Northwest Passage Landing Sites

In 1859 the first evidence of what had happened to the Franklin expedition was found in a cairn at Victory Point on King William Island. This broke the news that Sir John himself had died and that the ships were abandoned.

In 2016 HMS Erebus was found in Queen Maud Gulf and HMS Terror in 2018 close to King William Island, with the Academic Vavilov involved in the search. For anyone with an interest in the Franklin story these are prime sites. Some voyages will land at Victory Point but very few are granted permission to visit the wreck sites.

There is also modern Canadian history in the region; you’ll see evidence of trade with the Hudson Bay Company who established a trading post at Fort Ross, close to the eastern entrance to the Bellot Strait. Today the buildings stand abandoned, untouched from the moment the last inhabitant left, with the coffee pot on the stove as if ready to be poured.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) patrolled the region for years and at Dundas Harbour you will see the deserted dwellings they left behind along with a small cemetery, the resetting place of two of the last men to be posted to these remotest of locations.

Scattered through this wild and remote region there are a handful of communities that you may visit along the way. Some, like Pond Inlet, are fairly used to visitors through the summer months and others, such as Kugaaruk, very rarely see a ship at all.

These visits are greatly welcomed by the communities who will often put together a show of traditional dance and music, perhaps with traditional Arctic games as well. Local artists will also take an opportunity to show and sell their work, it’s one of the few times when you can pick up a memento of your journey.

Many of these settlements carry more significance for some travelers. At Gjoa Haven in Prince William Island, a 1,200 strong community, you can visit the monument of Roald Amunsden. This is where the great man over-wintered for two years from 1903 whilst completing the first successful transit of the passage.

It’s really worth stressing how much the visits mean to these remote populations, not just economically but also for contact with the outside world. Take time to talk to the inhabitants and you will soon discover how friendly they are, don’t be surprised if you find yourself having tea in someone's home! These towns may be small but they are home to fascinating people who have very different stories to tell.

Birders should look out for excursions to sites like Prince Leopold Island, home to hundreds of thousands of thick-billed murres. With steep cliffs often shrouded in mist and surrounded by ice this can be a hugely atmospheric site experienced by zodiac.

Polar bears are always nearby but they frequent some sites more than others. The Bellot Strait is popular: this narrow channel divides Somerset Island from the northernmost point of continental North America, and is known for strong tides which can prove challenging even today. These currents throw up plankton attracting fish, and as a result it’s a good place for wildlife: seals, polar bears, arctic fox and musk ox.