Arctic: Narwhal and Polar Bear Floe Edge Adventure

Itinerary

• Nunavut

  Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada.  It comprises a major portion of Northern Canada, and most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, making it the fifth-largest country subdivision in the world. The capital is Iqaluit (formerly "Frobisher Bay") on Baffin Island, in the east of the territory. Nunavut is also home to the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world.

• Land Based Camp

  By offering land-based expeditions, we are able to peel beneath the arctic surface and allow you to see the life that exists all around – from whales, to polar bears, to the flowering flora. Best of all, it is the arctic people – the Inuit who have lived in this harsh, yet stunningly beautiful region for thousands of years that guide you through your arctic experience. We work and partner closely with the local Inuit communities in coordinating our expeditions. Watching your guides follow polar bear tracks, or scan the horizon from a stack of pack ice, you can learn and see the skills ‘in-action’ that have allowed them to survive for eons.

• Pond Inlet

  The Inuit call Pond Inlet Mittimatalik or the resting place of Mittima, an Inuk whose memory has been perpetuated through the years. Ancient tombs, some dating back to more than a thousand years, are the proof that Pond Inlet has long been inhabited. The beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife in the area have earned Pond Inlet that name, "jewel of the Baffin". This ancestral homeland of the North Baffin Inuit is rich in archaeology. Thule Inuit lived in the region for centuries and left many interesting sites. American and Scottish whalers frequently visited the area early in the 19th century.

• Ontario

  Ontario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area.
   Ontario is bordered by the provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and five U.S. states (from west to east): Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania (the latter two across Lake Erie) and New York to the south and east. Most of Ontario's  border with the United States runs along water.  The capital of Ontario is Toronto, Canada's most populous city and metropolitan area.  Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is also located in Ontario.

• Ottawa

  Ottawa is the capital of Canada, located on the banks of the Ottawa River, on the border between Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa is home to a wealth of national museums, official residences, government buildings, memorials and heritage structures. Major attractions include: Parliament Hill, the National Library and Archives, the National Gallery as well as the Museums of Civilization, Contemporary Photography, Nature, Science & Technology, and War. Byward Market is the centre of the city's nightlife, and restaurants.

• • Ottawa
  • Recreational Pathway
  • Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel

  Day 1: Ottawa

  A package will be sent to your home or office address prior to your travels with any vouchers, maps and hotel reservations that may be relevant to your itinerary. You can also download all vouchers by accessing your webpage - details of which will be provided upon confirmation of your trip.

  You will be provided with a pre-departure package which will include all necessary information that you will need for your trip including materials such as vouchers, maps, train tickets (if relevant) etc.

  Take an airport transfer in Ottawa in a luxury vehicle with a professional driver.

  Consider renting a bike for the afternoon and seeing the city and surrounds on two wheels. Ottawa is criss-crossed by hundreds of kilometers of recreational pathways that are perfectly suited for biking. (They may also be used for walking, in-line skating and other non-motorized modes of transport). These recreational pathways include a variety of scenic routes along the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers, along the UNESCO World Heritage Site-Rideau Canal, and venturing into the province of Quebec and the forests of Gatineau Park. If you feel like doing an organised tour, consider a tour to Victoria Island where you can learn about the aboriginal people, enjoy a BBQ lunch, participate in a traditional pow wow dance, and/or make your own aboriginal art work. Please speak to your Sales Advisor if any of this is of interest to you.

  Accommodation: Fairmont Chateau Laurier (4*)

  Fairmont Château Laurier (4*) is a reflection of the confidence, dignity and style of Ottawa. It stands as a testament to this dynamic and thriving city. Located in the heart of Canada's capital next door to the Parliament Buildings, the hotel is a magnificent limestone edifice with turrets and masonry reminiscent of a French château. The Rideau Canal offers miles of bicycle and inline skating paths and the world's longest skating rink just outside the door. The nearby Gatineau Hills offer great hiking, biking and canoeing, and in the winter, cross-country ski trails and excellent downhill thrills. With Winterlude, the Tulip Festival and countless other festivals, Ottawa is a flurry of activity year round. Once the wealth of sights has been taken in, drop by the Health Club or satisfy your appetite at one of the superb restaurants.

• • Pond Inlet
  • Arctic landscape
  • Sauniq Hotel -exterior

  Day 2: Ottawa - Pond Inlet

  Take an airport transfer in Ottawa in a luxury vehicle with a professional driver.

  Enjoy your flight to the Arctic from Ottawa as you first fly to Iqaluit (flights depart around 9:00am and arrive in Iqaluit around 1PM). From Iqaluit, there is a change of planes to continue on to Pond. Flights to these smaller communities usually leave early to mid afternoon.

  You will be fitted out with all of the outer clothing that you will require for your Arctic Adventure.

  Consider any of the following activities available from Pond Inlet such as a guided hike exploring the local town and the surrounding tundra with the spectacular scenery in the company of an Inuit Guide and see daily life up close, a day excursion dogsledding exploring the snow-locked landscape while you head for Sirmilik National Park's Bylot Island, or a day trip snowmobiling to explore and see the massive glaciers, steep walled fiords, pressure ridges and natural beauty of the snow covered landscape that cradles Pond Inlet. For evening entertainment, consider an informative evening of Inuit Throat singers, drum dancers and ay-ay ay songs. Please speak to your Sales Advisor if you would like to do any of these activities.

  Accommodation: Sauniq Hotel

  Newly built in 2009, the Sauniq Hotel has the most up to date and modern rooms in Pond Inlet featuring over 20 guest rooms with double occupancy. Each room features cable with flat screen televisions and private bath. Complimentary internet access is provided. The dining room features home style meals and offer features area delicacies. You can chat, read or play cribbage in the comfortable sitting room. It is important to note that the hotel, while it is clean and comfortable, is most definitely not luxurious, but is the best quality offering in the area.

• • Dogsledding

  Day 3: Pond Inlet

  Experience the beauty, the sounds, and the culture of the arctic as it should be seen – under the great blue sky, vast panorama's of sea ice, glaciers, snow-capped mountains by means of traditional dog sled. Travel from the hamlet of Pond Inlet led by your own private Inuit guide and his dog team and spend a leisurely day exploring the snow-locked landscape while you head for Sirmilik National Park's Bylot Island. Stop for lunch on the shores of Bylot island and hike approximately half a kilometer inland to see the impressive hoodoo's - tall towers and spires of sedimentary bedrock sculpted by centuries of erosion by wind and water. Seek out and photograph the regions' towering cliffs, gigantic ice bergs frozen in the ice-pack that you are traveling over. After lunch, take a different route back to Pond Inlet where your guide may even give you reigns!

  Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

  Accommodation: Sauniq Hotel
• • Land based camp (by Pond Inlet)
  • Traveling to camp
  • Fresh Arctic Char

  Day 4: Pond Inlet - Land Based Camp

  The spring and summer months heralds the arrival of the migratory whales and birds. It is a time of awakening as the 24 hour sun shines all night long, the snow and ice begin to melt and flowers begin to bloom. Enjoy single day or multi-day trips based out of a local town such as Pond Inlet or Igloolik to experience the rich Inuit culture, see, hear, and taste the arctic up close and personal – from the silence that envelops you while standing atop an iceberg to the crunching of your feet as you walk across the pebbles of a glacier field. Taste the glacier fed streams or go in search of the abundant wildlife such as the mystical narwhal, or massive herds of walrus on a multi-day adventure to floe edge. If you're lucky, see a Nunuk – the Inuit term for Polar Bear under the watchful guidance of your professional Inuit guide. Land based means that you are not on a cruise ship but will travel on the land, you will live on the land, see the life of the land and you will explore the land with our experienced local Inuit guides (with the optional addition of an expedition leaders/naturalist). You will leave to our ice or land camp destination from an Inuit community and travel over land, ice or water and "live" on the land for the expedition duration. This provides you with the best way to experience all the arctic has to offer, from animals to Inuit culture - up close and personal. The beauty of doing a land-based expedition allows one to peel beneath the arctic surface and enables you to see the life that exists all around – from whales, to polar bears, to the flowering flora. Best of all, it is the arctic people – the Inuit who have lived in this harsh, yet stunningly beautiful region for thousands of years that guide you through your arctic experience. We work and partner closely with the local Inuit communities in coordinating our expeditions. Watching our guides follow polar bear tracks, or scan the horizon from a stack of pack ice, you can learn and see the skills ‘in-action’ that have allowed them to survive for eons.

  Take a trip to the 'floe edge'- where the land-fast sea ice meets open water. Leaving Pond Inlet in the morning, you will climb aboard your personal Qamutik – an Inuit style wooden sledge lashed together and pulled by a snowmobile. You'll travel approximately 3 to 5 hours depending on sea ice conditions and how often you would like to stop. It is a leisurely journey where you will be wide eyed in wonder at the immense cliffs, towering ice bergs, and snow-capped mountains that line the way. The journey to the floe edge is half the adventure, but once at floe edge, the rest of the adventure begins. You will settle into a safari-style base camp set directly on the ice only meters from the floe edge. This ice floe edge is a natural barrier for the narwhal and other marine wildlife to continue further inland, and as a result, the floe edge becomes known as the 'line of life' with abundant whales, birds, seals and the king of the arctic – the polar bear thriving at its edge. As a result, the floe edge is the ideal location to be positioned for narwhal and other wildlife viewing. Under the 24 hour daylight – the long shadows and warm glow of the midnight sun allow for beautiful photographs of ice, water and sky. This is the real arctic up close and personal. Watch myriads of sea birds cruise continuously at the water's edge in search of food. Murres dive below the water's surface, fulmers swoop low and eider ducks cruise noiselessly by.

  During your overnight stay, with an open air dinner prepared by your guide, keep an eye out for the tell-tall ripples for emerging narwhal, or listen for the distinct exhale and mist from their blowholes.

  Accommodation: Land Based Expedition Camp

  Your expedition base camp on the land will be out on the sea ice within a safe distance from the floe edge, along the coastline nestled beneath a sheltering cliff, along a flat expanse of pebbly beach, or even close to the foot of a large glacial tongue of ice. Sleeping accommodation will be a large specially designed Arctic shelter with approximately 10 square meters of living space (one tent per two people). They are spacious and comfortable with ample headroom to stand up and floor space to keep your gear organized and accessible. Raised cots, warm 20-pound sleeping bags, down pillows and extra blankets ensure a deep and comfortable sleep in the land of the midnight sun. Your Inuit guide will also be your chef, providing hot, warm meals three times a day. Finally, and some would argue most importantly, separate washroom facilities provide a private spot to freshen up with hot water. Please note: you are in a remote environment. Washroom facilities are private, yet basic.

• • Wildlife

  Day 5: Land Based Camp

  Visit the Sirmilik park bird sanctuary where 20,000+ terns, murres and kittiwakes are nesting on the steep walled cliffs of Bylot island. It is about 1 hour journey from the floe edge to the bird sanctuary. There are opportunities for hiking on the tundra anywhere along the route or excursions from the floe edge camp can be done.

  Accommodation: Land Based Expedition Camp
• • Narwhal

  Day 6: Land Based Camp

  Waiting patiently at the floe edge should improve chances of seeing that amazing northern whale, the Narwhal. We will be watching for groups of these mystical creatures, with their long spiralled tusks – the male’s tusk can be up to 7 feet long! This will surely be a highlight! It is also possible to see Beluga and Bowhead Whales, Walrus, and the king of arctic - the Nanook, the Polar Bear, but we will need some luck for these. The floe edge will also give us the chance to see Ringed, and possibly Bearded and Harp Seals.

  Accommodation: Land Based Expedition Camp
• • Polar bear

  Day 7: Land Based Camp - Pond Inlet

  Spend the morning with your Inuit Guide - the choice of activity is up to you - go for a hike, relax by the flow edge, or do some more wild life viewing. Your guide can bring you to a location along the floe edge to look for whales or some other ice/land activity. Then come back for lunch – pack up camp and head back across the ice to Pond inlet by qamutik. The journey back will take approximately 3 to 5 hours.

  Accommodation: Sauniq Hotel

• Day 8: Pond Inlet - Ottawa

  Enjoy your flight from Pond Inlet to Ottawa. A change of plane in Iqaluit is necessary.

  Take an airport transfer in Ottawa in a luxury vehicle with a professional driver.

  Accommodation: Fairmont Chateau Laurier (4*)

• Day 9: Ottawa

  Take an airport transfer in Ottawa in a luxury vehicle with a professional driver.

  Accommodation: Depart (Int`l Airport)

Accommodation

• • Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel
  • Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel

  Fairmont Chateau Laurier (4*)

  Fairmont Château Laurier (4*) is a reflection of the confidence, dignity and style of Ottawa. It stands as a testament to this dynamic and thriving city. Located in the heart of Canada's capital next door to the Parliament Buildings, the hotel is a magnificent limestone edifice with turrets and masonry reminiscent of a French château. The Rideau Canal offers miles of bicycle and inline skating paths and the world's longest skating rink just outside the door. The nearby Gatineau Hills offer great hiking, biking and canoeing, and in the winter, cross-country ski trails and excellent downhill thrills. With Winterlude, the Tulip Festival and countless other festivals, Ottawa is a flurry of activity year round. Once the wealth of sights has been taken in, drop by the Health Club or satisfy your appetite at one of the superb restaurants.

  • More information
• • Sauniq Hotel -exterior

  Sauniq Hotel

  Newly built in 2009, the Sauniq Hotel has the most up to date and modern rooms in Pond Inlet featuring over 20 guest rooms with double occupancy. Each room features cable with flat screen televisions and private bath. Complimentary internet access is provided. The dining room features home style meals and offer features area delicacies. You can chat, read or play cribbage in the comfortable sitting room. It is important to note that the hotel, while it is clean and comfortable, is most definitely not luxurious, but is the best quality offering in the area.

  • More information

• Land Based Expedition Camp

  Your expedition base camp on the land will be out on the sea ice within a safe distance from the floe edge, along the coastline nestled beneath a sheltering cliff, along a flat expanse of pebbly beach, or even close to the foot of a large glacial tongue of ice. Sleeping accommodation will be a large specially designed Arctic shelter with approximately 10 square meters of living space (one tent per two people). They are spacious and comfortable with ample headroom to stand up and floor space to keep your gear organized and accessible. Raised cots, warm 20-pound sleeping bags, down pillows and extra blankets ensure a deep and comfortable sleep in the land of the midnight sun. Your Inuit guide will also be your chef, providing hot, warm meals three times a day. Finally, and some would argue most importantly, separate washroom facilities provide a private spot to freshen up with hot water. Please note: you are in a remote environment. Washroom facilities are private, yet basic.

  • More information

The Fine Print

• Trip Operator

  Horizon & Co. (founded in 1963), is a privately-owned leading boutique travel company. Horizon designs and stages authentic and deeply personal travel experiences that are carefully choreographed to induce a life-long memory. In addition to offering published trips on seven continents, Horizon builds private custom trips for discerning individuals and small groups.

• Contact Information

  Horizon & Co.
  Tel: 1-800-387-2977
  Email: admin@horizon-co.com
  Web: www.horizon-co.com

• What's Included:

  • Guaranteed departure - Accommodation, Activities, Transfers, Meals, Fees where indicated as per the itinerary - Local and international traveler assistance during your tour - Specialised and personalised services

• What's not Included:

  • Tips - Laundry - Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages unless explicitly noted - Optional activities/extras – Visas (unless noted) - Vacation insurance

• Trip Terms & Conditions

  • Your deposit is due immediately on booking (30% of program price, minimum $250). The balance is due 90 days prior to departure. We accept payment via credit card, certified check, wire transfer or money order.
  • Tour quotes do not include airfare to/from the trip start point unless noted on the itinerary
  • Cost increases in currency exchange, government fees, taxes, surcharges or hotel/lodge tariff increases between quote date and start date are payable by the client.
  • Availability cannot be guaranteed until booked. We will exercise best efforts to book hotels per the itinerary, however, in busy seasons and with client bookings made within 90 days of tour date we may be forced to offer substitutes.
  • Cancellations of confirmed bookings 90 days or more prior to departure will receive full refund minus a $350 (per person) administrative fee and any non-refundable paid fees (e.g. non-refundable airfare, cruise or hotel deposits). 60-89 days will be subject to loss of deposit. 30-59 days will be subject to loss of 50% of program price. 29 days or less will be subject to 100% of program price.
  • Payment of the program price constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out at www.horizon-co.com/terms-and-conditions
  • Living Standards and practices at destination may differ from those in North America with respect to provisions of utilities, services and accommodation.

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