IMAGES: ALAMY


ADVENTURES AFLOAT NORTHWEST PASSAGE


Follow in the wake of the early polar explorers by navigating the Canadian Arctic in waters that are still largely uncharted. Words: Sarah Barrell


When the wreck of the HMS Terror was discovered off the coast of King William Island, Nunavut, in 2016, it had been missing for 168 years. With sister ship HMS Erebus having been found in shallow Arctic waters nearby two years earlier, Terror’s discovery was the missing piece in one of the messiest jigsaw puzzles of polar exploration to date. British explorer Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated 19th-century


expedition to find the as-yet unmapped, seasonally impassable Northwest Passage — a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — was a endeavour that had gripped Victorian England, with tales of cannibalism, shamanism and mutiny accompanying its vanishing. Canada’s High Arctic coastline and the scattered islands


that surround the Northwest Passage — a treacherous route once seen as the golden ticket to facilitate trade links between Europe and Asia — still remain largely uncharted, thanks to its icebound conditions outside of summer. That said, it makes for an exciting place for adventure afloat. Landings here are frequent, if cautious, the experienced


crews of the few small ships that drop anchor here needing to be on constant alert for dangerous wildlife, pack ice and shallow water. Rigid inflatable boats zip passengers ashore, past seals flopping on and off the ice floe and gyrfalcons flying overhead. Treks take in scree-strewn shores where polar bears and musk ox roam. Binocular-glued guides are


86 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL


watchful, giving fauna a wide berth. At night, ships plough into inky seas where the narwhal thrives, the water lit, if lucky, with the green glow of the aurora borealis. Remote as it seems, this is the territory of Inuit


communities, scattered around the passage in far-flung towns such as Resolute, on Cornwallis Island. Here, subsistence living is supplemented by selling traditional soapstone carvings; sculptures of ice bears guiding huntsmen reflect the human-animal symbiosis that’s central to Inuit culture. Island communities have played a vital role in piecing together details of the Franklin expedition’s fate — oral histories and artefact finds ultimately leading to the ships’ discovery. With summer sea ice receding, the commerce first


dreamed of by early explorers becomes viable, the growing number of Qallunaaq (non-Inuit) ships docking on Nunavut’s shores brings both opportunities and conservation concerns to the custodians of these fragile fringes. But for now, passage through these waters is still a privilege, granted by the weather and guided by local expertise. HOW TO DO IT: Northwest Passage itineraries are 10 to 17 days long, departing August and September. Prices start at around £8,000 per person, all-inclusive, excluding international flights. Book with operators including hurtigruten.com swoop-arctic.com adventurecanada.com


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