North of 80°: Canada & Greenland
One departure
Start: Ottawa, Canada
Finish: Ottawa, Canada
Day 1
Ottawa, Canada
A visit to the high latitudes of the Arctic is the only way to truly understand why polar ice is as different from pond ice as Everest is from the seven hills of Rome. This expedition plans to push north of 80°, where the big ice lies.
Day 2
Embarkation Day
After flying from Ottawa to Resolute to embark the icebreaker you will already be more than 10° above the Arctic Circle. Night will just be a memory, in the land of the midnight sun.
Day 3-4
Devon Island
Wildlife encounters are another compelling reason to visit the Arctic. Near Devon Island we’ll be scanning the water for beluga, bowhead, narwhals, polar bears, Arctic seals and seabird. At Dundas Harbour we go ashore to visit what remains of the winter houses of the Thule people, the ancestors of the Inuit.
Day 5-7
Greenland and North of 80°
The icebreaker negotiates Melville Bay icebergs en route to Cape York, Greenland. We plan to sail Murchison Sound to Qaanaaq, the world’s northernmost municipality. Then we push north into Smith Sound and Kane Basin towards our ultimate goal – the Lincoln Sea. Thick pack ice may challenge Kapitan Khlebnikov
Traditionally, the Lincoln Sea is covered by the thickest ice in the Arctic Ocean. The ice can be up to 15 m (49 feet) thick, making navigation impossible, even for our polar-class icebreaker. When satellite photos taken in May 2002 were compared to more current images, we noted that an area of open sea had developed, through which it might be possible to navigate our icebreaker. Although we cannot be certain that an open passage will be found in 2009, we look forward to attempting to sail as far into Robeson Channel and the Lincoln Sea as conditions permit.
Day 8-10
Eastern Ellesmere Island
On the eastern shore of Ellesmere Island, we plan to land at Skraeling Island, where archeologist have unearthed artifacts of Small-Tool cultures dating to 4500 BCE. A landing is planned at Starvation Camp, Pim Island, where members of Adolphus Greeley’s 1881-84 expedition died.
Day 11-12
Lancaster Sound
At Coburg Island, Zodiacs cruise the base of towering cliffs revealing fledged murres diving in fish-filled waters. We plan to visit Bylot Island, a vast migratory bird sanctuary with a diverse avian community, including Greater Snow Geese, Snowy Owls, Peregrine Falcons and the rare Gyrfalcon.
Day 13-14
Resolute to Ottawa
From Resolute, we fly to Ottawa, where you will spend the final night.