I had always dreamed of visiting the “land of the midnight sun”, I had seen Canada from coast to coast by land but had never been to the Arctic. Last summer I finally had an opportunity to travel with Quark Expeditions on board the Ultramarine to “Canada’s Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands.”
I quickly discovered that when you sign up for an expedition in the Arctic, it is critical to embrace the journey however it unfolds. The ever-shifting whims of mother nature resulted in many changes to my trip which actually made the expedition even more magical.
Quark Expeditions Ultramarine. Photo: Judi Cohen
Charter Flight Changes
Right from the start, things did not go as planned. Upon arriving in Calgary for a charter flight to Resolute, Nunavut, I was informed that due to life-threatening wildfires in Yellowknife Northwest Territories, all aircraft in the area were deployed for emergency assistance.
With this delay, our originally planned 12-day trip became just nine days, and the expedition needed to start much farther south in Iqaluit. This also meant we would not have time to go to the remote island in the Northwest Passage of Axel Heiberg, where I wanted to see the fossil forest, and Ellesmere Island, where I was ready to be awe-struck by its dramatic fjords and jagged mountains. Suddenly our itinerary was renamed, “Baffin Island to Lancaster Sound”.
While I was initially disappointed by these itinerary changes, the expedition leader communicated with us regularly and provided details on the next steps. The areas of the Arctic we could experience including Baffin and Devon Island were amazing. I reminded myself regularly that expedition cruising requires patience and flexibility and how important it is to embrace every moment on the evolving journey.
The view of Devon Island, Nunavut, from Quark Expedition’s Helicopter. Photo: Judi Cohen
Polar Bears, Kayak and Zodiac excursions – cancelled
Once onboard our 99-passenger ship, the luxurious Ultramarine, built specifically for polar travel with state of the art stabilizers and panoramic views from the restaurant, theatre and observation deck, I looked forward to the expedition leader’s morning announcement setting out our activities for the day’s weather and ice conditions – I’d never seen an ice chart before arriving in the high Arctic. We were not even certain that it would be possible to make it to our planned disembarkation port of Resolute until late in the trip.
Photo: Murphy_Shewchuk/Getty Images
Based on weather and ice charts the captain and expedition leader plotted our route, planning locations for Zodiac and kayak excursions and for hiking. Crew members monitored the waters around the ship continually. The sighting of a polar bear swimming close to the ship or on a nearby ice flow resulted in cancellation of paddling and Zodiac excursions. While polar bears may look cuddly and cute, they are fierce carnivores and once in ‘bear country’ north of the Arctic Circle, bears rule, and the safety of the bear and human visitors is a top priority.
Zodiac excursion in Nunavut, Canada with Quark Expeditions. Photo: Judi Cohen
Six days into the trip, when we were on Devon Island, polar bears were sighted at what was considered a safe distance, and we were taken by Zodiac in a convoy to view the bears from the water. Many of the Zodiac drivers carried firearms just in case, however none of the firearms were necessary. Seeing the polar bears from our boats was highlight of the trip.
Flightseeing by Helicopter
I took a helicopter tour twice – flying above the Arctic with expansive views of ice caps, glaciers and the winding fjords on Baffin Island and Devon Island – was thrilling. I had a bird’s eye view of otherwise inaccessible landscapes including ancient glaciers, mammoth iceberg and granite mountains.
Weather and sea ice resulted in more sea versus excursion days than were planned; however, these days turned out to be quite full and enriching with programs and presentations by the expedition team including experts in botany, geology, anthropology, and history to name a few.
The author, On the Helipad of Quark Ultramarine in Buchan Gulf, Nunavut. Photo: Judi Cohen
Resolute – Not a Walk in the Park
Throughout the expedition, ice conditions in Resolute Bay kept changing, however, as we approached Resolute on the Ultramarine the winds had blown all the ice out to sea and our approach was smooth. We were permitted to go for a walk on our own in the hamlet of Resolute before being transferred to the airport having been advised that polar bears were seen recently and that the police would sound an alarm if any came too close. As I walked around the tiny community, exploring on my own, I saw polar bear skins drying in front of the modest homes, I popped into the Coop Store where the high prices reflected the steep transportation costs of bringing goods to such an isolated location. My final stop was the Post Office which was buzzing with residents picking up and dropping off parcels and mail, a heartwarming glimpse of everyday life in one of the most extreme places to live on earth.
