CANADA’S REMOTE ARCTIC
Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands
ARCTIC 2021 | INAUGURAL SEASON Contents
Overview Itinerary Arrival and Departure Details Your Ship Included Activities Adventure Options Dates & Rates Inclusions & Exclusions Your Expedition Team Meals on Board Possible Excursions Packing Checklist Overview Canada’s Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands
Here, at the top of the world, nature has created unique wonders in astonishing EXPEDITION IN BRIEF variety. Our game-changing new expedition vessel Ultramarine, equipped with two Search for iconic Arctic wildlife, such as twin-engine helicopters and quick-launching Zodiacs, enables you to explore this polar bears, walrus and muskoxen breathtaking environment from brand new perspectives. You’ll experience the same Learn about indigenous culture from Inuit sense of wonder felt by early explorers as they navigated the region’s formidable bays, guides onboard and ashore inlets and channels. Enjoy unforgettable ightseeing and heli-landings aboard Ultramarine’s two On this exciting itinerary, we follow the natural guides of sea and ice to showcase the helicopters region’s cultural, historic and geographic treasures, aiming to approach the farthest Zodiac along the face of an active glacier stretches of this rugged, rarely visited landscape. Ultramarine’s unprecedented range Channel your inner explorer as we set out of adventure options, including activities such as helicopter ightseeing, gives you an to reach Canada’s most northerly islands: unrivalled polar experience. You’ll be able to view the magnicent wildlife that make Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere Island their home in this forbidding region, including polar bears, whales, seals, walrus, polar bears, muskox and possibly the elusive arctic wolf. From soaring clis to mummied forests, spectacular glacial formations to stunning alpine vistas, expansive waterways to sheltered shores, Canada’s Remote Arctic provides the denitive experience of a mysterious, magical region few ever get to see.
Itinerary
DAY | ARRIVE IN DAYS TO | EXPLORING Axel Heiberg TORONTO, CANADA CANADA’S HIGH ARCTIC Island Ellesmere Your Arctic expedition begins in Cruising around the remote islands Island Toronto. Explore this vibrant city on of the Canadian High Arctic aboard
Hell Gate your own before spending the night Ultramarine, the newest ship in our Grise Fjord at your well-appointed hotel. eet, you’ll navigate the same icy inlets, Coburg Island Devon Island channels and bays that fascinated Resolute Croker Bay DAY | FLY TO RESOLUTE Beechey Islandl legendary explorers of long ago. Ba nBa n BayBay AND EMBARK Designed to give polar adventurers ArcticArctAArcticctticic BayBay This morning, board your charter ight unprecedented access to the hardest- to Resolute, Nunavut. Upon arrival, Ba nBa n IslandIsland to-reach places on the planet—and TO/FROM you may have a chance to check out equipped with two onboard twin- some of the town’s sites before being engine helicopters for unparalleled transferred to your ship via Zodiac or NUNAVUTNNUNAVUT access to areas only Quark Expeditions (Canada(Canada)) helicopter (depending on ship location can bring you—this one-of-a-kind ship, Approximate limit and weather conditions). of exploration area in its inaugural year, will take you beyond the familiar in polar CANADA’S REMOTE ARCTIC Nunavut featuring Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands Onboard the Ultramarine Flights between Toronto and Resolute
exploration. Throughout your journey, daily Zodiac cruising, land excursions, a remote landscapes you will be traveling your Expedition Team will keep an eye robust education program, a community through the ancestral homelands of this toward immersing you in the best the visit and wildlife viewing opportunities. ancient culture, illuminated in person Arctic has to offer, including reaching And thanks to our onboard helicopters, by Inuit guides onboard and ashore. Canada’s most northerly islands: Axel you’ll also discover the ultimate polar Nunavut is an Inuktitut word meaning Heiberg Island and the rarely visited expedition experience: As stunning as “our land” and the Nunavummiut (the Ellesmere Island, at the top of the world. polar landscapes are from your ship, people of Nunavut) are renowned they’re even more striking from the for their incredible resourcefulness, Remember that no two polar voyages air! Conditions permitting, you’ll enjoy hospitality, good humor, and a deep are alike, since each expedition presents ultra-immersive activities like flightseeing knowledge of the land and animals that new opportunities and different weather (short sightseeing flights around your has allowed them to thrive in the far and ice conditions. While this voyage ship and surrounding areas) and heli- north for millennia. has no fixed itinerary, our objective is to landings (flying to places we could not visit as many of the incredible highlights Ultimately, your Expedition Team will otherwise access for shore excursions), this season has to offer, using the keep its eye northward, hoping to follow two breathtaking options that are unique opportunities provided by the weather in the footsteps of the lucky few polar to Ultramarine and give you an awe- and ice to give you the best experience. adventurers who have transited through inspiring polar experience like no other. Each day, your highly skilled Expedition the famous Hell Gate to reach the top Team will read the conditions and choose While this waterway is known to of the world, the spectacular Ellesmere the best course to set, but despite their European cultures as the Northwest Island. If conditions are right, the extensive expertise in these areas, each Passage, this area has nurtured and soaring, ominous snow-capped peaks of visit brings something new to discover. sustained the Inuit and their predecessors this polar desert will come into focus as That said, our expeditions will have who have called these shores home for we approach. The northernmost island some elements in common, including almost 5,000 years. Moving through these in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago,
3 Ellesmere is one of the most remote Wildlife sightings are almost guaranteed, such as snow geese, thick-billed murres places on the planet, a land of deep as many of the areas we hope to explore (Brünnich’s guillemots) and kittiwakes. fjords, jagged mountains and massive are home to a surprising number of Occupied by Inuit and Thule cultures ice shelves. If we’re fortunate enough to birds and mammals that thrive in this for almost 5,000 years, this traditional reach here, you will be among the rarest challenging environment. It’s likely that community is also an ideal spot to go of polar explorers. you’ll see polar bears, muskoxen and ashore and learn more about the Inuit several bird species, such as gyrfalcons culture, sampling the local cuisine and One of this expedition’s objectives, and dovekies (little auks). If you’re lucky, mingling with artists, perhaps picking weather and ice conditions allowing, is you may even spot the elusive narwhal up carvings or other handicrafts as a to visit the famous fossil forest on Axel or arctic wolf, though sightings of these memento of your polar adventure. Heiberg Island, Canada’s second most iconic creatures in the wild are rare, even northerly island. Dating back more than Devon Island is another possible locale in these areas where we have the highest 30 million years, the large mummified for wildlife encounters, as walrus, polar chances of encountering them. stumps were discovered in 1985 after bears and muskoxen inhabit the area, erosion swept them clean. The original Coburg Island, for instance, is a wildlife which is also the location of the remains forest that was here flourished, with reserve for such birds as snowy owls and of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police some trees reaching as high as 115 feet peregrine falcons, while the impressive outpost, established at Dundas Harbour (35 meters) and growing for 500 to vertical cliffs of Prince Leopold Island in 1924 to curb foreign whaling and 1,000 years. Birders will want to have are dotted with nesting seabirds like other activities. Nearby is a small their binoculars and cameras at the ready, northern fulmars and black guillemots. cemetery, one of Canada’s most as the island also affords opportunities The sheltered shores and steep cliffs northerly, still maintained by the RCMP for sightings of snow buntings, of Arctic Bay, a hamlet located off of to this day. Another exciting excursion ptarmigans, jaegers and arctic terns, Admiralty Inlet, provide an ideal nesting your Expedition Team might offer, among others. habitat for various High Arctic birds conditions permitting, is the opportunity
4 to fly up to explore the Devon ice cap, There is no shortage of natural beauty, one of the largest in the Canadian Arctic. wildlife and history in Canada’s High IMPORTANT REMINDER History buffs will also be intrigued by the Arctic. Each day, you’ll discover Embracing the unexpected is part chance to visit an abandoned Hudson’s something new and inspiring, whether of the legacy—and excitement—of Bay Company trading post at Fort Ross, it is admiration of the tundra flora to expedition travel. When traveling at the southern end of Somerset Island, survive the rugged environment, a rare in extremely remote regions, your and pay their respects to the ill-fated bird species soaring overhead, a polar Expedition Team must consider the Franklin expedition of 1845–46 at the bear on the hunt in its natural habitat, or sea, ice and weather to guide the route gravesite of three crew members on the remains of a century-old hut. and itinerary details. This itinerary is Beechey Island, one of Canada’s most a tentative outline of what you may DAY 11 | DISEMBARK IN RESOLUTE, significant Arctic sites. experience on this voyage; please be CANADA & FLY TO TORONTO aware that no specific itinerary can be You may have the opportunity to cruise After disembarking in Resolute, you’ll guaranteed. By the same token, wildlife in a Zodiac along the face of an active be transferred to your charter flight to encounters as described are expected, glacier near Croker Bay and possibly Toronto, where you’ll spend the night at but not guaranteed. Your Expedition even witness the wonders of calving your included hotel. Team will use their considerable ice, at a safe distance. Listen closely experience to seek out wildlife in for the steady crackle and loud roars DAY 12 | DEPART TORONTO known habitats, but the presence as pieces of ice break off and crash into Today, make your way to the airport to of any particular species of bird or the water below. You’ll also want to be catch your homeward flights, or spend marine wildlife is not guaranteed. on the lookout for the walrus that are the day exploring this fascinating city. often seen in the area.
5 Arrival & Departure Details
Arrival Day and Embarkation ARRIVING IN TORONTO You may arrive in Toronto at any time during Day of the itinerary and make your own way to the included hotel, near the airport. On arrival at the hotel, you will receive a welcome letter outlining the departure information for the following day’s ight. An agent representing Quark Expeditions® will be available in the lobby of the hotel this evening to answer any questions about the charter ight(s) scheduled for the following morning. PLEASE NOTE EMBARKATION IN RESOLUTE There is a strict luggage limit of lbs Your ight to the Arctic is expected to depart from Toronto to Resolute on Day ( kg) checked luggage and lbs ( kg) of the itinerary in the morning. The scheduled ight time will be communicated in cabin baggage on the ights between your welcome letter, and you will be transferred from your hotel to check in at the Toronto and Resolute. Should you have airport. Upon arrival in Resolute, you will be transferred to the ship by Zodiac. additional luggage, it can be stored at the hotel in Toronto. There is NO option to pay for additional luggage.
Final Day and Included Hotel Arrival and Departure Departure Accommodations Transfers DISEMBARKATION IN RESOLUTE Your included accommodation begins on TORONTO AIRPORT TRANSFERS Your ship is scheduled to arrive in Day of your itinerary, and the specic Arrival and departure transfers in Resolute between am and am local hotel(s) will be indicated in your nal Toronto are not included; however, time. After breakfast, and once the ship voyage conrmation. If you are arriving if you like, your Polar Travel Adviser has anchored, you will have time to bid prior to Day of your expedition or are can arrange them for you. staying after the disembarkation day and farewell to your Expedition Team and In order to facilitate your transfers, we request shipmates before taking one last Zodiac would like help booking a pre- or post- that you provide your ight details to Quark ride to shore. After disembarkation, you stay, please contact your Polar Travel Expeditions® at least days prior to traveling. will be transferred to the airport for the Adviser or travel professional for hotel return charter ight to Toronto. options. As accommodation space is limited, you are encouraged to request DEPARTING FROM TORONTO any extra nights as early as possible. Upon arrival in Toronto, there will be a group transfer to your included post- expedition hotel. After breakfast the following morning, you may make your way to the airport to connect with your homeward ight, or stay longer if you have booked additional accommodation.
Your Ship: Ultramarine
NEW! ULTRAMARINE Ultra Suite Deck Owner’s Suite
The newest ship in our eet, Ultramarine is designed to Penthouse Suite go beyond the familiar in polar exploration, to discover Terrace Suite
Library new places, and to immerse you in the best the region WC Deluxe Balcony Suite WC
WC WC Deck WC E has to oer. E Balcony Suite FitnessFFitittnneesss CenterCeennteteer SpaSppa Saauunna Explorer Suite Equipped with two twin-engine helicopters, Explorer Triple EL Cabin Ultramarine oers the most robust portfolio of Solo Panorama BridgeBrrididgdgege Deck E adventure activities in the industry, and features the E Interconnecting Suites category’s most spacious suites, breathtaking public spaces, and more outdoor wildlife viewing spaces than
WC other expedition ships its size, complemented by an RReeesstattaauurarraannt Deck E innovative mix of sustainability features that exceed WC E WC all industry standards. With all this and more, Ultramarine is perfectly Deck E E positioned to deliver the ultimate polar expedition experience. Ro Hospital om ReRecceceptioncepepttiotiioon
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PolarPoPolaollaar Guests: BoutiqueBBooutouutttiqtiiquiqiquequuee Lifeboats: , fully enclosed ZODIAC EMBARKATION ReadyReeadadydy Ice Class: PC RRoooom
ZODIAC Deck EMBARKATION E Visit QuarkExpeditions.com to view deck plan details. WC E Expedition ReadyReeadadydy Ready RRoooom Room
ZODIAC EMBARKATION All images are artist's renderings.
Deluxe Balcony Suite
Sauna Suite Bathroom
Fitness Center Main Restaurant
All images are artist's renderings. Included Activities
Ready for a little adventure beyond your ship? Each Quark Expeditions® voyage HELILANDING oers a variety of recreational activities You will be transferred from Ultramarine’s to enhance your polar experience. heli-decks via our two twin-engine helicopters to a pre-selected Arctic FLIGHTSEEING destination. You’ll have time to explore While polar landscapes are spectacular the location, accompanied by Quark from the sea, they’re even more stunning Expeditions team members, after which from the air, a view you can enjoy while you’ll be picked up by the helicopters seated in one of the two twin-engine in the same location and returned to helicopters stationed on Ultramarine. Ultramarine. Note: heli-landings are Typically in groups of to , you will dependent on weather conditions and experience an unforgettable aerial tour logistics. of the Arctic during a - to -minute ZODIAC CRUISING ightseeing excursion that’s included Zodiacs are the workhorses of polar in the cost of the voyage. Additional expeditions, taking you to places the helicopter activities may also be available ships can’t access, allowing you to for purchase onboard. Please note: all reach remote shorelines, explore shallow helicopter operations are weather- and inlets and search for unique wildlife. logistics-dependent. Expedition sta make stepping in and out of them safe and comfortable.
HIKING Led by experienced staff, exploring on foot is the best way to appreciate the polar landscapes. Our guides are able to accommodate a range of skill levels to suit every passenger. Walking poles are provided at each landing for your convenience. As there are a limited number of poles available, please bring your own if you require them on every landing, as some landing sites will offer more demanding options than others.
PRESENTATIONS Enjoy daily chats with and presentations from our world-class onboard polar experts—guides, scientists, naturalists, historians and other special guests who will introduce you to the fascinating history, biology, ornithology, and glaciology of the region, and much, much more.
POLAR PLUNGE This rite of passage, scheduled only once per expedition, gives you the chance to jump safely into the bracing Arctic waters under the watchful eye of our staff—and just about every single camera on board!
PHOTOGRAPHY Documenting your voyage so you can take the memories home is a rewarding experience. Our photography guides will help you hone your skills to capture the beauty of the polar regions.
Contact your Polar Travel Adviser or your Travel Professional for more information about your Included Activities and Adventure Options, including the necessary experience, physical requirements and cost.
11 Adventure Options
SEA KAYAKING PADDLING EXCURSION Imagine gliding across the surface of If you’re interested in kayaking but a bay in the presence of icebergs and would like to try something a bit less glaciers. Our Sea Kayaking program is demanding than Sea Kayaking, you’re a great way to intimately explore your the perfect candidate to sign up for a surroundings. A small group of kayakers one-time paddle on our stable sit-on-top will plan to go out multiple times per kayaks—perfect for anyone with minimal voyage as an alternative to shore landings or no kayaking experience. Rotating or Zodiac cruises. groups of passengers will be taken out on calm days, with our expert guides always The number of opportunities to kayak present to provide instruction and help is weather dependent, and will be connect you with the polar sea. conducted only during calm conditions. Prior kayaking experience is required, and you must be able to do a wet exit PLEASE NOTE to participate. Beginners interested in For all paid activities pre-booking is kayaking should consider participating in required. We recommend booking early the Paddling Excursion. as spaces ll quickly. Please see your pre-departure book for a list of provided gear for each Adventure Option.
Dates Canada’s Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands
ULTRAMARINE
Dates Days Start / End
ARCTIC AUG ¡ SEP , Toronto
Inclusions & Exclusions
Inclusions Exclusions RATES INCLUDE: RATES SPECIFICALLY • Leadership throughout your voyage by our • Formal and informal presentations by our DO NOT INCLUDE: experienced Expedition Leaders, including shore Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled • Mandatory Transfer Package* landings and other activities • A photographic journal documenting the expedition • International airfare • All Zodiac transfers and cruising as per the daily • A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for • Arrival and departure transfers, except where program landings and Zodiac cruising excursions listed in the Mandatory Transfer Package • All shore landings as per the daily program • An ocial Quark Expeditions® parka to keep • Passport and visa expenses • Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping • Hair dryer and bathrobes in every cabin • Canadian eTA required for non-Canadian or • All meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices on board • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges U.S. visa-exempt passengers throughout your voyage (Please inform us of any throughout the program • Government arrival and departure taxes not dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. • All luggage handling aboard the ship mentioned above Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare • Emergency Evacuation insurance for all passengers • Meals ashore unless otherwise specied kosher meals.) to a maximum benet of USD $¢££,£££ per person • Baggage, cancellation, interruption and medical • Beer and wine during dinner; and coee, tea and travel insurance—strongly recommended cocoa available around the clock • Excess-baggage fees on international ights • Mandatory waterproof pants for Zodiac *MANDATORY TRANSFER PACKAGE INCLUDES: cruising, or any other gear not mentioned • One night’s pre-expedition hotel accommodation in Toronto • Laundry, bar and other personal charges unless • Group transfer from the Toronto hotel to the airport on Day specied • Charter ights between Toronto and Resolute • Phone and Internet charges • Group transfers between the Resolute airport and the ship • Voluntary gratuity at the end of the voyage for • Group transfer from Toronto airport to hotel on disembarkation day shipboard sta and crew • One night’s post-expedition hotel accommodation in Toronto • Additional overnight accommodation • Adventure Options not listed in Included PACKAGE PRICE: $, USD Activities
Your Expedition Team
Our Expedition Leaders and their teams bring diverse expertise in subjects as varied as polar history, marine biology, glaciology, ornithology and photography. Their knowledge and enthusiasm will greatly enhance your immersion into the polar environment and further deepen your connection to the Arctic.
With over ¤ years of experience bringing passengers to remote polar regions and an industry leading sta-to-guest ratio, we know how to safely handle the unexpected. Ensuring this hard earned experience is passed on, our new expedition sta receive comprehensive training in Quark Academy, which provides hands-on polar expedition training prior to any sta member’s rst voyage as well as ongoing training for experienced sta.
Meals on Board
If there is one constant on board, it is that you’ll enjoy delicious meals daily. While meal times may change due to landings and wildlife encounters, you’ll always be served three well-prepared meals per day. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated by letting us know prior to your expedition. Breakfasts and lunches are normally served buet style, while dinners are served plated. À la carte meals are made at the time of your order, allowing our chefs to prepare each dish to your individual needs, ensuring you receive top-quality meals during the course of your expedition. Soft drinks and juices are available during meals and when the bar is open; beer and wine are served with dinner; and coee, tea and water stations are available around the clock – all included in the cost of your package. Spirits, premium wines and champagne are available at extra cost which can be billed to your shipboard account. The well-stocked bars on the ship are open to enjoy with your fellow shipmates in late morning, afternoon and evening.
Possible Excursions
When traveling in extremely remote ARCTIC BAY regions, your Expedition Team must This community has periodically been consider the sea, ice and weather to occupied by Inuit hunters during the past guide the route and itinerary details. , years. The protective high hills and The following sites are a sample of sheltered shores of this hamlet make for what you may experience on your an ideal nesting habitat for various Arctic expedition, whether by ship, Zodiac birds, including thick-billed murres, cruise, or shore landing. snow geese, kittiwakes, ivory gulls and Ross’s gulls. Seals, narwhals and bowhead Canada whales make their home in these waters. ADMIRALTY INLET Situated on Ba¨n Island’s most northerly AXEL HEIBERG ISLAND shore is Admiralty Inlet, whose steep Most famous for its mummied forest coastline soars , feet (©ª meters) dating back over ¤ million years, the above the icy waters of Lancaster Sound. island is home to several bird species, Just o the inlet’s northeastern shore lies including arctic terns, geese, jaegers, Arctic Bay, a Inuit community we partner snow buntings and ptarmigans. It’s with to curate authentic experiences that named after Axel Heiberg, the sponsor of highlight the best this area has to oer. the – Norwegian expedition led Narwhals and polar bears are known to by Otto Sverdrup to explore and name frequent the ¬ord. Flanked by towering unchartered areas of the Arctic. Today, clis, Admiralty Inlet—thought to be the island is the location of one of the one of the world’s longest ¬ords—is longest-operating seasonal eld research a memorable destination for anyone facilities (est. ª) in the High Arctic. fortunate enough to experience it.
BEECHEY ISLAND was at the forefront of Arctic exploration. ELLESMERE ISLAND Named after Frederick William Beechey, The most northerly point of land in DEVON ISLAND an explorer with the Royal Navy, this is Canada, this island at the top of the Located at Dundas Harbour on Devon one of Canada’s most important Arctic world features dramatic glacier-capped Island are the remains of a Royal sites and has been deemed a Canadian peaks that soar over 8,200 feet (2,500 Canadian Mounted Police post. The National Historic Site. During the meters). It is the third-largest island in RCMP cemetery there is tended annually Franklin expedition of 1845–46, two of the country and the 10th largest in the by a contingent of Mounties sent there Franklin’s ships, HMS Erebus and HMS world. Those fortunate to visit Ellesmere for the purpose. Other evidence of Terror, anchored here with perilous will be among the rarest polar explorers human habitation found nearby is results. Three of Franklin’s crew died on the planet. centuries older. here and are buried at a marked gravesite. FORT ROSS DUNDAS HARBOUR COBURG ISLAND In 1937, the Hudson’s Bay Company Located on Devon Island, there are A well-known nesting ground, Coburg established a trading post, named Fort remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Island is a wildlife reserve with a Ross, on the coast of Somerset Island. Police post here, dating back to 1924. diverse avian community. Greater snow Due to the harsh conditions and isolation Historically, this area has been settled geese, snowy owls, peregrine falcons of the post, it was closed in 1948. The for more than 3,000 years by Inuit and and gyrfalcons thrive in the protected store and manager’s house still stand. pre-Inuit cultures. Its original name environment at certain times of the year. in Inuktitut is Talluruti, meaning “a GRISE FJORD CROKER BAY woman’s chin with tattoos on it.” Be The traditional name for this Ellesmere A nearby glacier actively calves off alert for wildlife, as walrus, polar bears Island hamlet means “place that never chunks of ice, creating a birthing place and muskoxen inhabit the area. melts.” From April to August, the for icebergs at Croker Bay. The bay was residents of Canada’s most northerly Inuit a popular stop during the 1800s, when a community experience continuous daylight. path to the Pacific (the Northwest Passage)
18 HELL GATE WINTER HARBOUR, MELVILLE ISLAND Known as the gateway to the mysterious Winter Harbour is the overwintering site IMPORTANT REMINDER Norwegian Bay, this narrow waterway of legendary explorer Sir William Parry’s Embracing the unexpected is part of the runs alongside North Kent Island and famous 1819–20 expedition to find the legacy—and excitement—of expedition sits between two of Canada’s most Northwest Passage. The first recorded travel. When traveling in extremely beautiful islands: Ellesmere Island and voyage to this region, it predates the remote regions, your Expedition Team Devon Island. Transiting the channel later exploration of Sir John Franklin must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary is a rite of passage for any High Arctic and others by over 20 years! The site is details. This itinerary is a tentative explorer, as passing through it takes home to a large sandstone rock known outline of what you’ll experience on you to one of the most spectacular as Parry’s Rock. Designated a National this voyage; please be aware that no yet seldom-visited parts of our planet, Historic Site of Canada in 1930, this specific itinerary can be guaranteed. Ellesmere Island. A natural convergence, natural monument bears an inscription By the same token, wildlife encounters channeling currents, drifting ice and by the ship’s surgeon of the expedition’s as described are expected, but not marine life between its shores, Hell vessels and their captains, as well as guaranteed. Your Expedition Team Gate supports a higher concentration a plaque marking when Canada took will use their considerable experience of wildlife, including polar bears and possession of the Arctic Archipelago. to seek out wildlife in known habitats, northern fulmars, compared with the but the presence of any particular surrounding areas. species of bird or marine wildlife is not a guarantee. PRINCE LEOPOLD ISLAND Impressive, near perfectly vertical cliffs surround part of this small island. This creates an ideal environment for nesting seabirds, and they nest here in vast numbers—more than 500,000 strong! Thick-billed murres, black guillemots and northern fulmars are most commonly seen here.
RESOLUTE One of Canada’s most northern settlements, Resolute has everything from a grocery store and cable TV to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police station and a handful of hotels. It also has an airport, which is your gateway back home. About 200 people live in Resolute throughout the year. Hunting is a major source of income, while in the summer months, tourism contributes to the community’s stability.
19 WEATHER CONDITIONS & TEMPERATURES Weather is very variable; temperatures may hover Packing around the freezing mark and winds can be strong. The continuous daylight warms sheltered areas so that you may sometimes nd it warm enough for t-shirts. However, you may encounter snow squalls, fog and white-outs during an expedition and should Checklist be ready for any conditions.
WHAT TO BRING! Packing for the polar regions doesn’t have to be daunting, and to make it easier for you, all Quark voyages include an expedition parka to keep, and a loan of appropriate polar boots. Additional suggested items include:
FOR SHORE LANDINGS SUGGESTED ITEMS Base layers (wool, synthetic or a blend) Waterproof, lightweight backpack or dry sack Mid-layer warm/eece top Swimsuit (for the polar plunge!) Mid-layer warm/eece pant Binoculars Wool and synthetic sock (¦ to § pairs) Camera with extra batteries Extra memory cards Neck warmer or balaclava Earplugs (in case of noisy cabinmates) Warm hat that covers ears Eye masks for sleeping Waterproof pants Seasickness, indigestion, headache Waterproof gloves and glove liners or other medicine Sunscreen Voltage converters and plug adapters Sunglasses with UV protection (£V/European outlets) Spare set of gloves Ski goggles (for Zodiac cruising) Bug spray and bug nets FOR ON BOARD Comfortable casual clothing (pants/jeans, shirts, sweaters) Lighter shirts (in case the ship gets warm) Comfortable non-slip closed-toed unheeled shoes (NOTE: Flip ops or sandals should not be worn on board due to safety concerns)
TO BOOK YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE Contact your Travel Professional
PHOTO CREDITS: Acacia Johnson; David Merron; Nicky Souness; Samantha Crimmin; Michelle Sole; Sue Flood; Cindy Miller Hopkins; Abbey Weisbrot; EXPEDITION BROCHURE Hugo Perrin; Grange Productions; Focus Productions; Adobe Stock December