Reasons to Cruise the Northwest Passage
Few voyages capture the imagination quite like the...
Reasons to Cruise the Northwest Passage
Few voyages capture the imagination quite like the Northwest Passage. Spanning almost 1,700 nautical miles from Canada’s Baffin Island in the east, to Alaska’s Beaufort Sea in the west, traversing this isolated and wild sea route is an adventure like no other. It’s only possible to sail the Northwest Passage during the brief summer of just a few weeks when the ice conditions become more favourable. Hurtigruten’s nautical expertise in extreme polar waters means we’re one of the few companies to offer crossing attempts.
Authentic Arctic Expedition
We love the Arctic, but we know nature has its own plans sometimes and we have to adapt. Occasionally, we’ll have to find alternative routes that don’t feature on the daily itinerary, or we'll even have to turn back. If we’re forced to do so, we’ll simply head off on a different – alternative – adventure. That’s why it’s called an attempt, and it’s this unpredictability which makes it an expedition, not just a cruise.
Arctic Wildlife
Polar bears hunting on the ice, an Arctic fox venturing across the tundra, beluga whales breaking the surface of the waters; these are just some of the magnificent animals you might see on the voyage. Our wildlife experts will help you seek out the best sightings, and you can learn more from our extensive onboard programme of lectures and our Science Center.
Spectacular Landscapes
Cruising through the passage, we’ll see an ever-changing maze of water channels between vast pristine panoramas. From breathtaking vistas of ice-capped mountains rising above the tundra, to seascapes of blue water afloat with delicately hued icebergs, you’ll see it all from the comfortable vantage point of the ship.
Seafaring History
A marine route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago had long been suspected by mariners and attempts to chart it began in earnest in the 16th century. At the time, sailors believed seawater couldn’t freeze and thought a route might exist close to the North Pole. This conviction persisted for several centuries and led to numerous Arctic expeditions, many of which ended in disaster.
Historical Attempts
Probably the most infamous attempt at the Northwest Passage was led by the intrepid British sea captain Sir John Franklin. His two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, with a combined crew of 129, set out in 1845 to chart the passage. The ill-fated mission ended in disaster when they became icebound for over a year. None of the crew ever returned, thought to have perished to hypothermia, starvation, and disease.
Local Heritage
It took five centuries for navigators to finally chart a safe route through the Northwest Passage. Norwegian Roald Amundsen sailed the route in 1906, triumphantly doing so in his remodelled fishing boat Gjoa, with a crew of just six men. A key to the success of his three-year odyssey was to learn survival techniques from the local Inuit people, skills which would later prove invaluable in his quest to reach the South Pole.