Expeditions

July 31, 2018. The theme of today’s blog entry is ice. As students and staff know firsthand, ice plays an enormous role on expedition and in the biodiversity, history, and culture of the arctic. Today’s events illustrated the incredible beauty and environmental importance of ice, but also the challenges it can pose. As we sailed to … Continued

July 30, 2018. Today we celebrated our time in Kalaallit Nunaat / Greenland and looked ahead as we began our long journey across the Davis Strait and into the Canadian Arctic.The morning began with a briefing and presentation by WWF’s Arctic Marine Conservation Specialist Erin Keenan about Pikialasorsuaq, also known as the North Water Polynya, an important … Continued

July 29, 2018. “Good Morning Students on Ice!”Geoff Green’s voice rang over the PA system as we rounded the corner of Disko Island on our way to Uummannaq. After a late night on our way from Qeqertarsuaq, we were given a bit of time to sleep in before a delightful breakfast as we watched the … Continued

July 28, 2018. This morning, we woke up to a horizon decorated with icebergs of all different shapes and sizes. Our plan for the day was to visit Ilulissat and the Jakobshavn glacier, but unfortunately the beautiful ice between us and the shore was too dense. Dense ice meant that we weren’t going to be able … Continued

July 27, 2018. Hello from Itilleq fiord!We woke up to a grey day, with the silhouettes of mountains barely visible through the fog. But today was our first landing, so the less than ideal weather didn’t deter us! The weather has hardly swayed the spirit of everyone on this ship – the students and staff … Continued

July 26, 2018. Today was the first FULL expedition day on the ship!This morning we awoke in the most beautiful fiord! Sailing straight towards a glacier, with low clouds obscuring the tops of the mountains, green and blues and whites! Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord, also known in Danish as Evighedsfjorden is a massive fiord, 75km long and 700m … Continued

July 25, 2018. Departure Day! Day 3 was a day of air travel. At 8am this morning our team of 230 students and staff left their temporary home at Carleton University for the Ottawa airport and boarded their First Air flights to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland! Despite heavy rain, the team was filled with excitement and anticipation … Continued

July 24, 2018. Photos: Robert Kautuk, Natta Summerky   As the last full day of pre-ship activities, our 2nd day of programming gave participants a sense of the physical activity and educational exploration that will make up their Arctic experience. The morning began with a trip to the University of Ottawa, where participants rotated between … Continued

July 23, 2018 Photos: Lipman Still Pictures, Natta Summerky After months of planning and coordination, Monday marked the beginning of the 2018 Arctic Expedition! Over the course of the last couple of days, 130 students arrived to Ottawa from near and far. With some itineraries including multiple layovers and weather delays, seeing all the smiling … Continued