In the Heart of the Northwest Passage

To the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the region’s many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

On Baffin Island, located in northern Canada at the mouth of the famous NorthWest Passage, there is a small Inuit settlement at the very bounds of infinity. To get there, cross the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line that separates man from lands of mystery and wonder. It’s not so much the way of life that sets Pond Inlet’s inhabitants apart, so much as the setting. Snow-capped mountains, fjords and glaciers combine in a dazzling natural environment that fills space and expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is one of them.

Located on the eastern coast of Devon, in Nunavut, the Queen Harbour bay is an ideal place to stop and admire the raw beauty of the Canadian Far North. In this isolated place, the retreating glaciers have made way for small beaches alternating with majestic fronts that, if conditions allow, can be observed from the Zodiacs. The site is also perfect for observing polar bears that you will perhaps be able to spot from afar, while the floating icebergs offer refuge to seals and birds in search of rest.

On the southern coast of Devon Island, Dundas Harbour, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police post in the early 20th century, keeps watch over the entrance to the Northwest Passage. This site has been frequented for centuries by the Inuit, who call it Talluruti – or “woman’s chin with tattoos on it” in Inuktitut – in reference to the lines of the landscape which are reminiscent of their traditional tattoos. Its hills, covered in taiga reflecting greens, browns and golds, are edged by the deep navy waters of a bay dotted with white and turquoise ice floe glistening in the sunlight.

Discover Croker Bay, located on the southern coast of Devon Island, during this scenic sail. Facing the glacier tongue and the surrounding tundra, amidst the drifting icebergs, make sure you keep your eyes peeled. Perhaps you will be able to spot some of the iconic inhabitants of these remote lands: polar bears, musk oxen, seals, or birds such as black guillemots, seagulls, northern fulmars, and common eider ducks.

Discover Fort Ross, the last trading post established by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Constructed in 1937, it was used as a fur and whaling trading post at the same time. Fort Ross, located on a small island at the entrance to the Bellot Strait, is still home to this former store as well as the house for the manager and staff. The interior of these two buildings has been damaged over time and by the presence of polar bears. After a short walk towards the summits of the island, you will be able to enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view over the Bellot Strait and surrounding area.

At the heart of the legendary Northwest Passage, discover the sheltered Coningham Bay in the south-east of Prince of Wales Island, during an exceptionnal sailing. The surrounding waters, rich in nutrients brought in by the tides and currents, are home to cetaceans including beluga whales. The polar bear, lord of the Arctic, has also established its realm on this hunting ground where food tends to be abundant. When conditions are favourable, extraordinary encounters with the wildlife are possible in these isolated lands.

Prescott Island is located between Somerset Island and Prince of Wales Island, in the heart of Peel Sound, and its shorelines provide a perfect playground for belugas. However, the opportunity to observe and listen to these “sea canaries” is not the only reason to scan the horizon: here, between the icebergs and the dramatic landscapes, you may also be able to spot polar bears, as well as summon up memories of Sir John Franklin, who was the first to cross Peel Sound in 1846 during his expedition in search of the Northwest Passage, followed in 1903 by Roald Amundsen, who was the first to find a route through that passage!

Beechey Island, at the eastern end of Resolute Bay, will call to mind some of the most important moments of Franklin’s expedition. Sir John set off in 1845 in search of the mythical Northwest Passage and was forced to take shelter in Erebus Harbour for two long years, while he waited for the ice floes to recede and allow him a way through. It is a spectacular location; seeing the three wooden grave markers, bleached by the sun (indicating the burial places of at least three of Captain Franklin’s men) and visiting the memorial that has been erected in memory of Franklin and his men can only reinforce the hushed sense of reverence. If the surrounding wilderness impresses us, the ochre and yellows of the rocky desert soften the landscape.

Located in Baffin Bay, Devon Island is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Anchored on the Arctic Cordillera, its rocky surface, similar to that of Mars, is of great interest to scientists. Robert Bylot and William Baffin were the first Europeans to sight Devon Island in 1616 but it would be mapped two centuries later by the British sailor William E. Parry, who named it after the eponymous English region. Around 1920, the Hudson’s Bay Company set up a fur-trading outpost there, until the departure of the Inuits in 1936. A new attempt to populate it was made at the beginning of the 1950s. Only a few buildings in ruins, vestiges of that time, remain today.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

In the Canadian Far North, the Baffin fjords region offers a unique natural spectacle. Immense cliffs rise over 1,000 metres, (3,300 feet) high, plunging into the crystal-clear water of Baffin Bay. Shaped over time, these spectacular geological formations reveal a wild and preserved landscape. When the ice melts, Nunavut becomes an exceptional place for observing Arctic fauna. Set off in search of the polar bears seeking out the freshness of the permafrost. On the surface of the water, discover the enchanting dance of the narwhals and orcas while, in the sky, Arctic fulmars and other seabird species glide around with striking elegance.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Your ship glides slowly along the water towards the west coast of Greenland, to enter Evighedsfjorden, just a few kilometres south of Kangerlussuaq. Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity”, and for good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometres in length, it seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those sailing in it. The spectacular scenery ranges from glaciers to tundra with an abundant flora, and jagged cliffs where numerous bird species have taken up residence. Take the time to observe the white-tailed eagles and the colonies of seagulls and black-legged kittiwakes flying overhead in the area.