Greenland & Wild Labrador - June 29-July 11, 2016 aboard the Ocean Endeavour
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Greenland & Wild Labrador
June 29–July 11, 2016 aboard the Ocean Endeavour
© Mike Beedell
Greenland & Wild Labrador
June 29–July 11, 2016 aboard the Ocean Endeavour
© Michelle Valberg
INTRODUCTION
This extraordinary sailing showcases a staggering geographic diversity, below; we will be scanning the horizon for icebergs, whales, polar
departing the rocky narrows of St. John’s harbour and heading north bears, seals—and, of course, the abundance of nesting seabirds.
along the coast of Newfoundland. We’ll explore islands and inlets in The Labrador coast has to be seen to be believed. We will do more
Notre Dame Bay and stop at L’Anse aux Meadows to pay our respects than see it, as we head ashore on daily Zodiac expeditions to hike
to North America’s Viking visitors before leaving Newfoundland the secret wilds of Canada’s hidden coast.
behind and heading north into Labrador.
We then turn east and ever northward, crossing the Davis Strait
Once there, we’ll sail along dazzling, rocky coastlines and call at en route to Greenland. Once there, we will explore the world’s
immense beaches and long-abandoned communities. We’ll visit northernmost capital city and plumb the many fjords for which
the seat of Nunatsiavut, the regional Inuit government as we move the western coast is famed. Our journey ends as we sail into
further north, and eventually will find our way into the stunning Kangerlussuaq at the head of Sondre Stromfjord, nestled against
fjords of the Torngat Mountains National Park. In the park, one of the largest ice caps in the world.
mountains will tower above us as the azure waters mark our passage
HIGHLIGHTS
• Explore the remote reaches of Newfoundland & Labrador in • Sail in heavy ice looking for polar bears, whales and seals
summer bloom • Visit the largely inaccessible Torngat Mountains National Park
• Visit the reconstructed Viking settlement in North America at • Cross the Davis Strait by sea
L’Anse aux Meadows • Explore the abandoned community of Hebron.
• Travel with widely respected authors, naturalists and
culturalists
PROPOSED ITINERARY
Day 1: St. John’s, NL
Day 2: Notre Dame Bay
Day 3: L’Anse aux Meadows
Day 4: Wonderstrands, Mealy Mountains Park Reserve
Day 5: Hopedale
Day 6: Hebron
Day 7-9: Torngat Mountains National Park
Day 10: At Sea—Davis Strait
Day 11: Nuuk, Greenland
Day 12: West Greenland
Day 13: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: St. John’s, NL
We meet in St. John’s—Newfoundland’s historic, vibrant capital.
Picturesque and welcoming, with a world-famous harbour, St. John’s has
been continuously fished since 1498, allowing it to boast the designation
of North America’s oldest European settlement.
We will arrive in St. John’s ready to explore and Day 2: Notre Dame Bay Day 3: L’Anse aux Meadows
will offer an optional city tour to interested Notre Dame Bay is known for the dozens A unesco World Heritage Site, L’Anse
parties in the afternoon. Afterwards, we will of quaint villages that dot its rocky shores, aux Meadows is the only authenticated
rendezvous at the docks and board the Ocean and it is to one of these small settlements Norse settlement in North America. The
Endeavour to begin the adventure proper; that we will be paying a visit today. We may archaeological remains found here in 1960
passengers will meet the staff and crew, and look forward to a characteristically warm date to approximately 1000 AD. Amazingly,
prepare to leave the harbour. Sailing out of St. Newfoundland welcome upon our arrival. the location of the ruins was first established
John’s has to be experienced to be believed; The bay itself is home to a plethora of islands by a close reading of the Viking sagas.
Signal Hill keeps watch over the world- and, seasonally, ice bergs that drift in from
famous Narrows as we head for open water, the Atlantic; the Ocean Endeavour will chart Today a superb interpretive centre and
passing Cape Spear, the easternmost point in a scenic course through these beautiful reconstructions of the several Norse-style
North America. obstacles as we head north. sod buildings make L’Anse aux Meadows a
must-see for any visitor to Newfoundland.
Day 4: Wonderstrands, Mealy Mountains named Agvituk, or “place of the whales”. government unveiled a monument at the site
Park Reserve In the late eighteenth century, Moravian of Hebron with an inscribed apology for the
When we think of Labrador, we may not missionaries from Germany arrived in the site closure. Today, some of the buildings at
think ‘beaches’—but the Vikings did. Two settlement to convert the population—a Hebron are being repurposed as a cultural
long trackless crescents of sand, washed population with a long history of traditional interpretation centre and it is to these
by the cold Labrador Sea, backed by the nomadic Inuit occupation. The Hopedale buildings that we will be paying a visit.
Mealy Mountains were given the name Mission is still standing and is thought to be
“Wunderstrand” by the Norse seafarers, the oldest wooden-frame building in Canada Unlike other Labrador communities
and earned a place in their Sagas. Hunted, east of Québec. It was named a National that have been relocated, the buildings
traveled, and occupied over thousands of Historic Site of Canada in 1970. at Hebron still stand. Today they form a
years by various peoples, the Wonderstrands lonely monument—to the cultural past of
are still largely unknown and rarely visited Today, Hopedale is the legislative capital of the the area, and to the hopes for the future of
by non-Labradorians. Nunatsiavut Government. A new assembly Nunatsiavut.
building has recently been opened with
The Mealy Mountains encompass five of local Labradorite stone tiling and sealskin Day 7–9: Torngat Mountains National Park
Labrador’s ten provincial eco-regions, seats. An important historical location for The Torngat Mountains have been home to
including coastal barrens, high subarctic Labrador is thus enjoying continued vitality Inuit and their predecessors for millennia, with
tundra, high boreal forest, mid boreal in the modern lives of its Inuit population. archaeological evidence reaching back almost
forest, and string bog. The mountain range 7,000 years. The fjords here reach deep into
reaches heights of more than 1,000 metres. A We will be going ashore to meet with locals the heart of the mountains, bounded by cliffs
significant portion of the mountain range and in the community and to learn about the peaking at 1,700 metres, the highest point
surrounding area has been recently designated mission and its history. There will be ample of land in Labrador. The rugged, spectacular
a potential National Park Reserve, a move time for walking and exploration—a nearby beauty and inimitable spirit of the Torngat
which follows lobbying for the preservation abandoned American radar station affords Mountains has led to their acting as the spiritual
of the area since the early 1970s. spectacular views of the surrounding area. homeland of Nunatsiavut, both historically
and into the present day.
The governments of Canada and Day 6: Hebron
Newfoundland and Labrador have agreed to The abandoned community of Hebron was The Torngat Mountains comprise some of
pursue creation of a National Park Reserve, once one of the most northerly settlements the oldest rocks on the planet and provide
which would see the area managed as if it on the north Labrador coast. A Moravian some of the best exposure of geological
were a national park, pending settlement of Mission station was constructed here from history. Polar bears, caribou, falcons, and
Native land claims. Once settled, the area 1829 to 1831 but the main buildings— eagles are among the species hardy enough
would likely be designated a national park, the church, the mission house and the to make their homes here.
comprising approximately twenty thousand store—were not inhabited until 1837. In a
square kilometres. highly controversial move, the station was Day 10: At Sea — Davis Strait
abandoned in 1959 with the departure of the Our presentation series will kick into full swing
Day 5: Hopedale Moravians, forcing the relocation of the Inuit as we steam across the Davis Strait towards
Today finds us entering Nunatsiavut, the who resided there. In 2005, Newfoundland landfall in Greenland. While out on deck keep
first Inuit region in Canada to achieve self- and Labrador Premier Danny Williams your eyes peeled for minke, humpback and
governance. Our stop today is in the town apologized to people affected by the other marine mammals, as well as the seabirds
of Hopedale, founded as an Inuit settlement relocations. In August of 2009, the provincial that are sure to mark our passage.
Day 11: Nuuk will call in at one of these communities to of Greenland a centre for whaling and fishing
Welcome to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland! experience small town Greenlandic life, or all year. The United States built an air base at
Nuuk means ‘the headland’ and is situated we may navigate into the stunning fjords that Kangerlussuaq in wwii due to the relatively
at the mouth of a gigantic fjord system. line the coast. This is a day in the true spirit of mild weather and strategic proximity to Europe.
Established as the very first Greenlandic town expedition travel and we will avail ourselves Although the military base closed in 1992, the
in 1728, Nuuk remains the bustling centre of any and all opportunities that present strip is now Greenland’s main international and
of the country today. We have the chance to themselves. domestic airport.
spot Humpback whales in the fjord, reindeer
roaming the land, and birds soaring in the Day 13: Kangerlussuaq The area is distinguished by fantastic nature
sky. The town itself is home to Greenland’s We will make our way down spectacular Sondre and rich biodiversity. There is nowhere else in
University, a cathedral dating back to 1849 Stromfjord, and early risers (or late-nighters) Greenland where it is so easy to go so far into
and Greenland’s National Museum. We will will have a chance to experience its beauty. the interior and the world’s largest ice cap can
visit some of the city’s most important sites, Sondre Stromfjord is one of the longest fjords in be reached in less than an hour. The landscape
and you’ll have some the world and boasts 168 kilometres of superb features enormous glacier formations, which
free time to explore on your own. scenery! Kangerlussuaq, the town at its eastern have ploughed deep into the dramatic tundra.
mouth, means ‘the big fjord’. On the plain between the fjord and the inland
Day 12: West Greenland ice you may find Greenland’s biggest herds of
There are a number of charming fishing Although the fjord crosses the Arctic Circle, like musk ox, reindeer, arctic foxes as well as the
villages along the west coast of Greenland— the oceans here, it does not freeze. Locals can highest concentration of peregrine falcons in
depending on timing and sea conditions, we thank ocean currents for this, making this part Greenland and more than 250 species of plants.
In remote Arctic waterways, weather, sea, and ice conditions will determine daily progress. Heavy ice conditions are a possibility throughout this
itinerary. Actual route may differ from the one proposed.
Inbound: Early evening arrival
CHARTER FLIGHT Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to Toronto, ON $1,095 usd per person inclusive of all taxes and
July 11, 2016 fees
2016 Berth Prices
Cabin Class Categories
Charter
Date 2016 Days
flights 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Greenland &
June 29–July 11 13 $1,095 $4,995 $5,995 $7,395 $8,695 $9,895 $11,095 $12,295 $13,595 $14,895 $16,195
Wild Labrador
Discovery Fee $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250
ALL PRICES ARE IN US DOLLARS AND ARE CASH/CHEQUE DISCOUNTED. Additional costs associated with payments made by credit card.
DISCOVERY FEE TOUR FARES PAYMENT POLICY
Each area we visit has rich cultural experiences and wild treasures to Published prices are based on exchange rates and tariffs in effect at the A deposit of $1,000 usd per person is required upon booking to confirm
offer. As guests, we have made a point to source and support local time of printing (February 2015) and are subject to change without notice. participation. The balance of the payment is required 120 days prior
projects in the areas through which we travel. A contribution from each Once the deposit has been received changes will not be made to the to your departure date. The Company reserves the right to cancel
passenger, billed separately as the Discovery Fee, represents a portion of base price. No refund will be given if costs are reduced. The company reservations if payments are not received in time. Prices are cash/cheque
the money we donate to ensure the longevity and success of educational, reserves the right to amend all or part of any tour price for any reason discounted, if you wish to pay by credit card please refer to our credit
environmental and cultural initiatives in these regions. Our Discovery Fee including, without limitation: increased fuel costs, airfares, airport charges card pricing. Please make cheques payable to: ADVENTURE CANADA.
is $250 USD per person for all Shipboard Expeditions. or increases in ground operator service fees. If the price increase is Please review our Cancellation & Refund Policy for a full outline of our
more than 7% (except increases resulting from an increase in retail sales cancellation terms.
PRICING tax or Federal Goods and Services Tax or Harmonized Sales Tax) the
Rates are in U.S. dollars, per person, per voyage based on double customer has the right to cancel the contract and obtain a full refund. Tour As a registered Ontario company, we are licensed to sell travel packages
occupancy except for C1 and C2, which are quad and triple cabins, fees quoted are based on group participation. Prices are cash/cheque through the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. We are required to keep
respectively. Discovery Fee and charter/commercial airfare are not discounted, and in U.S. dollars. all customer deposits in Client Trust Accounts and may only use the
included in the berth price. Single occupancy cabins are available in funds once the trip has begun or to make a deposit to an operator on
select cabins on Ocean Endeavour and National Geographic Islander. 2016 CREDIT CARD PRICING IS AS FOLLOWS IN USD: behalf of the client. Our Client Trust Accounts are reviewed by a CPA on
Please call for availability. Greenland & Wild Labrador: C1 $5,195 C2 $6,235 C3 $7,691 C4 an annual basis and regularly inspected by TICO auditors.
$9,043 C5 $10,291 C6 $11,539 C7 $12,787 C8 $14,139 C9$15,491 C10
CURRENCY $16,843
Although we are a Canadian company, most of our operating costs are
paid in U.S. dollars. For this reason all tour prices are in U.S. dollars. We
will accept Canadian dollars at the current exchange rate, please call for
details. We are not responsible for bank exchange rates on credit card
transactions.
WE LOVE
BAGPIPERS!
WE ARE FAMILY
If you can play the
FRIENDLY
bagpipes, bring them
SAILING SOLO? along and ask
Family is important!
about our
To promote multi-generational
Single travellers not requiring private accommodation on shipboard bagpiper’s rebate!
travel, we are offering a 30%
programs can be matched with another single traveller at no extra
discount to travellers under 30
charge. Single-occupancy cabins are also available at 1.5 times the
years of age. Please call us for
regular cost. Please call us for pricing & availability.
details!
© Mike Beedell
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