In the Heart of the Northwest Passage

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, served as an American military base from 1941 to 1992, but today, its international airport makes it a transit point for adventurers heading to the Far North. Situated north of the Arctic Circle, this charming town is your gateway to breathtaking natural wonders. Just a short distance away, you can approach the Greenland ice sheet, the largest expanse of ice in the Northern Hemisphere. Kangerlussuaq also offers stunning tundra vistas in autumnal colors, where Arctic hares, musk oxen, foxes, reindeer, falcons, and eagles thrive in the wild.

Explore Sisimiut, Greenland's second-largest town, established in 1756. This charming town, typical of Greenland, captivates with vibrant stilt houses scattered across rolling landscapes, while its small fishing port serves as a gateway to the Arctic. The town center boasts historic landmarks, including a quaint church, a museum chronicling Inuit heritage, and numerous artisan shops. When your ship anchors, immerse yourself in the local culture, enjoying a warm Arctic welcome from the friendly inhabitants of this scenic, icy haven.

The Dutch were the first to come and hunt whales on this island, called the “isle of dogs” - Kitissuarsuit in Greenlandic. Indeed, when they arrived there in the summertime, the inhabitants had left the island, leaving behind their dogs, and moved to the neighboring fjords for a fishing season. Kitissuarsuit is considered the larder of the small town of Aasiaat, which is further away from the fishing areas, and the villagers still live self-sufficiently, thanks to the marine resources, while trying to keep their age-old traditions alive.

To the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland and is also renowned as an observation point for the region’s many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, shop in the boutique, or meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. It is an enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

On Baffin Island, located in northern Canada at the mouth of the famous Northwest Passage, there is a small Inuit settlement at the very bounds of infinity. Cross the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line separating man from lands of mystery and wonder to get there. It’s not so much the way of life that sets Pond Inlet’s inhabitants apart as the setting. Snow-capped mountains, fjords, and glaciers combine in a dazzling natural environment that fills space and expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is one of them.

Queen Harbour, situated on the southern coast of Devon Island in Nunavut, is a remote and historically significant Arctic location. The surrounding landscape is characterized by rolling hills covered in taiga that reflect shades of green, brown, and gold, contrasting with the deep blue waters of the bay.

On the southern coast of Devon Island, Dundas Harbor, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police post in the early 20th century, keeps watch over the entrance to the Northwest Passage. This site has been frequented for centuries by the Inuit, who call it Talluruti - or "woman's chin with tattoos on it" in Inuktitut - about the landscape's lines reminiscent of their traditional tattoos. Its hills, covered in taiga reflecting greens, browns, and golds, are edged by the deep navy waters of a bay dotted with white and turquoise ice floe glistening in the sunlight.

The Canadian Arctic Circle is home to one of the planet's best-preserved natural sanctuaries: Somerset Island. This immaculate northern desert is renowned for its phenomenal landscapes, midnight sun, and huge tundra, where musk oxen roam. It is the Arctic archipelago's ninth-largest island, covering 24,786 square kilometers (15,400 square miles). Vegetation is rare except in some hollows and lowlands, where Peary caribou are common.

Discover Fort Ross, the last trading post established by the Hudson's Bay Company. Constructed in 1937, it was used simultaneously as a fur and whaling trading post. Fort Ross, located on a small island at the entrance to the Bellot Strait, is still home to this former store and the house for the manager and staff. The interior of these two buildings has been damaged over time and by the presence of polar bears. After a short walk towards the island's summits, you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view over the Bellot Strait and surrounding area.

A key stage in the Northwest Passage, crossed by strong currents, the Bellot Strait promises an unforgettable sailing experience. The Ross Cairn dominates the entrance to the strait. The buildings of Fort Ross also stand not far from here. Separating Somerset Island from the Boothia Peninsula, this 2-km-wide strait was discovered in 1852 by Captain William Kennedy of the Royal Navy and the Frenchman Joseph-René Bellot during an expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. Discover a magnificent décor covered in snow, fragmented by large ice floes. As you sail between them, your ship may be accompanied by a few polar bears.

At the heart of the legendary Northwest Passage, discover the sheltered Coningham Bay southeast of Prince of Wales Island during an exceptional sailing. The surrounding waters, rich in nutrients from the tides and currents, are home to cetaceans, including beluga whales. The polar bear, lord of the Arctic, has also established its realm on this hunting ground where food tends to be abundant. When conditions are favorable, extraordinary encounters with wildlife are possible in these isolated lands.

Prescott Island is located between Somerset Island and Prince of Wales Island, in the heart of Peel Sound, and its shorelines provide a perfect playground for belugas. However, the opportunity to observe and listen to these "sea canaries" is not the only reason to scan the horizon: here, between the icebergs and the dramatic landscapes, you may also be able to spot polar bears, as well as summon up memories of Sir John Franklin, who was the first to cross Peel Sound in 1846 during his expedition in search of the Northwest Passage, followed in 1903 by Roald Amundsen, who was the first to find a route through that passage!

Beechey Island, at the eastern end of Resolute Bay, will call to mind some of the most important moments of Franklin's expedition. Sir John set off in 1845 in search of the mythical Northwest Passage and was forced to take shelter in Erebus Harbour for two long years while he waited for the ice floes to recede and allow him a way through. It is a spectacular location; seeing the three wooden grave markers, bleached by the sun (indicating the burial places of at least three of Captain Franklin's men) and visiting the memorial that has been erected in memory of Franklin and his men can only reinforce the hushed sense of reverence. If the surrounding wilderness impresses you, the ochre and yellows of the rocky desert soften the landscape.

Devon Island is in the Baffin Bay and part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Anchored on the Arctic Cordillera, its rocky surface, similar to Mars, is of great interest to scientists. Robert Bylot and William Baffin were the first Europeans to see Devon Island in 1616, but it was mapped two centuries later by the British sailor William E. Parry, who named it after the eponymous English region. Around 1920, the Hudson's Bay Company set up a fur-trading outpost there until the departure of the Inuits in 1936. A new attempt to populate it was made at the beginning of the 1950s. Only a few buildings in ruins, vestiges of that time, remain today.

Arctic Harbor is on the small island of Aulitiving, barely 15 km long and 5 km wide, at the entrance to Isabella Bay. A major whale hunting site, this small natural harbor still has remnants from those times, notably some whaler graves. This port of call will be the opportunity to go for a lovely hike in the heart of the Arctic tundra and perhaps to reach the highest point of the island, located at an altitude of 410 meters.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, shop in the boutique, or meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. It is an enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

The ship makes its way deeper into the fjord, leaving you free to admire the spectacular geological formations that plunge abruptly into the emerald-green waters of Baffin Bay. When the temperature rises, and the ice begins to melt, Nunavut becomes one of the best places in the world to observe the wildlife of the Arctic. Be on the lookout for polar bears, which hide away amongst the scree to seek out the freshness of the permafrost. On the water’s surface, you could get the chance to glimpse the tusk of a narwhal or perhaps the silhouette of an orca or a bowhead whale. And in the sky, it is not uncommon to see a colony of arctic fulmars with their impressive wingspan gliding near the ship.

The east coast of Baffin Island is a real lacework of fjords. Among them, in the north, is the spectacular Icy Arm fjord. As you sail these parts, be dazzled by the immense cliffs, sometimes over 1,000 meters high. This is a paradise for base jumping (parachute jumping from the cliffs). During your stop here, you can hike at the feet of these mountains and within the glacial valleys. Keep your eyes open when you return to your boat: you may probably get to observe marine mammals, such as whales, orcas, and even narwhals.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, shop in the boutique, or meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. It is an enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

Your ship glides slowly along the water towards the west coast of Greenland to enter Evighedsfjorden, just a few kilometers south of Kangerlussuaq. Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity,” and for a good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometers in length, it seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those sailing in it. The spectacular scenery ranges from glaciers to tundra, with abundant flora and jagged cliffs where numerous bird species have taken up residence. Take the time to observe the white-tailed eagles and the colonies of seagulls and black-legged kittiwakes flying overhead in the area.

From 1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland was home to an American military base. Thanks to its international airport, it has become a transit point for travelers seeking adventure in the Far North. Located north of the Arctic Circle, this town is the starting point of magnificent discoveries surrounded by unspoiled nature. Indeed, just a few dozen kilometers from there, it is possible to get close to the Greenland ice sheet, the largest body of ice in the Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, you also admire the superb landscapes of tundra in autumnal colors, where Arctic hares, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, reindeer, falcons, and eagles live.