In the morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport to board a charter flight to Resolute, from where you’ll be transferred to the Ultramarine ship via Zodiac or helicopter (depending on ship location and weather). Settle into your cabin for the first evening of your Express Arctic Adventure, while you wind your way around the remote islands of the Canadian High Arctic, exploring some of the hardest-to-reach places on the planet.

No two polar voyages are alike, as every day will present a new opportunity based on varying weather and ice conditions. That said, your Expedition Team will ensure you visit as many of the highlights the season has to offer, and you’ll enjoy a variation of Zodiac cruising, land excursions, educational programs, a community visit and multiple wildlife viewing opportunities throughout.

Continue to navigate the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of the past in search for the fabled Northwest Passage, the great sea route at the top of the world. However, your modern day adventure will truly allow you to be on top of the world, by flight that is, as the Ultramarine is equipped with two onboard twin-engine helicopters for a unique Arctic experience from the air! Conditions permitting during your multi-day cruise, enjoy short sightseeing flights around your ship and surrounding areas.

You’ll not only marvel in the incredible scenery surrounding you, but also learn about the ancient cultures who have called the shores of the Northwest Passage home for nearly 5,000 years. During your cruise, you’ll learn firsthand about the Inuit culture and their predecessors, greeted by native guides onboard and ashore. Nunavut is an Inuktitut word meaning “our land” and the Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) are renowned for their incredible resourcefulness, hospitality, good humor, and a deep knowledge of the land and animals that has allowed them to thrive in the far north for millennia.

During your cruise, you’ll follow in the footsteps of famous explorers like Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen, navigating the waters and exploring historic sites surrounding Lancaster Sound, which were key in discovering the Northwest Passage. World-class expert guides and local community visits will introduce you to the scientific, cultural, geopolitical and environmental elements encompassing the route as well.

What is likely to be a highlight of your trip, wildlife sightings! While they can never be guaranteed, it’s really improbable you’ll return home without any. You’ll likely see polar bears, muskoxen, walruses and several bird species, such as gyrfalcons and dovekies (little auks). If you’re lucky, you may even spot the elusive narwhal or arctic wolf, though sightings of these iconic creatures in the wild are rare, even in places where we have the highest chances of encountering them. Some possible locales for wildlife encounters are Coburg Island, Arctic Bay, Devon Island (where you might even get lucky to witness wonders of calving ice – from a safe distance!)

Say goodbye to your crew and bid farewell to the Arctic before being transferred back to Resolute to board a charter flight to Toronto. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to your hotel in Toronto, where you’ll spend the final evening of your Arctic adventure before returning home.

Whenever necessary, you’ll make your own way from your hotel to the Toronto airport for your flight home. We can arrange airport transfers in advance if desired, please let us know.