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