One of our preferred partners is One Ocean Expeditions - incredibly passionate about polar travel, environmental protection, and commitment to safety, with a team committed to excel at everything they do. One Ocean's expedition style is unique in the world of polar travel, for so many different reasons;
- Personalized service: Every individual has a unique experience. By creating small special interest groups, each guest can choose the activity that best suits their own interests.
- Choose your own adventure: Wildlife, photography + activities: hiking, walking, zodiac cruises, photography, sea kayaking, wildlife viewing, camping, bicycling + stand up paddle boarding
- Unrivalled experience: The One Ocean Expeditions team have many years of expedition cruising expertise coupled with specialty knowledge in their chosen field.
- Creative + innovative planning: Creative itineraries are built on years of experience exploring the remote corners of the regions in which One Ocean Expeditions operates.
- Exceptional value: Well-priced expeditions, exceptional cuisine, + the widest possible range of activities.
Classic Northwest Passage + Greenland - 12 nights
This celebrated voyage explores the remote Northwest Passage, starting in western Greenland and finishing in the remote Arctic outpost of Cambridge Bay, at the western extremity of the fabled waterway. Following in the footsteps of the early Arctic explorers such as Franklin, Amundsen and Larsen, exploring the archipelago of islands and channels that create Canada’s high Arctic region. This is the home of the polar bear, the barren ground grizzly bear, musk ox, caribou and walrus.
Wildlife is a major draw card of this Arctic vacation, but there is also plenty of historical interest, and the stories of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated expedition nearly 170 years ago are central to the voyage. Franklin made his last heroic foray into the Arctic in 1845 with two ships and 129 men, never to be heard from again. The fate of the expedition remained a mystery until September 2014, when one of the vessels, HMS Erebus, was discovered in a remarkable state of preservation in the frigid waters of Victoria Strait. One Ocean Expeditions played a vital role in the search by carrying underwater search equipment on their ship as well as scientists, historians, researchers, dignitaries and sponsors of this history defining mission.
Day 1 - Flight from Ottawa to Kangerlussuaq
Depart Ottawa -> Kangerlussuaq, on the west coast of Greenland. Enjoy a welcome cocktail while cruising along Sondre Stromfjord, en route to the fabled Northwest Passage.
Day 2 - Sisimiut
Explore the fjord behind the town of Sisimiut by Zodiac before going ashore to explore this beautiful location.
Day 3 - Ilulissat Icefjord
The Ilulissat Icefjord releases gigantic tabular icebergs into Disko Bay. The glacier creates stunning monoliths advances up to 40 meters per day, creating around 50 cubic km of ice/year.
Days 4 - 5 - Baffin Bay
Leaving Greenland to transit Baffin Bay & are always on the lookout for fin, sperm, sei and humpback whales as well as the numerous species of Arctic seals and seabirds.
Day 6 - Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet)
Nearing the far north of Baffin Island + arrive at Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet). The Natinnak Centre features a cultural exhibit showcasing aspects of daily life, culture and history of the people.
Days 7 - 8 - Devon Island
Lancaster Sound ->Devon Island=water from the Atlantic, Pacific, + the archipelago of islands all mix here, to make a rich source of nutrients and food for an abundance of Arctic wildlife.
Day 9 - Beechey Island and Prince Leopold Island
Beechey Island holds great historic importance on our journey through the Northwest Passage, while Prince Leopold Island is an important migratory bird sanctuary, home to thick-billed murres, black guillemots, northern fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes. Given the abundance of food in this vicinity we often sight beluga, narwhal and bowhead whales here, as well as several species of seal and polar bear.
Day 10 - Bellot Strait
Fort Ross, located at the southern end of Somerset Island, is a former Hudson’s Bay Company fur-trading outpost. Fascinating archaeological sites nearby tell a story of more than a thousand years of habitation by the Inuit and their predecessors. Having explored Fort Ross, we attempt a transit through the narrows of Bellot Strait.
Day 11 - Coningham Bay
Crossing the Victoria Strait we arrive at Coningham Bay on the shore of Prince Edward Island. Here we hope to encounter one of the most remarkable wildlife sites in the Arctic, polar bears.
Day 12 - Victoria Strait
Heading further into the Northwest Passage, the mystery of Sir John Franklin and his ‘lost expedition’ is beginning to unravel. We hope to visit Victory Point and the Victoria Strait, travelling very near the actual location of the wreck of HMS Erebus & HMS Terror, found in Terror Bay in 2016.
Day 13 - Flight from Cambridge Bay to Edmonton
Cambridge Bay is a remote outpost on the southern shores of Victoria Island and a centre for hunting, trapping and fishing in the region, here the voyage through the Northwest Passage comes to an end. You will then transfer to the airport for your flight to Edmonton and onto a downtown location.
Vessel: Akademik Sergey Vavilov
Designed for polar research, the One Ocean Voyager is a modern, comfortable, safe and ice-strengthened. From small group sessions to briefings for all passengers, it has public spaces onboard the ship ideally suited for each and every need. A separate lounge and bar with panoramic views, as well as a library, provide ideal places to sit and relax or catch up on some reading. A selection of movies and documentaries can also be watched in the lounge. The sumptuous meals prepared for you by their culinary team are enjoyed in our dining room, which can host all passengers in a single seating and will keep you feeling healthy and strong for the myriad of activities offered throughout the voyage. Other facilities include the theatre style presentation room, gift-shop, fitness room, massage room, hot water spa, sauna and plunge pool. There’s also a dedicated expedition ‘mud-room’ where you prepare for your off-ship excursions.
Contact one of our Cruise Specialists for more information or to discuss booking your next Arctic Polar expedition with One Ocean! Get in touch with us via our website 'contact us' button or via phone call at 604-736-7447.
