To explore the fabled Northwest Passage, the sea route through the Arctic Ocean that connects with Atlantic with the Pacific, has long been at the top of my wish list. The discovery of HMS Erebus seemed the perfect excuse to start planning! Captained by Sir John Franklin, she was part of the doomed 1845 expedition that attempted to negotiate the last remaining section of the Passage yet to be navigated. Tragically, there were no survivors.
I have decided therefore to charter the Akademik Ioffe for a private 12-night cruise in August 2017 (I have chartered the same vessel for my Antarctic Shackleton Expedition in 2016). Setting sail from Kangerlussuaq, the planned route will take us west from Greenland across Baffin Bay and through the Northwestern Passages of the Canadian Arctic to Cambridge Bay.
The Arctic’s incredible wildlife will of course be a major attraction – muskox, caribou, walrus and both polar and grizzly bear are just some of its iconic residents – but the voyage will also offer historical interest, including a visit to the site where the Erebus was last known to make landfall. For lovers of remote expedition cruises, this classic journey is too good an opportunity to miss!
Proposed dates are 11 – 26 August 2017. The finer details and costs are still to be finalised, but I hope this brief outline is enough to whet your appetite. It promises to be an amazing adventure and it would be very exciting if you could join me.
If this is of interest, please do call me on 020 7386 4646 or email me personally – nick@theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk – and I will keep you informed. All being well, further information should be ready by the end of February.