day 10-11
Coburg Island
When we reach Coburg Island, if conditions permit, the Expedition Leader will deploy the Zodiacs to cruise the base of the towering cliffs where fledged murres thrive. The vessel continues westward to Bylot Island, a vast bird sanctuary, with a diverse avian community. We hope to conduct a landing on the southern shore as well as exploring the tiny community of Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik).
Day 12-16
Baffin Island
We will sail the steep-sided fjords of northeastern Baffin Island, where beautiful, rugged mountains soar above a black sea. Narwhals and beluga inhabit the nutrient-rich waters here. Caribou roam the extensive tundra. We round the headland into Cumberland Sound to Pangnirtung. Local artists famed for the prints and woven tapestries they produce will demonstrate their craft. En route to Iqaluit we plan more landings, taking advantage of local conditions.
Day 17-18
Iqaluit to Ottawa
From Iqaluit, you will be flown to Ottawa, where you spend the final night of the expedition.