Eight Days Under The Midnight Sun
Foxe Basin on the west side of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
8 days / June - July
Pricing: Pricing is based on group size and seasonality, please check with us to secure the best pricing.
Highlights:
• Witness the beauty of life at the ice floe edge and beyond it, where frozen ice meets open water – crystalline icebergs carved from glaciers, electric-blue pack ice formations, hundreds of birds diving and weaving, and of course, the migrating pods of whales.
• See the northward migrating bowhead whales breach playfully, fin sideways, and slap their immense fluke on the mirror-smooth water amongst the floating ice pancakes.
• Wonder at the actual immense size of walruses – bigger than a car – as you see large herds sunning themselves on floating ice islands.
• Capture stunning photographs of pods of whales or a mother walrus and baby in the soft glow of the midnight sun.
• Try local Inuit delicacies of seal, caribou or walrus. (Your choice of course!)
Start Map
The following is an example of an itinerary. This can be used as guideline for what to expect, but due to the unpredictable nature of the Arctic, ice conditions and weather play an integral part in determining the daily activities. However, this can be seen as the beauty of the Arctic and wildlife viewing. You can never predict exactly what you will see and no two trips are ever the same.
Day 1: OTTAWA
Arrive in Ottawa and check into Ottawa hotel.
Day 2: OTTAWA to IQALUIT
After an early breakfast, head to the Ottawa airport and take a flight to Iqaluit – capital of Nunavut and the gateway to Nunavut. From there take another flight to Igloolik – oldest Inuit settlement in Canada. Meet for an orientation talk and equipment check before departing on snowmobiles and qamutiq for camp. Settle in and talk about the following day’s itinerary. The next six days will vary based upon weather, interests, and animal movements. The following is purely representative. However, each day outlined describes a day on a previous expedition.
Day 3: FOXE BASIN
Take your first visit to the floe edge and familiarize yourself with this new environment. Ride out into the Arctic Ocean to look for bowheads. Some expedition members observe quietly, while others take photographs from the boat.
Day 4: FOXE BASIN
Sail far into the Foxe Basin where you come upon a pair of walruses huddled on the ice pack. Quietly watch these enormous animals and take photographs from both the ice and boat. Enjoy a hot lunch on the very same piece of ice as the walruses, who are not at all concerned by our presence. On the journey back, we spot a lone bowhead cruising the icy waters.
Day 5: FOXE BASIN
We journey out again by boat and go even farther. The bright sun reflecting off the crystal-clear flat waters is simply magical. A few mirrored cloud formations are the only hint of a division between sea and sky. We come upon four large floating islands of ice covered with walruses. At least a hundred animals sit on each island and steam rises from the group.
Day 6: FOXE BASIN
The wind has picked up and we decide to explore the land and ice closer to the base camp. We take some time to visit nearby Thule ruins and learn about traditional Inuit life.
Day 7: FOXE BASIN
The sea is completely mirror calm. The wind over the past few days has pushed the packed ice farther out and we travel quite a distance to reach it. We spot a polar bear on the hunt for walruses and we capture fantastic photographs from the safety of the boat. We find many groups of walruses further out before returning to the floe edge where the bowheads patrol. We end the day listening to the calming sounds of whales.
Day 8: FOXE BASIN to OTTAWA
Pack up your gear and travel back to Igloolik for a trip back to Iqaluit. Fly to Ottawa in the afternoon and relax.
Spend a few days in Ottawa or fly home.
We hire Inuit guides and drivers, buy local produce, eat local food, and use local services, thus ensuring that as much money as possible is retained within the local economy and the native communities.