Arctic
"Arctic", From the Greek Arktikos - 'Country of the Great
Bear' because it sits underneath the constellation Ursa Major. This is
very apt, because the most famous resident of this world is the awesome Polar
Bear!
Only in summer, once the pack ice has broken up sufficiently, does this savage land of rock and ice unlock its secrets. There are also Reindeer, Walrus, Musk Oxen, Arctic Wolves and many whale species, including Bowheads, (the white) Belugas and the 'horned' Narwhal. Greenland alone is home to eight different whale species and two million seals! For birdwatchers, there are gyrfalcon, snowy owls, murrs, puffins and kittiwakes, to name but a few.
Make the most of the long daylight hours of the Northern summer, and take a voyage of discovery aboard an icebreaker or ice-strengthened expedition ship.
The Arctic of Canada & Greenland is home to isolated Inuit communities, and there will be opportunities to learn more about survival and communities in these harsh lands. Follow in the wake of celebrated explorers like Frobisher, Baffin & Franklin and their famous quest for the elusive Northwest Passage. Explore the breathtaking fjords of mid-western Greenland, and even take a helicopter flight over the vast ice fields and crevasses of the spectacular Jakobshavn glacier.
The North Atlantic Islands and coastlines offer some of the finest scenery and wildlife in the world. The remote Scottish Islands are well known for their huge bird colonies, as are the Faroes, fishing villages with a rich Norse heritage. Iceland is a spectacular island of volcanoes, glaciers and inland desert, home to mighty Vatnajokull, Europe's largest ice mass. Spitsbergen is probably the real highlight though; rugged mountains, sweeping tundra, ice caps and glaciers, a true High Arctic archipelago only 600 miles from the North Pole. It has huge Arctic seabird colonies and offers a good chance of seeing Walrus, Reindeer, Arctic Fox and Polar Bear!
For the ultimate trips aboard some of the world's most powerful icebreakers, we can even arrange a full circumnavigation of the Arctic or take you to the North Pole itself. Just ask for details!
Only in summer, once the pack ice has broken up sufficiently, does this savage land of rock and ice unlock its secrets. There are also Reindeer, Walrus, Musk Oxen, Arctic Wolves and many whale species, including Bowheads, (the white) Belugas and the 'horned' Narwhal. Greenland alone is home to eight different whale species and two million seals! For birdwatchers, there are gyrfalcon, snowy owls, murrs, puffins and kittiwakes, to name but a few.
Make the most of the long daylight hours of the Northern summer, and take a voyage of discovery aboard an icebreaker or ice-strengthened expedition ship.
The Arctic of Canada & Greenland is home to isolated Inuit communities, and there will be opportunities to learn more about survival and communities in these harsh lands. Follow in the wake of celebrated explorers like Frobisher, Baffin & Franklin and their famous quest for the elusive Northwest Passage. Explore the breathtaking fjords of mid-western Greenland, and even take a helicopter flight over the vast ice fields and crevasses of the spectacular Jakobshavn glacier.
The North Atlantic Islands and coastlines offer some of the finest scenery and wildlife in the world. The remote Scottish Islands are well known for their huge bird colonies, as are the Faroes, fishing villages with a rich Norse heritage. Iceland is a spectacular island of volcanoes, glaciers and inland desert, home to mighty Vatnajokull, Europe's largest ice mass. Spitsbergen is probably the real highlight though; rugged mountains, sweeping tundra, ice caps and glaciers, a true High Arctic archipelago only 600 miles from the North Pole. It has huge Arctic seabird colonies and offers a good chance of seeing Walrus, Reindeer, Arctic Fox and Polar Bear!
For the ultimate trips aboard some of the world's most powerful icebreakers, we can even arrange a full circumnavigation of the Arctic or take you to the North Pole itself. Just ask for details!