Take an incredible 14-day polar cruise from Greenland to Newfoundland and explore both Arctic and boreal environments. This means you’ll experience boreal biomes – cold, dense forests dominated by coniferous trees, boreal woodlands and boreal wildlife – while looking out for caribou, black bears, red and Arctic foxes and peregrine falcons. This is a sharp contrast to what you’ll experience in Arctic biomes – home to treeless regions marked by extreme winters, low vegetation and wildlife like polar bears, seals and migratory birds. Learn about Greenlandic culture, Inuit and Nunatsiavut culture and Viking history. Experience East Coast hospitality in St. John’s, famously steeped in Celtic music thanks to its vast population of Irish descendants, and visit three UNESCO World Heritage sites – Ilulissat Icefjord, Red Bay Basque Whaling Station and the 11th century Viking ruins at l’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. This exploration really is the trip of a lifetime!
Reykjavik, Greenland Sea, Nain, L’Anse Aux Meadows, St John, St. John’s, Kangerlussuaq, Maniitsoq, Ilulissat, Pangnirtung, Cape Mercy, Torngat Mountain National Park
Discover the icy wonders of Greenland and cross the Arctic circle on this 8-day expedition cruise which takes in magical fjords, calving glaciers and remote towns. Cruise past giant icebergs in Disko Bay, look out for whales and other marine life breaching the waves and sail up close to the spectacular Eqip Sermia Glacier. Explore beautiful Uummannaq, the Iceberg capital of Ilulissat, the tiny Inuit settlement of Itilleq and Sisimiut.
Anyone considering going on this trip needs to think about why they are going. If it is for wildlife eg. birds, they need to investigate the best time of the year to go, taking migration into account etc.
I had a wonderful time on this trip. Whilst the wildlife were not particularly co-operative, or the weather, the Expedition Team did their best at all times to fulfil the itinerary and give us the best opportunity to see the expected wild life. Whilst many whales were missing, we had the unusual bonus of seeing six Polar Bears and 17 Narwhals! You win some, you lose some!
The M/V Greg Mortimer is an impressive ship, keeping the rocking and rolling across Baffin Bay, to a minimum. Inside it is extremely comfortable, all the 'hotel' staff are friendly and very professional. The rooms were kept spotless and serviced twice a day. There was a very large choice of good food at all meals. Two meals are buffet and the evening dinner, a served meal.
The lectures on board, given by members of the Expedition Team and some guest lecturers, were linked to the programme and additional ones added where particular interest was shown by passengers. They were of a high standard.
I am very happy to recommend this trip to those who are prepared to be flexible, both with the itinerary and daily programme. One day we started on Plan A and ended on Plan E thanks to the weather! It should not be considered as a cruise but a truly exploratory trip, getting into zodiacs a couple of times a day to go and get close up views of icebergs, bird nesting cliffs, glaciers: anything that may be of interest.
Join this unique adventure to explore the wonders of both Arctic and boreal environments. The boreal biomes (also called taiga) are cold, dense forests dominated by coniferous trees, boreal woodlands and wildlife such as caribou, black bears and Arctic foxes. It’s a sharp contrast to the Arctic biomes, treeless regions marked by extreme winters, low vegetation consisting mostly of mosses and lichens, and polar bears, seals and migratory birds.
You’ll also immerse in a cross-section of cultural traditions: Greenlandic culture in places like Sisimiut; Inuit and Nunatsiavut culture in Nunavut and Labrador; Viking history at l’Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland; then the welcoming East Coast hospitality of St John’s, famously steeped in Celtic music and history thanks to its vast population of Irish descendants.