The Clipper Adventurer

Earlier this week, I took a look at one of our newest trip offerings, The Atlantic Arts Float. That trip is one of two new cruise-style expeditions aboard the Clipper Adventurer.

Designed for Arctic adventurers and enthusiasts looking for something more low-key than our usual floe-edge base camps, these cruises take full advantage of the connections, experience, and expertise that we’ve been bringing to our more extreme expeditions for over a decade, while allowing for a more slow-paced and luxurious experience.

The Heart of the Arctic Cruise celebrates and explores northern communities’ rich artistic and cultural legacy. From West Greenland’s magnificent Kangerlussuaq Fjord to tiny hamlets along the Hudson straight, our journey will take us to the heart of today’s Arctic, exploring the cultures, art, and history of this magnificent region.

The Arctic landscape is severe, a cold expanse of ice, sea and tundra at the edge of the habitable world. But for millennia, this harsh climate has supported a wide diversity of native cultures, fostering communities that have survived and even prospered.

Today, in spite of the social changes and environmental stresses of the last century, Arctic communities remain vital and resilient, guarding and maintaining the traditions that have sustained their cultures for four thousand years.

This trip and our Atlantic Arts Float Cruise are coming up soon, and the remaining spots are being offered at a special discounted rate! Visit the trips page today to find out more.

No Comments »

The Cruise Ship Clipper Adventurer

If you subscribe to our newsletter, you’ve already heard about our newest expedition offerings. But just in case you’re still out of the loop, I thought I’d take some time this week to look at these new adventures a little more closely.

Image via the Walrus Foundation

First up, we have the Atlantic Arts Float, a cruise aboard the Clipper Adventurer. In collaboration with The Walrus Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization with a mandate to promote public discourse on matters vital to Canada, we’ll be exploring the riches of Atlantic Canada alongside artists, photographers, musicians and writers.

A photographer on an AK expedition captures images of the wilderness

Arctic Kingdom will be bringing our extensive Arctic wilderness experience to the expedition, leading zodiac-based excursions to the shore for tundra hikes, visits to sites of cultural and natural significance, opportunities for painting and photography, and other adventures along the way.

Visit our trips page for more information, including special, last-minute discounted rates!

No Comments »

The Arctic is a land of contradictions, remote from it’s southern neighbors and ever-present within the world ecosystem, both ancient and at the very forefront of climate change and the global response to those changes. And just as they have throughout history, the Arctic’s inhabitants are rising to the new challenges global climate change presents.

Writing for the Arctic Kingdom blog, I often feel overwhelmed by the constant flow of dire news that comes out of the Arctic. Declining animal populations, the loss of sea ice, and the many seemingly unstoppable forces already at play in the global climate can sometimes seem like insurmountable problems.

But there is still hope to be found in the global effort to preserve and protect the Arctic and its inhabitants. Here at Arctic Kingdom, we’re proud to be involved with Arctic Hope,  a “cooperative project intended to help the arctic region adapt to a shifting world. The main goals are to strengthen the viability, resiliency and sustainability of the region through mutual education and collaboration with indigenous communities.” Visit the website for more details on how you can get involved!

No Comments »

A satellite image generated by Noetix showing the location of the pack ice in Navy Board

Last week, I mentioned Arctic Kingdom’s collaboration with Noetix, a company that provides real-time maps of the Arctic’s ever-shifting floe edge. Expedition manager Thomas Lennartz was on the ice, following Noetix-generated maps and reporting back with conditions in the field. The purpose of this collaboration was to provide Noetix with feedback on the information their satellite images provide, allowing them to provide more nuanced information about conditions on the ice.

Today, I was able to get my hands on some images from that collaboration. What follows are Satellite images of Navy Board in late May provided by Noetix, along with some notes about conditions on and off the ice from Thomas.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments »

View Larger Map

This morning, Graham sent me coordinates for the team members Thomas Lennartz and Michael Robertson’s current location. The two are working on the ice near Baffin Island with a Spanish filmaking crew and a private photographer, respectively.

This sort of piggybacking (two separate expeditions sharing one location in or around the same time frame) is one of the strategies Arctic Kingdom employs to minimize expedition costs while keeping the highest standards for safety and comfort in the field.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments »

via BBC NEWS, ‘Arctic unicorns’ in icy display.

This week, I’m highlighting narwhals in honor of Arctic Kingdom’s upcoming expedition to Lancaster Sound. The expedition’s primary goal is to view and swim with narwhal and beluga as they begin their summer migration.

So I was thrilled when I stumbled upon that video up there. This is what the Lancaster Sound trip is all about!

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments »

"The Beluga and Narwhal are possibly the most curious creatures I have ever encountered. The amazing thing is that they come to you! Snorkeling meant we could spend as long as we liked with them. They dive into your path and then under you, blowing up bubbles that catch on your face and middle. Sometimes the whale song was so loud you could feel it reverberate down your neck and drive around your ears!" - Nell Battye, AK dive participant

When: June 12- June 25 & June 25 – July 8
Where: Lancaster Sound
Featured Animals: Narwhal, Beluga, and Bowhead Whales

It’s not hard to see why this is one of our most popular trips! The floe edge along Lancaster Sound is one of the best wildlife-viewing spots in the Arctic. In the late spring, as the sea ice begins to melt and crack, the waters along the edge of the ice teem with life.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments »