13 Day Heart of the Arctic

We'll be on the lookout for wildlife, of course. Our geologists will have you raving about rocks, and the tundra plants beneath your feet are worth a closer look. Expect compelling scenery, and soak up the Arctic splendour as we go!

Kimmirut means "the heel" in Inuktitut, referring to an outcrop of marble across the bay from the community. Kimmirut is 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.

Kinngait was ground zero for the Inuit art market. 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 continue to make Kinngait a proud centre for Inuit art. We'll visit studios and meet the artists here"”an opportunity to purchase outstanding works straight from the source.

On this exploration day, we'll be making the most of what the wind, 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.

Along the Ungava Peninsula, we explore an area of treeless tundra rich in geology and
flora. We’ll enjoy hiking and a Zodiac cruise.

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’ll 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 akpait—the thick-billed murres—that nest on ledges of Akpatok’s lofty cliffs.

Our presentation series will continue as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Greenland. Our resource staff will deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we go. This is an excellent time to enjoy workshops and group learning, watch a documentary or dive into our library. While out on deck, keep your binoculars ready for minke and humpback whales amid pack ice, as well as the seabirds that are sure to mark our passage.

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, bridges old and new. The old harbour includes many buildings dating from Danish colonial days, while contemporary Nuuk is known for art, shopping, pubs, and cafes.
The Greenland National Museum is one of Nuuk’s many outstanding features; the world-famous Qilakitsoq mummies rest here.

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 subarctic location. We’ll explore this sublime landscape by ship and by Zodiac.

In the early morning we’ll complete our overnight journey up Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord)—a 190-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, bisected by the Arctic Circle.
Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at its head, is a former U.S. 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.