First two days due to strong winds we were exploring unexpectedly fjord near Kangerlussuaq airport in Greenland. This affected the planned itinerary and expedition team worked hard to resolve various issues. It was a very memorable experience with 18 nights on board of Ultramarine. We have visited places where no other expedition ships have been or only visited on rare occasions. We were lucky with clear skies on the first 6 nights and the Aurora Borealis was better and better on each night. Glaciers, icebergs were nice backdrops on many photos and experiences were enhanced with helicopter flights over magnificent landscapes of Baffin island (Sam Ford fjord especially) and Greenland. Wonderful autumn colours of tundra and rock formations were explored on many hikes in addition to the visits to archeological sites. Introduction to Inuit culture and history was during visits to Itileq, Ilulissat, Uummannaaq, Nipisat island and Pond Inlet. It was enhanced by performances of local artists and visits to Inuit colourful homes. Although the wildlife of Arctic is not so plentiful as in Antarctica, we managed to have wonderful observations of numerous polar bears (12 in one day!), seals and birds. We also followed somewhat the footsteps of Franklin's expedition and reached the Beechey island where the expedition has spent the winter in 1845/46 and where are some graves of the sailors. Expedition team members presented many interesting lectures on history, geology, birds and bears. It was also a nice culinary experience of Greenlandic cuisine: Tundra to Table.
Excellent - Anonymous
The ship and staff for the journey provided enthusiastic, effective and patient support, with a well-executed itinerary that I'd trust for future trips. Food and accommodation were excellent. Waters were very calm once reaching Antarctica, to relieve anyone's seasickness. Mountain and Glacier landscapes were great. The wildlife in the area is plentiful, where we saw at least some whales, seals and penguins every day we were in Antarctica and probably 20ish whales overall. The animals aren't afraid of humans and so at worst ignore you as you get fairly close. Extra downtime filled with interesting presentations about history, animals, current antarctic science and recent environmental issue affecting it. If you absolutely must have Emporer penguins, elephant seals or Orca, check the season you're going as we saw just a few but they were unusual and not to be expected at the time/places we went. I'd recommend this trip to anyone I knew going to Antarctica who hasn't been there before and doesn't have extremely specific desires for wildlife that I didn't mention. It's fun, comprehensive, and the minimum commitment required for the adventure it offers. This trip took place on the Ocean Endeavor, in early-mid February, on the West side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Excellent - Anonymous
