Baffin Island & Total Solar Eclipse

The Northwest Passage – This historic route, almost across the top of the world, has long fired the imaginations of explorers, traders and fortune seekers. Expeditions to these parts were many and most notable for their failure, a true testament to the wildness and remoteness of this region. Today in the comfortable Akademik Ioffe we can retrace the path of early explorers, achieving in just a few days that which defied decades of effort.

From the east coast of Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, through the Canadian Arctic, we experience spectacular wilderness including glaciers, mountains, fjords and breathtaking icebergs. Abundant wildlife will also be on display including, with any luck, the imperial polar bear. We visit Inuit settlements in both Canada and Greenland that will open our eyes to these rich and unique cultures that have survived in this harsh landscape for hundreds of years.

One of the goals of this voyage is to be in the best position to witness the Total Solar Eclipse! We will sail the ship as close as possible to the umbra (path of totality) during the morning of August 1 to witness a very rare and spectacular natural event. There are only a few places in the World where this event can be seen. Ice conditions and weather will determine if we are able to get to the desired window of opportunity. However, ice conditions during this time period, over the last few years, indicate a favorable result.