Fabled Lands of the North: Greenland, Baffin Island, Labrador, Newfoundland

Itinerary

Day 1: Home / Ottawa, Canada

Arrive in Ottawa and check in to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel. This evening you gather for cocktails and a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Ottawa / Fly to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland / Embark Ship

Arrive by chartered aircraft in the land of the midnight sun. Embark National Geographic Explorer at the head of picturesque Kangerlussuaq Fjord, the aptly named “long fjord” at over 100 miles long, and begin your explorations.

Day 3: Exploring the West Coast of Greenland & Sisimuit

Greenland’s west coast has dozens of long, deep fjords, many with glaciers fed by the ice cap that covers most of this country—the largest non-continental island on earth. You search for blue whales, the world’s largest mammal, humpbacks and minke whales. Zodiacs may take you ashore to walk on the tundra and perhaps spot caribou. At Sisimuit, a former trading post and whaling port, you stroll amid a jumble of wooden 18th-century buildings and visit the museum, with its collection of Greenlandic fishing boats.

Day 4: Ilulissat, Disko Bay

This morning you sail into Disko Bay to explore the Ilulissat Glacier, a tongue of the Greenland Ice Cap. You have an extraordinary cruise among the towering icebergs—a highlight of your journey. At the Inuit fishing village of Ilulissat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you walk around the tiny village and across wildflower meadows to view the Ilulissat Glacier. There’s time for a visit to the museum of Knud Rassmussen, Greenland’s most famous explorer.

Day 5: Exploring the Davis Strait

Today is spent cruising across the Davis Strait towards Greenland. Sailing in the company of massive icebergs and whales, you learn about Greenlandic wildlife and people during our on board presentations. Stand on deck or on the bridge as you search for the whales which spend the summer feeding in the rich waters, and keep an eye out for polar bears on the ice floes.

Day 6: Exploring the Cumberland Peninsula: Pangnirtung

Your landfall on Baffin Island is the tiny town of Pangnirtung, set on Cumberland Sound. You’re welcomed at the Craft Center, perhaps with a taste of traditional bannock bread, to see the weavings, soapstone carvings and prints depicting Arctic life for which this region is renowned. A hike along a riverside trail gives wonderful views of Autyuittuaq National Park, “the land that never melts.” On Kekerten Island you see the remains of a bygone era as you wander between cast iron pots once used to render oil from the blubber of the mighty bowhead whale.

Day 7: Exploring the Hall Peninsula: Monumental & Lady Fr

You spend today in true expedition style, exploring the wild and unspoiled Hall Peninsula of Baffin Island. You may hike the tundra in search of caribou and arctic fox, or follow your botanist to learn more about the hardy arctic plants. The exposed rocky cliffs of Monumental and Lady Franklin islands are used as haul-outs by walrus, and you cruise the coastline in search of these icons of the Canadian Arctic.

Day 8: Exploring South Baffin Island

The southeastern tip of Baffin Island forms the mouth of the Hudson Strait and is dotted with islands. Lower Savage and Resolution Island are often summer home to polar bears stranded by the retreating pack ice; your plans are kept flexible to make the most of wildlife sightings. You may cruise in your Zodiacs between the ice and weather-beaten rocks, searching for harbor seals, the prey of hungry polar bears.

Day 9: Button Islands, Newfoundland, Canada

Newfoundland has been called “North America’s only remaining unexplored wilderness.” Rugged and remote, it has some of Canada’s most dramatic scenery: towering mountains, isolated bays, spectacular fjords and stark tundra. You make your first landfall at the Button Islands, set at the entrance of Hudson Strait. Named after Thomas Button who explored the area in 1612, the islands are in the middle of a rich area of coastal upwelling where a high concentration of nutrients attracts thousands of seabirds and other marine mammals.

Day 10: Hebron & Mugford Tickle

Today you may visit Hebron, once the northernmost settlement in Labrador established by the Moravian missionaries in 1831. The Mission was closed and the Inuit families relocated in 1959 but the buildings still stand today. Your next stop is the area that surrounds Mugford Tickle, yet another scenic highlight. The Kaumajet Mountains rise over 4,000 feet straight from the sea and seem even taller due to your close proximity. After finding suitable anchorage, you will explore via Zodiac and kayak.

Day 11: Quaker Hat & Exploring Indian Harbor

Shaped like a broad-brimmed hat, complete with a black band around the base of the crown, the island of Quaker Hat is known for its vast colonies of common murres.

Day 12: Battle Harbour

Set on a small island, Battle Harbour was for two centuries the economic center of the southeastern Labrador coast. The fishery established here in the 1770s developed into a thriving community, and through the efforts of the Battle Harbour Historic Trust, the village is now a living commemoration of the life and society created there. You explore the restored fishing and whaling buildings of this historic region, amid the backdrop of breathtaking coastal views.

Day 13: L’anse aux Meadow

L'Anse aux Meadows is situated on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland, where the remains of a Viking village were discovered in 1960. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is where Norseman Leif Erikson founded “Vinland” in 1000 AD. Step back in time to the first transatlantic voyages and marvel at these hardy explorers as you discover reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins and witness firsthand the evidence that the Vikings discovered North America five hundred years before Columbus.

Day 14: Gros Morne National Park

Gros Morne National Park is an area of great natural beauty with towering cliffs, freshwater fjords carved out by glaciers, waterfalls, sea stacks, sandy beaches, and colorful nearby fishing villages. On your walk today your geologist will tell you a story set in stone: the ancient serpentine rock formations here are world-renowned for the light they shed on the concept of plate tectonics and are one of the main reasons why the park has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Day 15: Corner Brook, Newfoundland / Disembark / Home

After breakfast, disembark in Corner Brook, a charming little town nestled between mountains and sea, and proceed to the airport for flights home.

Trip Details

Ship	National Geographic Explorer
Highlights	Newly renovated state-of-the-art expedition ship, abundant wildlife, excellent naturalists, kayaking excursions and onboard exploration technology
Trip Notes	Travel with National Geographic Photographer: Ira Block (Sep 5)The photo team can enhance everyone's voyage with useful tips for improving your travel and wildlife images, strategies for being in the right place at the right time, and time-saving hints for editing and storing digital images. Whether expert or interested beginner, you'll find added benefits such as walks ashore and Zodiac cruises dedicated to photography, presentations on the creative and technical aspects of photography, and one-on-one mentoring and coaching in the field. About Ira BlockIra Block is a New York City based freelance magazine photographer who has worked on assignment for the National Geographic Magazine for twenty-five years. He has photographed stories in Africa, Australia's outback, the Gobi Desert, Siberia, and the North Pole. His extensive technical skills, creative vision, and ability to effectively communicate with his subjects has allowed him to effectively explore the world through meaningful images.Included: Charter flight, Ottawa, Canada to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland; Accommodations aboard ship or in hotels per itinerary; all meals and nonalcoholic beverages aboard ship; meals on land as indicated; air transportation where indicated included; shore excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees; special access permits; transfers to and from group flights; use of kayaks; taxes and service charges; services of a ship physician; services of expedition staff. Not Included: International air transportation except as noted above; passport and visa expenses; baggage/accident/cancellation insurance; items of a personal nature; gratuities to ship's crew at your discretion; fuel surcharge may apply.
Payment Policy	The deposit amount required to confirm your reservation varies by itinerary (see trip brochure). Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.** Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure for the following sailings: 1/5/2009, 1/16/2009, 1/27/2009.Payment MethodsCredit cards are accepted for both deposit and final payments (VISA, MC, AMEX, Discover).

When can I go?

Start Date	Finish Date	Places Available
2008-09-05	2008-09-19	+

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