ARCTIC ADVENTURE: CANADA & GREENLAND

August 14-28, 2007

Rich’s Journal:

I remember vividly the moment I decided to go. I was reading a New York Times article about a fossil found on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. Scientists claimed the discovery was the missing link in the evolution of life from water to land. I wondered what other surprises the island held and decided there and then to visit it.

An Internet search led me to quarkexpeditions.com. There I learned that the island is too large to see in a single visit – but I had a choice of itineraries. On a polar-class icebreaker I could explore either the west or east coast. I chose the east coast expedition because it included Greenland, with opportunities to visit remote communities from Qaanaaq to Sondre Stromfjord.

An indelible moment was flying in a helicopter over the Greenland ice sheet. In every direction, ice stretched to the horizon, gleaming golden in the sun, while a sky of deep blue extended to infinity.

Another highlight occurred on Coburg Island when we cruised in Zodiacs under towering rocky cliffs where seabirds, raucously called. Hundreds searching for food would swirl in clouds from the cliff face, swooping to land in unison on the water. I will never forget it.

Kapitan Khlebnikov

Kapitan Khlebnikov is renowned in the realm of adventure travel and polar navigation. It’s among the few ships in the world that can take you through the pack ice in the remote high latitudes.

Day 1

The expedition begins in Ottawa, Canada, which is served by flights arriving from the continental United States, Europe and through connecting flights to Asia. You may arrive at any time during Day 1 of the expedition.

The transfer from the airport to the host hotel will take about 30 minutes by taxicab, which is available outside the terminal building. The cost of a transfer in July 2006 was US$23. Transfer to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, located downtown next to Parliament Hill.

At the hotel, please register with the front desk. Note that your room may not be available for occupancy until mid-afternoon. You may store your luggage and explore the community should you arrive early.

Within walking distance of your hotel are shops, restaurants, the National Arts Centre and a number of national museums and galleries, including the National Gallery of Canada.

Day 2  

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred as a group to the airport for the flight to Resolute, Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle. Have your identification in your hand. You will need it to board the plane.

In Resolute, you will be ferried to the icebreaker either by Zodiac or helicopter depending on the weather conditions. Once aboard, the Expedition Team will direct you to the lecture hall, for a safety briefing. Emergency procedures are explained then followed by a practical demonstration. One of the enclosed lifeboats may be lowered to give you the opportunity to see what is within and how you would survive in the unlikely event of an emergency at sea.

When the Canadian authorities grant permission, the anchor is raised, a salute is sounded on the foghorn, and the voyage into Lancaster Sound begins.

Although our style is distinctly informal, there may be one or two occasions during this expedition when you choose to wear something a little less informal than expedition gear. The first would be the Captain’s Welcome Reception, an opportunity to meet the Captain and his very experienced officers, who maneuver the ship with such skill during the voyage. The daily program, which is delivered to your cabin each evening, informs you of the next day’s activities and special events such as this one.

Later a three-course dinner with a choice of main courses and a complimentary glass of wine is served in the dining room.

During the after-dinner Welcome Briefing, the Expedition Leader introduces the team of specialists that accompanies every expedition. The EL delivers an overview of the voyage, after which the ship’s doctor may provide practical advice about coping with seasickness.

Day 3

This day and every day while at sea will begin with a wake-up call over the ship’s public address system. You are informed of the ship’s latitude and longitude, sea conditions, and weather. After breakfast, the education program commences with a presentation that could be about the early days of polar exploration. Alternately, you could hear a variety of presentations on the life cycle of the wildlife you will encounter during the voyage.

Devon Island, your first Arctic landing, is the largest uninhabited island in the world. It is here that living organisms, called hypoliths, are found under rocks. The rock protects the organism from ultraviolet radiation and the scouring action of the wind.

Your first landing of the expedition is planned to occur near Dundas Harbour. Here in 2004, a team of scientists and journalist established a temporary research station. They used Devon Island’s Mars-like environment to simulate working and living on the planet.

Day 4

Local people had long recognized that Coburg Island (Nirjutiqavvik is the name the local people use) and the waters that surround it were of biological significance. The natural areas of open water, known as polynia that occur even in winter, moderate the temperature so that Coburg Island may be several degrees warmer than areas of similar latitude, but which are ice-locked.

The island’s steep cliffs provide an ideal nesting habitat for seabirds. Some rookeries extend for 6km (4 miles) along the coast. Thick-billed Murres, Northern Fulmars, and Black-legged Kittiwakes breed here between June and September.

Since 1975, when Coburg Island and surrounding water was designated as an International Biological Programme Site, efforts have been made to permanently protect the area. In 1995, with the establishment of Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area, the efforts of local residents and visiting scientists were rewarded.

After a landing at Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area, you may return to the ship to listen to one of our specialists speak in greater detail about polynias or the lifecycle of the seabirds you have encountered in the wild. Perhaps, the artist-in-residence may introduce you to a style of art known internationally as Inuit. Hand-crafted in a variety of media, it is the work of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic.

In the evening a film such as the classic Nanook of the North or the recent award-winning Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner could be shown.

Day 5

In 1875, a British naval officer, George Strong Nares, became the first explorer to successfully navigate the channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland that links Baffin Bay with the Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean. Eighty-nine years later (1964) the Danish and Canadian governments agreed to name the Strait – Nares- in honor of his feat. Nares Strait (Nares Strædet in Danish) is almost impossible to navigate for any vessel other than an icebreaker. Between 1875 and 1948, only five vessels were known to have successfully navigated north of Kane Basin.

The Kapitan Khlebnikov has successfully navigated these waters for many years, often the only ship to do so.

Either with helicopters or Zodiacs, an attempt will be made to visit the inlet called Discovery Harbour in Lady Franklin Bay, on the cost of eastern Ellesmere Island (81°40'N 65°W). It lies within the boundary of Quttinirpaaq National Park.

More than a century ago, the inlet was a staging point for Arctic exploration. Discovery spent the winter here in 1875. In 1881, American A. W. Greeley with 24 men, intending to spend only a winter conducting scientific research, spent two years here, because their re-supply ship failed to arrive. They abandoned the site, relocating to what they hoped was a more accessible location for the supply ship.

While ashore, the Expedition Team will place themselves strategically about the historic site so that you may ask questions about Fort Conger and the tragic end to the Greeley expedition.

Throughout the voyage our extremely talented chefs host many themed dinners, such as the ‘black and white dinner,’ during which fun trumps formality. These special dinners celebrate many of the different nationalities represented by your fellow adventurers.

Movies will be shown in the auditorium in the evenings after dinner.

Day 6

The first European to enter Smith Sound was William Baffin in 1616. He named it for Sir Thomas Smythe (Smith), promoter of voyages to find a Northwest Passage. It took nearly 200 years before any explorer was able to attain a more northerly latitude.

As Kapitan Khlebnikov navigates the water of Smith Sound, your southward journey will have begun. Kane Basin links Smith Sound to Kennedy Channel, portions of Nares Strait. The basin was named for Elisha Kent Kane, the man who in 1853 broke Baffin’s farthest north record. In 1885, Kane was forced to abandon his ice-behest ship. He and his men marched for 83 days to Upernavik, Greenland, carrying the sick and injured. Kane lost only one man.

The waters through which you will travel today have been traversed by Isaac Israel Hayes, Charles Francis Hall, Augustus Greeley and Robert E. Peary, as they attempted to reach the North Pole.

Day 7

At one time, Alexandra Fjord was the site of the most northerly police outpost in the world. Currently it is the site of on-going research into the impact of global warming on tundra plants. In 1968, a cairn was erected to honor Canadian landscape painter, A. Y. Jackson. Alexandra Fjord was his northernmost painting location. Our artist-in-residence will introduce you to the Canadian tradition of Arctic landscape painting, and the country’s renowned Group of Seven. A landing is planned to allow you to explore the outpost and visit the cairn.

Day 8

You will have been in sight of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) for a number of days. Today, however, you land on the world’s largest island for the first time. Etah, (78°19’N) formerly the most northerly settlement in the world, is an abandoned village located a few degrees from the North Geomagnetic Pole (78°30’N).

From Etah, the ship sails to Qaanaaq (Thule), population 640. The total jumps to 850 (January 1, 2005) when the surrounding villages are included in the tally. The site of the village is at the end of narrow, picturesque fjord. The Greenland Ice Cap rests on the peaks of the mountains behind the village.

Day 9

Again the day begins with a wake-up call over the ship’s public address system. You are informed of the ship’s latitude and longitude, sea conditions, and weather. The Expedition Leader plans visits to Cape York and Savissivik.

Cape York is a breeding ground for auks and murres. Like Coburg Island, the currents create polynias, creating breathing holes for marine mammals and opportunities for seabirds to feed.

The name of the hamlet, Savissivik, that we plan to visit today, means place of meteorite iron. Numerous meteorites, some weighing as much as 20 tonnes, have been found near the community.

D ay 10

Upernavik the community to which Elisha Kane and his men marched for 83 days may be today’s landing site. You will be 800 km (500 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The municipality of Upernavik, comprised only of islands, is almost the size of Great Britain, with a population of 3,000 residing in the major urban center. The municipality is so large that the climate is different in the north than in the southern sector. Musk oxen, reindeer, hares and foxes share the southern sector with Eider Ducks, Black Guillemots, guillemots, puffins, little auks and occasionally Great Northern Divers.

The Expedition Team will take advantage of local weather conditions to plan landings that provide wildlife viewing and cultural experiences.

Day 11

Uummanaq began as a colony in 1759. The first settlers lived in earthen huts. Hunting and mineral resources was the basis of the economy. Currently, halibut fishing is the main source of income for the village’s 2700 residents. As it is 590 km (368 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, the community averages 2,000 hours of sunshine every year.

Day 12

In 2004, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared the Ilulissat Icefjord “…an outstanding example of a stage in the Earth’s history: the last ice age of the Quaternary Period. The ice-stream is one of the fastest (19m per day) and most active in the world. Its annual calving of over 35 cu. km of ice accounts for 10% of the production of all Greenland calf ice, more than any other glacier outside Antarctica. The glacier has been the object of scientific attention for 250 years and, along with its relative ease of accessibility, has significantly added to the understanding of ice-cap glaciology, climate change and related geomorphic processes.”

UNESCO continued, “The combination of a huge ice sheet and a fast moving glacial ice-stream calving into a fjord covered by icebergs is a phenomenon only seen in Greenland and Antarctica. Ilulissat offers both scientists and visitors easy access for close view of the calving glacier front as it cascades down from the ice sheet and into the ice-choked fjord. The wild and highly scenic combination of rock, ice and sea, along with the dramatic sounds produced by the moving ice, combine to present a memorable natural spectacle.”

Ilulissat is our intended destination on this day. You will want to keep your camera at hand!

Day 13

Sisimuit, Greenland’s second largest community with 5965 inhabitants, is situated midway along the coast. The community shares the cultures and habits of North and South Greenland. Human habitation in the area has evolved for nearly 5,000 years. The Saqqaq people were the first to arrive, maintaining their way of life for two millennia. The Dorset people came next, surviving for 1,500 years. The ancestors of the current inhabitants were the Thule, who superseded the Dorset culture. It wasn’t until 1756 that Europeans established a community here, which they called Holsteinsborg. When you go ashore by Zodica you will explore the old town, with buildings that date from the first days of colonial settlement.

The Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party, which often occurs on the last evening aboard, is an excuse to dress after weeks in expedition gear. This is an opportunity to thank the Captain, and officers, whose skills were essential to the success of the expedition and to our safety.

Day 14

After breakfast aboard ship, we transfer you to the Kangerlussuaq Airport for the flight from Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland to Ottawa. You will spend the night at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.

Day 15

After breakfast, you will make your way to the Ottawa International Airport for your flight home.

Note: please read this itinerary as a guide only. Our exact program will depend on local permissions and will vary to take best advantage of local weather and ice conditions and opportunities to experience wildlife. This is an expedition into a very little traveled area and flexibility is the key to the success.

SUMMARY  

Inclusions:

Trip grade:  Easy

Cost:

Triple private            US$ 11,500
Twin private              US$ 14,500
Twin private              US$ 24,650  (single occupancy)
Suite                          US$ 16,500
Corner Suite             US$ 18,500  

All rates are per person in US dollars based on twin or triple occupancy (except rate for single occupancy). Triple cabins are identical to twins, but with a third pull-down berth.

Please ask us about the significant savings solo travelers can from our Request-Share program, which matches solo travelers of the same gender.

All cabins are smoke-free. Smoking is only permitted in designated areas only.

A Day Onboard Kapitan Khlebnikov

A world-class icebreaker with comfortable accommodation

Russian icebreakers are considered to be among the best and most powerful icebreakers in the world – and the ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’ is an outstanding example. Built in 1980 and launched a year later by the world’s leading builder of icebreakers - the Wartsila Company of Finland – the ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’ was designed as a hard-working ship for the challenging conditions in the frozen Arctic seas of northern Siberia. 

Since its original refurbishment, in 1992, it has been sailing with adventurous travelers to some of the most remote corners of the world. No other expedition vessel has navigated more polar waters and, in 1997, it became the first ship ever to circumnavigate Antarctica with passengers. 

Quality accommodation

Refurbished to accommodate passengers in 54 first-class outside cabins and suites, the ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’ is extremely comfortable. All cabins feature private facilities, two lower berths (one fixed berth and one convertible sofa bed), a desk and large closets. Public areas include two dining rooms, a lounge and bar, well-equipped auditorium, indoor swimming pool, gym and sauna. Views are excellent from the Navigation Bridge. Our ship also has a library of polar books and videos, a shop, a passenger elevator and a small infirmary with a western doctor. 

European catering staff and international cuisine

European chefs prepare excellent international cuisine using fine provisions from around the world. A European barman attends the popular forward lounge that features a well-stocked bar with a good selection of wines, champagne and spirits. The dining room is attended by a combination of Russian and western staff.

Sophisticated technical gear

With 24,000 horsepower and a massive icebreaker hull, we navigate high latitude waterways closed to conventional shipping safely and efficiently. The ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’ is also equipped with the latest satellite navigation and communications equipment, including convenient Inmarsat telephone, facsimile and e-mail. 

Expert polar officers and crew

The ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’ is staffed by Russian officers and crew, all highly experienced in polar navigation. Russian captains are recognized the world over as experts in icebreaker operations. 

Experienced expedition staff and lecturers

Every voyage is accompanied by a dedicated, experienced and highly qualified team of expedition leaders, naturalists, historians, geologists and other experts from all over the world, offering a unique, informative and entertaining educational program.

Unique Zodiac and helicopter excursions