Iceland, Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic
Icebergs, Islands, and the Aurora Borealis

Duration:	17 days/ 16 nights
Dates:	Aug 3 - 20, 2010 aboard Akademik Ioffe
Cost:	Triple: $6,290 Twin Shared: $8,190 Twin Semi-Private: $8,890 Twin Private: $9,590 Superior: $10,290 Suite: $10,790

In Brief: • Aurora borealis sighting is possible. • Icebergs. • Greenland in-depth. • Canadian Arctic. • Optional kayaking. If you have dreamed of seeing the Aurora Borealis, this is the itinerary to choose. We cannot guarantee you will see one, but this is the voyage with the greatest possibility. Ship: Akademik Ioffe Dates: Aug 3 – 20, 2010 Duration: 17 days Embarkation: Reykjavik, Iceland Disembarkation: Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada Staging points: Reykjavik, Iceland/Ottawa, Ontario, Canada One departure Please note: Charter flight must be purchased at the same time as the expedition. Aurora Borealis – the Northern Lights Because most of our expeditions to the polar regions unfold where the sun never sets, our travelers seldom watch an aurora dance in the night sky. The exception is this voyage where a portion occurs well below the Arctic Circle at the southern tip of Greenland. As polar auroras are natural phenomena that most frequently occur in the north from September through October, we cannot guarantee that you will see the Northern Lights. However if you dream of seeing first-hand icebergs, polar bears and the aurora borealis, this is the voyage to choose, because it affords the greatest possibility. August 3, 2010 – Overnight in a hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland The islands you will visit during the expedition range from the world’s largest – Greenland – to an island bubbling with geo-thermal activity - Iceland. There is a bathing pool heated by geo-thermal activity – heat generated by the Earth’s interior – in nearly every section of Reykjavik. Pack your bathing suit, so you can relax in the pool near the hotel where you will spend the night. August 4, 2010 – Embarkation Day You’ll embark the ice-strengthened Adventure Ship, Akademik Ioffe, in the late afternoon. This is your last opportunity to purchase last minute necessities for quite some time. You are about to embark on an adventure to one of the most remote areas on the planet – the eastern coast of Greenland. Access to the region is possible only by air or sea. August 5, 2010 – At Sea The official Quark Expeditions parka will come in handy as you transit the Denmark Strait, the body of water that separates Iceland from Greenland. Weather in the Strait is variable – to say the least – but you’ll want to be on deck to watch for icebergs. From the glaciers that calve them, they float south on the cold eastern Greenland current that flows through the strait. August 6, 2010 – Tasiilaq Your first shore landing will be on the island of Ammassalik in its principal community – Tasiilaq. With about 1,800 inhabitants, it is the largest community in East Greenland. We have a number of activities planned including a hike. The area has an excellent reputation as a hiking destination. August 7, 2010 – Bernstorfs Isfjord South of Ammassalik are many fjords – deep, steep-walled, valleys along coastlines that have flooded with seawater. We will explore one with a name that translates to ice-fjord. In Greenland that indicates the excellent possibility that there is a glacier that calves icebergs at the head of the fjord. We will sail the fjord in search of newly minted glaciers and we’ll seek a place to go ashore to hike. Hiking is optional. If you would prefer to sit quietly and contemplate the beauty that surrounds you, please do. August 8, 2010 – Southern Tip of Greenland This morning, we anticipate that the ship will round the southern tip of Greenland, one of the first regions to be inhabited by European settlers. We’ll go ashore at Narsaq Kujalliq, just west of Cape Farewell to explore an excavated farm from the Viking period known as Herjolfsnes. Narsaq is sufficiently far south that the August night sky may be dark enough to see the aurora borealis. The Expedition Team will stand watch to rouse you out of your warm berth should the northern lights perform while the ship is in the vicinity. The island count reaches four as you go ashore in the afternoon. The community and the island bear the same name – Nanortalik. A hot spring in the area will tempt you to ease your tired legs after a tundra hike. August 9, 2010 – At Sea We’ll cross the Arctic Circle today, into the land where the sun never sets. While the ship steams north, you can watch the western coast of Greenland pass. The content of the presentations by the Expedition Team will be a preview of the excitement still to come – polar bear, musk oxen and a mummified body! August 10, 2010 – Sisimiut Kayak is an Inuit word that English has borrowed to describe a small vessel propelled by paddles that seats one or two people. When you are ashore in Sisimiut, you’ll watch a demonstration of traditional kayaking. There will be time to explore the town, where 18th century buildings from Greenland’s colonial period still stand. Keep an eye open for the town’s public swimming pool. It is built on stilts so the heated water won’t melt the permafrost! August 11, 2010 – Ilulissat Ilulissat Kangerlua is Greenlandic for The Iceberg Fjord. The glacier at the head of the fjord is the most productive in the Northern Hemisphere. The icebergs it calves float down the fjord to enter Baffin Bay. As you approach Ilulissat, have your camera ready to take photos of young icebergs at the start of their journey that will end somewhere off the coast of Newfoundland, years later. So significant is Ilulissat Fjord that UNESCO has designated the area a World Heritage Site. You’ll cruise the fjord in a Zodiac, hike the shoreline and explore the community of the same name located near the glacier. August 12, 2010 – Uummannaq and Qilaqitsoq Life and death are the order of the day on what will be your final day in Greenland. At Qilaqitsoq, you’ll learn of the discovery in 1972, of human remains that were carbon dated to 1475. You’ll see the two graves that contained the mummified remains of six women and two children, the oldest preserved remains on the island. Why they died and why no men were found in the graves remain a mystery. The living are celebrated in Uummannaq – the inhabitants claim their community is the “real” Greenland, cradled by mountains and glaciers with the sea at its feet. August 13 to 14, 2010 – Baffin Bay Baffin Bay, an extension of the Arctic Ocean, is a sea not a bay. The massive body of water separates Canada from Greenland. As you sail from east to west, be on the alert for icebergs. Watch for seabirds gliding on the wing and whales in the water. August 15, 2010 – Baffin Island Kannigiqtugaapik (Clyde River) is a hamlet situated on the shore of Patricia Bay, at the entrance of the 100km (62 miles) long fjord, Clyde Inlet. The Inuktitut name translates to Nice Little Inlet. The name is apt, as the flood plain on which the community is located is surrounded by snow capped mountains. Rock and ice climbers from all over the world visit Kannigiqtugaapik to test themselves. You will hike and enjoy a welcome from the 850 people who call Clyde River home. August 16, 2010 – Isabella Bay National Wildlife Area (NWA) designation denotes a protected area that is a wildlife habitat of national significance. The Igaliqtuuq NWA in Isabella Bay was created to protect the bowhead or Greenland right whales that summer there. Orca or killer whales have been sighted in the vicinity hunting the bowheads, some of which have scars from previous encounters with orcas. A whale watch will be conducted while we are exploring the Bay. August 17, 2010 – Pangnirtung Since 1973, the artists of the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts have been creating unique hand woven tapestries that are sold and exhibited around the world. So, in 2005, the citizens of this small town with a big reputation voted to keep the name Pangnirtung, which had become synonymous with excellence to international Art connoisseurs. You’ll visit the Centre to watch artisans at work, when the ship drops anchor in the harbor. August 18, 2010 – Monumental Island This rocky, isolated island off the coast of Baffin Island is known as a habitat of walrus. You’ll explore the shoreline in Zodiacs. Walrus are shy mammals. You’ll witness our Expedition Team using the experience they have garnered after decades in the Arctic to create the best possible viewing opportunity for you. August 19, 2010 – Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada From Iqaluit, where you will disembark, you will fly to Ottawa to spend the night. August 20, 2010 – Ottawa Depart for home after breakfast. Important reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy – and excitement – of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage. Expedition Rates for Arctic 2010 include: • Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping. • All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage. (Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.) • All shore landings per the daily program. • Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities. • All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program. • Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled. • Photographic Album on DVD, documenting the voyage. • A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings. • Expedition parka – yours to keep. • Coffee, tea ,cocoa available around the clock. • Hair dryer and bathrobe in every cabin. • Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Arctic Reader. • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program. • All luggage handling aboard ship. • Emergency Evacuation Insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of $100,000 per person. Also included during expeditions on board Akademik Ioffev: • For the Iceland, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic voyage – • 1 night pre – and 1 night post-expedition hotel accommodation. • On the day of embarkation, group transfer from Reykjavik host hotel to the ship. • On the day of disembarkation, group transfer from the ship to the airport and from the airport to the Ottawa host hotel. Rates do not include: • Any airfare. For some departures, economy seats on our charter flights must be purchased in conjunction with the expedition. The applicable per-person cost is indicated on the dates and rates and pages. • Optional kayaking. • Passport and visa expenses. • Government arrival and departure taxes. • Any meals ashore with the exception of breakfast at the host hotel before embarkation. • Baggage, cancellation and medical travel insurance. • Excess baggage charges. • Laundry, bar, beverage and other personal charges. • Telecommunications charges. • The customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for Hospitality Team members, ship’s crew and Expedition Team members. • On icebreakers, based on weather and other operational considerations, helicopters may be available for private charter flights. When available, the cost of private charter flights will be at the hourly rate to be announced on board.