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This 18-day icebreaker expedition traces
the history of the northern peoples across
4,000 years, from Resolute to Iqaluit in
Nunavut, Canada's easternmost territory in
the North. Landings are intended on
Ellesmere Island, Greenland and Baffin
Island. An attempt will be made to sail the
Lincoln Sea, covered in ice so thick even a
polar-class icebreaker cannot crush its way
through!
Day 1: Ottawa,
Canada
Ottawa, Canada's national capital, is a city
of green spaces and cultural institutions. You
will spend the first night of the expedition
in a centrally located hotel.
Day 2: Embarkation
Day
We fly you from Ottawa to Resolute, a small
village above the Arctic Circle, where you
board Kapitan Khlebnikov.
Days 3-4: Lancaster
Sound
From Resolute, you will sail along the south
shore of Devon Island into Lancaster Sound.
Narwhals, polar bears, Arctic seals and about
two-dozen species of birds inhabit the Sound.
Our first shore landing may be at Dundas
Harbour, where we will visit the remains of
millennia-old Early Thule winter houses.
Days 5-6: Greenland
Following the western coast of Greenland, we
sail north through Smith Sound and Kane Basin.
Our ultimate goal is the Lincoln Sea, more
often than not the sea is covered in
ten-tenths pack ice, making it virtually
impassable, even for Kapitan Khlebnikov.
When satellite photos taken in May 2002 were
compared to images taken in May 2007, we noted
than area of open sea had developed. This open
water may allow the icebreaker to enter the
Lincoln Sea. Although we cannot be certain
that an open passage will be found in 2008, we
look forward to attempting to sail as far into
Robeson Channel and the Lincoln Sea as
conditions permit.
Days 7-9: Ellesmere
Island
Fort Conger, on the eastern shore of Ellesmere
Island, is another planned shore landing. From
Fort Conger we plan to explore Buchanan Bay
and its massive twin glaciers. In Alexandra
Fjord we plan to visit Skraeling Island, where
archaeologists have unearthed artifacts of
Small-Tool cultures dating to 4500 BCE. If
conditions permit, a landing is planned at
Starvation Camp, Pim Island, where members of
Adolphus Greeley's 1881-84 expedition died.
Days 10-11: Coburg
Island
When we reach Coburg Island, if conditions
permit, the Expedition Leader will deploy the
Zodiacs to cruise the base of the towering
cliffs where fledged murres thrive. The vessel
continues westward to Bylot Island, a vast
bird sanctuary, with a diverse avian
community. We hope to conduct a landing on the
southern shore as well as exploring the tiny
community of Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik).
Days 12-16: Baffin
Island
We will sail the steep-sided fjords of
northeastern Baffin Island, where beautiful,
rugged mountains soar above a black sea.
Narwhals and beluga inhabit the nutrient-rich
waters here. Caribou roam the extensive
tundra. We round the headland into Cumberland
Sound to Pangnirtung. Local artists famed for
the prints and woven tapestries they produce
will demonstrate their craft. En route to
Iqaluit we plan more landings, taking
advantage of local conditions.
Days 17-18: Iqaluit
to Ottawa
From Iqaluit, you will be flown to Ottawa,
where you spend the final night of the
expedition.
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