Arctic Canada Express with Helicopter Flight

Your Arctic Canada expedition cruise begins in the Canadian city of Calgary, where having arrived independently you will make your way to the designated hotel. You may wish to arrive a day or 2 before your itinerary begins, to enjoy some exploration of this vibrant city. The following morning you will transfer to the airport to take your flight to Resolute, Nunavut, where you will transfer to the ship via Zodiac boat or helicopter and your expedition will officially begin.

As we wind our way around the remote islands of the Canadian High Arctic, your itinerary will be flexible and dependent on sea, ice and weather conditions, with your experienced captain and crew choosing the optimal route for unforgettable adventures and experiences. We will navigate through the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of long ago as they searched for the fabled Northwest Passage, the great sea route at the top of the world. On this express itinerary, every opportunity possible will be taken to allow you to fully immerse yourself in this incredible part of the world. Exciting Zodiac cruises daily, helicopter flightseeing experiences and guided shore visits will offer you incredible access to this area’s natural wonders.

While this waterway is known to European cultures as the Northwest Passage, these lands and waters have nurtured and sustained the Inuit and their predecessors who have called these shores home for almost 5,000 years. Moving through these remote landscapes you will be traveling through the ancestral homelands of this ancient culture, illuminated by Inuit guides onboard and ashore. Nunavut is an Inuktitut word meaning “our land” and the Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) are renowned for their incredible resourcefulness, hospitality, good humour, and a deep knowledge of the land and animals that has allowed them to thrive in the far north for millennia.

During your time here you will get up-close to awe-inspiring sights and historically rich areas, following in the footsteps of famous explorers like Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen. Your team of onboard experts will offer insights into the scientific, cultural, geopolitical and environmental aspects of the route, as well the iconic wildlife that resides here. Most of this wildlife, you can hope to see for yourself as we go in search of sightings of Polar bears, muskoxen, Arctic birds and maybe even the elusive narwhals and bowhead whales.

Areas we expect to visit include Coburg Island which is a wildlife reserve for birds such as Brünnich’s and Black guillemots, northern fulmars, black-legged kittiwakes and more, and the bird-filled vertical cliffs of Prince Leopold Island. In the sheltered shores of Arctic Bay there will be more birdwatching opportunities as well as the chance to go ashore to learn about the lifestyle and culture of the Inuit community that resides here. On Devon Island we will hope for sightings of the walrus, polar bears and muskoxen that inhabit the area while we explore Dundas Harbour and visit the remnants of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost.

On historic Beechey Island we will make a visit to pay our respects at the small, marked graves of the crew members of the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845–46, and there will be more highlights for history enthusiasts as we reach Fort Ross to visit an abandoned Hudson’s Bay Company trading post and transit through the legendary Bellot Strait. For scenic excitement, a Zodiac cruise along the face of an active glacier near Croker Bay, Devon Island is sure to impress and the added excitement of helicopter flightseeing over these wild and remote Arctic landscapes is sure to be unforgettable.

Having traversed the legendary Northwest Passage, your ship will arrive back in Resolute where it will be time to disembark and take your charter flight back to Calgary. Upon arrival in Calgary you will check into your hotel for your overnight stay. The following morning it’s time to check-out and make your way homewards or onwards.