Day 1 Depart the US

• Arrive in Ottawa, Ontario and meet fellow students, chaperones, scientists and other expedition members.

Overnight: Ottawa

Day 2 Ottawa

• Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Canadian Museum of Nature’s Natural Heritage Building.
• Participate in ice breakers to get to know your team, the expedition team and the international students that will be on board the expedition vessel.
• Be prepared by experts in ecology, conservation, exploration, marine biology and more for the upcoming expedition through lectures and educational sessions.

Overnight: Ottawa

Day 3 Iqaluit, Nunavut

• Board a charter flight for Iqaluit, Nunavut—Canada’s newest capital.
• Explore this unique community before boarding the expedition vessel and setting sail down Frobisher Bay.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 4 Grinnell Glacier – Lower Savage Islands

• View the spectacle of the Grinnell Glacier and learn how it was formed.
• Search for evidence of the Palaeo-Eskimo people who may have used the Savage Islands as a resting place during their travels.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 5 Akpatok Island – Quaqtaq - Ungava Bay

• Learn to identify some of the seabirds that feed in this area from onboard experts.
• Keep a sharp eye out for beluga, bowhead and narwhal whales as they migrate to the Hudson Bay.
• Explore Akpatok’s pristine rocky beaches, and hike inland to meadows, ponds and streams. This is a great place to spot polar bears.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 6 Monumental Island

• Visit this remote and rocky island off the west coast of Baffin Island—home to hundreds of walrus and usually another good place to view polar bears.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 7 Kekerten Island – Pangnirtung

• Encounter the remains of a 200-year-old commercial whaling station.
• On the shore of the stunning Pangnirtung Fjord, interact with community leaders and village Inuit elders and witness their daily life. Discuss how climate changes are impacting their way of life.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 8 Auyuittuq National Park

• Enter one of Canada’s most spectacular parks, Auyuittuq National Park, with its glaciers, soaring mountains and a diverse selection of Arctic mammals and migratory birds.
• Lace up your hiking boots for a spectacular all-day trek to the Arctic Circle.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 9 Cape Dyer – Kivitoo

• Sail north along the rugged eastern coast of Baffin Island.
• Weather permitting, sail into pack ice and experience real ice navigation.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 10 Cape Dyer – Kivitoo

• Sail above the Arctic Circle.
• All hands-on-deck for whales, bears and seals.
• Engage with onboard experts as you learn about this unique ecology and its threatened future.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 11 Itirbilung Fjord

• Explore stunning fjords and search for the red, rocky slopes of Abbajalik Island that signal the only known breeding colony of dovekies in the Canadian Arctic.
• Search for signs of ancient Thule settlements as well as polar bears and bowhead whales.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 12 Qikiqtarjuaq – Fjord Day

• Sail southward down Baffin’s craggy coast, making quick Zodiac excursions along the way.
• Investigate icebergs and view wildlife.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 13 Cape Mercy

• Spend time discussing the impacts of climate change on this area of the Arctic with our education staff; break into small groups and discuss change from a community level up and prepare to participate in forums demonstrating what you have taken away from your days at sea.
• Observe icebergs and wildlife.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 14 Butterfly Bay

• Stop in Butterfly Bay where there will be icebergs to see, beaches to cruise, wildlife to view, and hills and tundra to hike.
• Discuss ways to apply lessons learned from the expedition.

Overnight: Onboard Expedition Vessel

Day 15-16 Iqaluit – Ottawa

• Explore the capital of Canada’s newest territory as you say goodbye to your sea mates.
• Return via charter flight to Ottawa.