HIGH ARCTIC EXPLORER
The Canadian Arctic
Start: Ottawa, Canada Finish: Ottawa, Canada
Embarkation: Resolute, Nunavut, Canada Disembarkation: Resolute, Nunavut, Canada

During this 14-day active adventure from Resolute to Resolute, we intend to explore in the Canadian Arctic: Lancaster Sound, Grise Fjord, Beechey Island, Cape Hay Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and Pond Inlet. In Greenland we plan to visit Qaanaaq and Cape York. When the conditions are right, optional kayaking will occur. Optional kayaking is available.
Aboard Adventure Ship Akademik Ioffe
Staff & Crew:   60
Guests:   110
Length:   117.04 m
Breadth:   18.28 m
Draft:   6.09 m
Propulsion:   5,000 KW diesel twin engine
Ice Class:   KM*L1(1)A2, Canadian Type B
Cruising Speed:   14.5 knots in open water
Registered:   Russia
The ice-strengthened adventure ship Akademik Ioffe is manueuverable, with internal stabilizers and a trimming system that provide exceptional stability.
Dates and Rates – All rates are per person in US dollars and are subject to change View Cabins & Deck Plans
Ice-strengthened Ship Akademik Ioffe
Cabin & Rate Per Person
Date Days
Aug 2, 2009 – Aug 15, 2009 ^ 14
Aug 13, 2009 – Aug 26, 2009 ^ 14
Triple Shared Facilities Twin
Shared Facilities		 Twin
Semi-private Facilities 		Superior Superior Plus Suite Cook Suite
$4,890 $6,490 $6,790 $7,390 $7,790 $8,290 $8,990
$4,890 $6,490 $6,790 $7,390 $7,790 $8,290 $8,990
^ Expeditions offer optional kayaking
Rate Include:
  1. Emergency Evacuation insurance for each passenger with a maximum benefit of $100,000 USD.
  2. One night pre-expedition and one night post-expedition hotel accommodation with breakfast as indicated in the itinerary. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.
  3. Group transfers from the hotel to the airport and from the airport to the ship for embarkation.
  4. Group transfers from the ship to the local airport upon disembarkation and from the airport to the hotel at the end of the voyage - plus all baggage handling aboard the ship.
  5. Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping.
  6. All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage
  7. Coffee, tea, cocoa and bottled water available around the clock.
  8. Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities.
  9. Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled.
  10. All shore landings and excursions per the daily program.
  11. All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
  12. A polar water resistant parka.
  13. A pair of rubber expedition boots on loan for shore landings.
  14. Hair dryer in every cabin.
Additional Rate:
  1. There is an additional charter flight fare US$1,650 per person
  2. Additional kayaking rate is US$495 per person.
  3. 2009-2010 additional fuel surcharge will be determined later by ship’s operator.

Itinerary

 Route Map
Day 1 Ottawa High Arctic – 1,450 Nautical Miles from Resolute to Resolute

You will spend the night at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa.
Day 2 Embarkation, Resolute, Nunavut
You will fly from Ottawa to Resolute, where you will be transferred to Akademik Ioffe.
Day 3 Prince Leopold Island

The overpowering limestone cliffs of Prince Leopold Island are a well-known wildlife habitat. If the pack ice is close, there may be walrus and polar bears – the two icons of the Arctic. The island’s cliff faces are nesting grounds for murres, kittiwakes and gulls.
Day 4-5 Devon and Coburg Islands
Devon Island is a polar desert with a massive ice cap. We’ll visit Dundas Harbour on the south shore, an abandoned outpost that was manned by the Hudson’s Bay Company and subsequently the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Nirtjutiqavvik is Coburg Island’s National Wildlife Area and home to a profusion of birds. We’ll cruise in Zodiacs along the cliffs to watch thousands of murres and kittiwakes flying to and from.
Day 6 Melville Basin

We’ll sail across Melville Basin, known to be the habitat of the endangered bowhead whale. While at sea, our Expedition Team will deliver a series of illustrated presentations that prepare you for the shore landings in Greenland.
Day 7 Qaanaaq, Greenland

The heroine of the novel Smilla’s Sense of Snow was said to be born in a small village in the northern portion of the municipal region of Qaanaaq. The tiny village of 600, which we will visit, is the municipality’s commercial center.
Day 8 Cape York

The ice and weather conditions associated with Cape York (Kap York in Greenlandic) combine to create a friendly environment for narwhal and seals. The presence of seals and pack ice may draw hungry polar bears. Have your binoculars at the ready.
Day 9 Baffin Bay and Pond Inlet
Our heading will be south and west on the journey across Baffin Bay. Our destination will be Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) on Baffin Island. While there we will attend a cultural demonstration that will include drumming, throat singing and dancing. The local artisans carve sculptures in stone that are collected around the world.
Day 10 Cape Hay Migratory Bird Sanctuary
The majestic cliffs of Cape Hay, Bylot Island, are breeding grounds for murres, guillemots and kittiwakes. We’ll cruise in Zodiacs along the base of the remarkable seabird colony.
Bylot Island is situated where the waters of Baffin Bay mix with the water of the Arctic archipelago, creating a rich feeding ground for seals, whales and seabirds.
Day 11 Devon Island
Our return to Devon Island may include a hike across an apparently barren landscape. We’ll encourage you to look more closely. A rich variety of wildflowers grow clost to the ground on the tundra, an adaptation that allows even the most fragile flowers to survive.
Day 12 Beechey Island
A proper High Arctic expedition must include mention of Sir John Franklin’s fatal attempt to find the Northwest Passage. The first to die were buried on Beechey Island in 1845. Their grave markers still stand. The fate of their crew mates, who continued westward remains a mystery, although it is assumed all hands were lost.
Day 13 Resolute
Upon disembarkation, we fly you from Resolute to spend the night at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, in Ottawa.
Day 14 Ottawa
Depart for home.
Important Reminder
Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy - and excitement - of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage. Due to local ice and weather condition, the planned itinerary, schedule and activities are subject to change.
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