Labrador and The Torngat Mountains

Your Canadian adventure cruise will begin in the historic port town of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia, where after having arrived independently you will board your expedition vessel in the late afternoon. After settling in to your cabin and exploring your new surroundings you can join your new shipmates for a beautiful dinner of fresh local lobster as your ship sails out of the port, past the lighthouse and on to the Grand Banks.

Our second day may well be one of the highlights of your voyage as we anchor off the coast of the tiny fishing community of Trout River to start our exploration of Gros Morne National Park. This incredible area is world renowned for its unique geology and exceptional scenery, and after making land via Zodiac we will be transferred by bus to the World Heritage-listed Tablelands which will result in spectacular views over most of the park.

Walking north we will explore through the park to discover its unique landscape of dramatic rock ridges and boreal wetlands, and look out for sightings of moose and white-throated sparrows along the way. There will be time for a visit to the park’s fantastic interpretation centre before we reach Woody Point, set within majestic Bonne Bay surrounded by soaring cliffs covered in a green blanket of tuckamore forest.

Having sailed northwards overnight, today we reach one of Canada’s most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the renowned Viking settlement of L’Anse aux Meadows. Upon arrival we will hop in to the Zodiacs and make our way to the rocky shoreline to meet the site’s resident archaeologist. We will explore around the reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins to find out about how the Vikings are thought to have discovered North America some 500 years prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The site is where Norseman, Leif Erikson, the son of Erik the Red, is thought to have founded “Vinland” around 1000 AD, and as we walk along the beach we will learn about how a millennium ago the Viking long-ships would have been found along this very beach.

After an entertaining exploration of L’Anse aux Meadows we will make our way back to our expedition ship, and after settling back in we will leave the coastline to Newfoundland, crossing the Strait of Belle Isle overnight.

Today we will arrive in the province of Labrador as we venture ashore at Battle Harbour to explore this remote community that is home to beautifully restored fishing, whaling and commercial buildings set amongst a backdrop of breathtaking coastal views. Photo opportunities abound and your resident photography expert will be happy to help you capture the perfect shot. Battle Harbour is also an area of significant historic interest and your resident historians will offer you insight in to how it was one of the first British settlements on the east coast of the Americas, and an important gateway to the rich Labrador fisheries.

The ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield (the exposed portion of the Earth’s crust) cradle the small coastal hamlet of Hopedale. This remarkable geological feature, estimated to be up to 4-billion-years-old greets us as we sail through narrow channels and weigh anchor off Hopedale. We venture ashore by zodiac to visit the Hopedale Moravian Mission – built in 1782 and said to be the oldest building east of Quebec. It’s a fascinating place and we learn of the influence of the early Moravian missionaries on the Inuit people of Northern Labrador. This location has been designated a Canadian National Historic Site. We plan a visit to the local museum for a deeper insight. The local Inuit produce wonderful carvings and other crafts which make wonderful souvenirs.

Today’s itinerary will bring us to the historic town of Hebron, a designated National Historic Site which was established by the Moravian missionaries in the early 1830’s. In 1959 the mission was closed and the local Inuit families were relocated, however the original buildings still stand and we will enjoy a walk through the settlement to take a closer look at these buildings which echo the Germanic influence on the area. We will hope to meet the Nunatsiavut Government ambassadors Buddy and Jenny who have been looking after this historic site for years and will have fascinating stories to tell us.

Today marks the beginning of what, for many, will be the highlight of the voyage as we switch our attention from history to wilderness and wildlife and sail into Saglek Fjord, the southern gateway to the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve. This magnificent wilderness covers almost 10,000 square kilometres of Northern Labrador and is home to breathtaking fjords, remnant glacial systems and stunning landscapes, as well as an abundance of wildlife including the elusive polar bear.

During your time here you can enjoy various activities including excellent hiking opportunities which will offer fantastic viewpoints of the park’s unique location between Quebec on one side, and the Labrador Coast on the other. Gentler walks will also reward with spectacular photo opportunities as you discover the park’s beautiful tundra filled with wildflowers and berries set amongst the incredible backdrop of Canada’s highest mountains East of the Rockies. We will also enjoy some Zodiac cruising along the shorelines and guided walks in search of wildlife sightings including polar bears, caribou, and seals, as well as learning about the area’s rich culture and heritage; The Inuktitut word Torngat, means “place of spirits” and the Torngat Mountains have been home to Inuit and their predecessors for over 7500 years.

We continue our exploration of the Torngat Mountains National Park by sailing to the exceptionally beautiful Nachvak Fjord where we hope to encounter an abundance of marine wildlife including ring, hooded, harp and harbour seals, and minke, fin and humpback whales. This deep and narrow fjord which stretches for more than 20 kilometres offers an outstanding location for landscape photography with endless subjects, a dynamic colour range interesting lighting.

After our thrilling exploration of the Torngat Mountains National Park we will continue to sail north, passing Martin Bay where our onboard historians will tell us about the remarkable events that happened here during WWII when a German U-boat made the only known armed landing in North America.

We will then sail further north to visit the Button Islands in search of sightings of the thousands of seabirds and other marine animals that frequent here, before sailing on into the southern Davis Strait.

For our final adventure we sail across the mouth of Frobisher Bay and make landfall on Monumental Island, a small, steep-sided outcrop off the southeast coast of Baffin Island, to search for the polar bears and walrus that are known to live around the island. The relationship between the polar bears and the walrus is a complicated one. Whilst the polar bears have been known to attack and kill young walrus they are no match for a fully-grown male walrus, and as such the 2 intriguing species reside side-by-side in an uneasy, fragile truce.

This afternoon we will enjoy our final Zodiac cruise of the voyage before re-boarding the ship to enjoy a special farewell dinner attended by the captain. As you sleep your captain will negotiate the narrow channels of Frobisher Bay on the way to our disembarkation point, Iqaluit, the capital city of Nunavut.

Arrival into the port of Iqaluit will signal the end of our Canadian adventure. Disembarkation by Zodiac will begin after breakfast, and after a short tour of Iqaluit (if time and tides permit), we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Ottawa.