The Northwest Passage In Depth - M/V Sylvia Earle

Arrive at Toronto Airport (YYZ) and make your way to your airport hotel for an overnight stay. Please visit the AE Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags. You will be provided with important information about biosecurity and also about the charter flight to Kangerlussuaq the following day. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number.

After breakfast at the hotel, board your charter flight to Nuuk, Greenland, where your vessel, Sylvia Earle, awaits. After boarding, there is time to settle into your cabin before the important safety briefings. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew.

Greenland's second largest town, Sisimiut is located approximately 54 kilometres (33.5 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, meaning that during summer, you can experience the midnight sun here. The town is famous for the old blue church with the gate made of whale bone. In the cosy museum next door to the church, you will find an excellent reconstruction of an Inuit turf house as well as exhibits of local history and early life in Greenland. Sisimiut offers hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty. The easier trails take you through the town itself, its outskirts and into the mountains, where you will find spectacular vantage points. Approximately 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture arrived from Canada and settled in the area. They lived here for approximately 2,000 years, after which they mysteriously disappeared from the area. The Dorset culture arrived around 500 CE and stayed until the 1200s until they were replaced by the Thule culture, and today, the majority of the population of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.

Known as the birthplace of icebergs, this region boasts some of the most splendidly-shaped icebergs found anywhere on earth. Hike to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord and stand in awe of its immensity. Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as Jakobshavn Glacier, is the most productive glacier, not only in Greenland, but in the Northern Hemisphere. It produces 20 million tonnes of ice each day, all floating into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. Conditions permitting, enjoy a Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord and kayak through sea ice and icebergs.

This compelling island seems to have more in common with Iceland than Greenland. While most of the interior is mountainous and glaciated, its beautiful shorelines boast black sandy beaches, unusual basalt columns, hotsprings and dramatic lava formations. On a guided hike, enjoy a diversity of Arctic flora .Zodiac-cruise in Disko Bay, a hotspot for marine life including humpback, fin, minke and bowhead whale.The small friendly village has a fascinating historical museum.

Our team of experts entertain us with informative talks about wildlife, geology and epic tales of early explorers such as Franklin and Amundsen. Reaching the coast of Baffin Island, we may encounter Greenland's famous icebergs. Keep watch for humpback, sei, sperm and fin whale, as well as various species of seal such as ring and harp seal.

The east coast of Baffin Island features hidden bays that are feeding grounds for bowhead whales and where glaciers calve into the sea. Sail along inlets and fjords surrounded by towering mountains that feature impressive geology.

Some of the places that we may visit include: Home Bay, Isabella Bay, Sillem Island, John Ford Fjord, Sam Ford Fjord and Scott Inlet. Conditions permitting, we hope to go ashore at Pond Inlet and be treated to a warm welcome from the local community. The picturesque hamlet of Pond Inlet, overlooking Eclipse Sound, is surrounded by scenic mountain ranges and numerous glaciers and fjords. Travellers come to marvel at the abundant wildlife hoping to see narwhal,beluga and orca whale, ringed and harp seal, caribou and the occasional polar bear. Explore churchesand visit the Natinnak Center to see exhibits showing the culture and history of the local Inuit people. Husky dog pens are near the landing beach. In the afternoon, we sail alongthecoast of nearby Bylot Island. Covered with mountains, icefields, steep cliffs, snowfields and glaciers, Bylot Island provides a nesting habitat for large numbers of thick-billed murre and black-legged kittiwake. A total of 74 distinct species of Arctic birds thrive on this island. Due to the richness of the wildlife and the beauty and diversity of the landscape in the area, a large portion of the island was also included in the Sirmilik National Park, established in 2001.

Covered with mountains, icefields, steep cliffs, snowfields and glaciers, Bylot provides nesting habitat for large numbers of thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes. A total of 74 unique species of arctic birds thrive on this island. Due to the richness of the wildlife and the beauty and diversity of the landscapes in the area, a large portion of the island was also included in the Sirmilik National Park, established in 2001. We plan to sail along the coastline of Bylot Island, where hope to enjoy the scenery and outstanding birdlife.

At a latitude of almost 75° degrees north, we are now truly in the High Arctic. Here, nutrient-rich waters support an abundance of wildlife, giving the area the moniker 'wildlife superhighway' of the Arctic. Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island on Earth and features stunning geology, with flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys giving Devon Island its unique character.

We hope to visit Dundas Harbour to enjoy offers walks on undulating tundra, and perhaps some birdwatching. Other possible places that we might visit include Croker Bay and Maxwell Bay. A dilapidated Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost and remnants of a Hudson's Bay Company trading post can be found here. In the bay, walruses are often present.

At the western end of Devon Island lies Beechey Island, where we plan to land. Named after Frederick William Beechey, the island is one of Canada's most important arctic sites and is a designated Canadian National Historic Site. During the Franklin expedition of 1845-46, Franklin attempted to sail through the Northwest Passage with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, with perilous results - three of his men are buried here. Roald Amundsen landed at Beechey Island in 1903, during the first successful voyage by ship to fully transit the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Our options for the following days are heavily dependent on unpredictable sea ice. We may attempt to cross Bellot Strait if conditions allow, giving us the possibility to sail Prince Regent Sound and search for wildlife and to perhaps visit historic Fort Ross - an abandoned Hudson's Bay trading post. Other places we may visit include Prince Leopold Island, which features magnificent vertical cliffs. Around the low-lying Tasmanian Islands, we may encounter similar pack ice that halted Franklin's expedition in 1845. If conditions allow, we might enjoy a walk at historic Cape Felix on King William Island and learn more about Franklin's ill-fated expedition. The following are places we hope to visit: Coningham Bay Across from Victoria Strait, Coningham Bay lies on the shores of Prince of Wales Island. This is a polar bear hotspot where the majestic creatures come to feast on beluga whales that are often trapped in the rocky shallows at the entrance to the bay. It is not unusual to find the shoreline littered with whale skeletons - and very healthy-looking polar bears! King William Island Remains attributed to the Franklin expedition have been found at 35 different locations on King William Island and on nearby Adelaide Peninsula. South of Cape Felix, in Victoria Strait, we hope to get close to where the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were abandoned in 1848.

On the southern side of Lancaster Sound opposite Beechey Island lie the towering bird cliffs of Prince Leopold Island- the most important bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, with approximately 500,000 birds nesting pairs here in summer. Ringed seals are often spotted on the sea ice. Nearby Port Leopold is a historic site where British explorer James Clark Ross wintered in 1848 while searching for the missing Franklin expedition. The ruin of a century old Hudson's Bay trading post can be found there, and polar bear often lurk nearby. The shallow gravel beds attract beluga whales, which come to moult in this part of the Arctic each summer.

We hope to visit the following are places during our time exploring the Northwest Passage : Coningham Bay Across from Victoria Strait, Coningham Bay lies on the shores of Prince of Wales Island. This is a polar bear hotspot where the majestic creatures come to feast on beluga whales that are often trapped in the rocky shallows at the entrance to the bay. It is not unusual to find the shoreline littered with whale skeletons - and very healthy-looking polar bears! King William Island Remains attributed to the Franklin expedition have been found at 35 different locations on King William Island and on nearby Adelaide Peninsula. South of Cape Felix, in Victoria Strait, we hope to get close to where the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were abandoned in 1848.

There are many sites to explore on this voyage and no two expeditions are the same as final landing sites are largely dependent on weather and ice conditions.

Your expert crew will ensure that they make the most of the weather and ice conditions to see as much as possible on your voyage.

Apart from Franklin, other heroic explorers including Amundsen explored this territory, and we may visit the same places as early explorers.

We hope to meet the resilient locals who make the extreme far north their home.

In our Zodiacs, we plan to explore the coastlines, bays and hidden estuaries of the region, and delight in the show of autumn colours during this season of change.

Hold your breath as we near the geological wonder evocatively known as the 'Smoking Hills,' where the stench of sulphur rises from below the earth. Where it's possible to land, we stretch our legs on hikes to explore the dramatic landscapes of hills, valleys, cliffs and canyons of the region.

We hope to visit some of the below places while exploring this region : Cambridge Bay The administrative and transportation hub of the region, Cambridge Bay is the largest stop for passenger and research vessels traversing the Northwest Passage and unofficially marks the midpoint for voyages of the Northwest Passage. Zodiac ashore for an exploration of this Inuit settlement located in the high arctic. Enjoy a walk through the village, where you can visit the local church, visitor centre and support the local community by purchasing some locally made handicrafts. In the old town, we plan to visit the ancient archaeological sites of the Pre-Dorset, Dorset and Thule people. Wildlife abounds in this area, and you might see caribou, musk ox and seals. The tundra is ablaze with wildflowers and birds including jaegers, ducks, geese and swans visit the area in large numbers. Johansen Bay, Edinburgh Island Edinburgh Island is a small and uninhabited island in Canada's Nunavut region. The scenery consists of colourful flowering shrubs, beaches tinged in stunning ochres, while the surrounding cliffs shaded in rich, deep tones. We hope to enjoy a Zodiac excursion within an estuary of at the northeast end of Johansen Bay and up the river towards the lake. A possible walk to a lookout overlooking the lake offers spectacular views over lakes, sea and mountains. Wildlife including caribous, reindeer, arctic foxes, hares and peregrine falcons frequent the area. Jesse Harbour, Banks Island Located in the north of Canada's Northwest Territories, Banks Island, the fifth largest island in Canada, is home to approximately 60 per cent of the world's population of Lesser Snow Geese. Arctic foxes, wolves, polar bears, caribous, musk ox and many birds are also found here. Grizzly bears are occasionally spotted, and bowhead whales are often seen offshore. The dramatic cliffs on the southeast coast feature colourful yellow, white and red quartzites, while, on the west coast is characterized by long, sandy offshore bars. Nelson Head cliffs features ancient Precambrian rock that is almost 2 billion years old. Smoking Hills, Franklin Bay The smoking Hills in Canada's Northwest Territories have been smouldering, sending plumes of gas across the landscape, for centuries. Technically sea cliffs, you would be forgiven for thinking that the multicoloured fiery natural phenomenon is the set to an apocalyptic movie depicting the end of the world. The smoke is caused by layers of combustible, sulphur-rich lignite (brown coal) that ignites and emit sulphurous gas into the air, when exposed to erosion and landslides, which also creates a dazzling colouration of the rocks.

Excitement builds as we sail the Beaufort Sea. Whether you are out on deck or in the comfort of one the observation lounges, watch as the captain navigates our state-of-the-art vessel through these waterways, which is frozen for most of the year.

Keep a close watch for marine wildlife including Beluga whales that are often seen here.

At Prudhoe Bay, we say farewell to Canada and enter the United States.

As we sail westwards to Nome, along the northern coast of Alaska to where the U.S and Russia are only 100 km apart, separated by the Bering Sea, there is ample time to reflect on our adventures while scanning the water for marine life.

Share, edit and submit pictures in our photo competition and attend final lectures from our team of onboard experts. We hope to get permission to ship cruise close by Point Hope, Little Diomede and King islands in Alaska.

In Nome, farewell your expedition team and crew after sharing a once-in-a-lifetime voyage together. After disembarking, we transfer to the airport for a charter flight to Anchorage for an overnight stay.

Transfer to the airport for your onward journey.