NARWHALS & POLAR BEARS

Fly off to an Arctic base camp directly at the flow edge of the sea ice. Enjoy the wild beauty of the arctic. Kayak amongst floating ice and hike snowcapped glaciers, while seeking out ivory-tusked narwhals and roaming polar bears. 

WHAT WE LOVE

• Journey by snowmobile to traditional Inuit hunting grounds and arrive to the Base Camp

• Experience the real Arctic, up close and fully escorted, in partnership with the most knowledgeable Inuit guides

• Safari-style luxury tented base camp directly on 2 meter sea ice at the floe edge puts you in prime position for the action

• Observe the hundreds of tusked narwhals resting and feeding meters from the floe edge of the sea ice

• For the more adventurous, a snorkeling or scuba option is available to attempt to swim with the narwhal

• See polar bears, harp seals, bearded seal, ring seals, and walrus

• Gaze up at 100 meter stepped waterfall of glacier melt-water carving its way through sea ice

• Visit the bird cliff sanctuary with 100,000+ nesting migratory birds

• With midnight sun, you'll have daylight for 24 hours

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Highly qualified Inuit guides and expedition leaders

• All transportation for the trip duration beginning in Pond Inlet

• Accommodation: 2 nights Pond Inlet hotel, 5 nights arctic safari-style luxury base camp

• All meals during expedition including those in Pond Inlet

• All activities as listed in itinerary including excellent necessary equipment

WHAT TO KNOW

• June is the ideal time for this trip

• In June the average temperature ranges from 24 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and there is 24 hours of daylight

• The weather will play a huge factor in the activities and wildlife sightings of each day

HOW TO GET THERE

Flights are available to Ottawa (YOW) from major U.S. and Canadian cities on a variety of carriers. Travelers will then take a four-hour flight to Pond Inlet (YIO) in the Arctic Circle. Base Camp transfer is by snow mobile.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

DAY 1: JOURNEY TO ARCTIC CIRCLE
Depart Ottawa for Pond Inlet by plane. After dinner, enjoy a truly authentic cultural presentation of Inuit throat singing, drum dancing and storytelling by local elders. Overnight at Pond Inlet Hotel.

DAYS 2: SNOWMOBILE TO BASE CAMP
After breakfast, meet your Inuit guides on the beach and depart for the floe-edge where ice meets open water. You will travel Inuit style by qamotiq (kam-oo-tik) and snowmobile across the sea-ice. This journey of almost 90 kilometres may include tea-stops, hanging glaciers, and an abandoned whaling station. In the late afternoon you will arrive at base camp, near the ice edge. Overnight at Base Camp.

Days 3-6: INTO THE WILD
Your safari-style base camp on the ice edge is the best location to explore wildlife-rich Lancaster Sound, deemed the Serengeti of the Arctic. While enjoying warm, spring-like temperatures, watch for narwhals, ring seals, and more than 15 species of migratory birds. During the week, there is a chance to observe polar bears in the pack ice possibly on the prowl for seals, and get lucky and see bowhead whales. Pure white ivory gulls, king eider ducks, low flying northern fulmars, thick-billed murres, and kittiwakes are just a few of the bird species in the area. Ice conditions permitting, we'll visit Bylot Island's nearby bird cliff sanctuary in Sirmilik National Park. Overnight at Base Camp.

DAY 7: RETURN TO POND INLET
Return to Pond Inlet from floe edge late in the afternoon. Explore the hamlet and overnight in Pond Inlet.

Day 8: DEPARTURE
Morning departure via Iqaluit for Ottawa.

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