Compare Whales & Bears of British Columbia by Exodus Travels vs Canada to Greenland: Baffin Bay Explorer by Quark Expeditions

Day 1 Start Vancouver

The adventure begins in Vancouver on Canada's west coast. If you have time, we recommend a stroll around this cosmopolitan city to get a feel for it. Treat yourself to moreish maple cookies in Stanley Park, a 990-acre (400ha) green wonderland where you can see authentic totem poles put up in the 1920s or sit in one of the cafes and enjoy a spot of people watching. A welcome briefing may be held this evening or tomorrow morning, in which we gather as a group and meet our tour leader. Accommodation: Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown (or similar)

Day 2 Morning ferry to Vancouver Island

In the morning, we head to the port for a ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, a 1hr 30min journey across the Strait of Georgia. On arrival in Nanaimo, we continue by road, stopping for a walk and picnic lunch at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. Rathtrevor is known for its majestic old-growth woodland, beautiful ocean sunsets and a wide, sandy beach with picnic areas nestled amongst the trees. We then continue our drive to Ucluelet, our base for the next three nights. Today's travel time is approximately six hours. Accommodation: Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina (or similar)

Day 3 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve; boat excursion to observe grey and humpback whales

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is nestled between the mountains of the Vancouver Island range and the Pacific coastline. We walk inside the park this morning to admire the rich natural heritage of the west coast of Canada. The reserve has almost 10mi (16km) of sand and a huge collection of driftwood, while the next stop is Japan! We usually take the Nuu-Chah-Nulth trail to the beach and visit during low tide to explore some of the intertidal pools and rocky islands. You may see lime-green anemones and purple, brown and orange starfish. In the afternoon, we board Zodiacs with a naturalist guide who leads a 2hr 30min to three hour whale-observation excursion (depending on the low-tide schedule, this activity may take place earlier in the day). Our goal is to see humpback and grey whales, but it is also common to come across orcas, seals and sea lions among the rocky headlands. Today’s driving time should not exceed two hours. Accommodation: Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina (or similar)

Day 4 Rainforest Figure Eight trail; boat excursion to observe black bears

Today our leader will take us on an easy hike on the Rainforest Figure Eight trail, an hour-long walk along wooden boardwalks through the majestic forest. This is a peaceful trail and we will be surrounded by a dense foliage of ferns, Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock trees. Keep your eyes peeled for birdlife - our tour leaders have reported sightings of Steller's jays and Rufous hummingbirds! Late this afternoon, we board Zodiacs for a 2hr 30min expedition to observe black bears and bald eagles (depending on the low-tide schedule, this activity may take place earlier in the day). In the wilderness of Clayoquot Sound, black bears search for crabs and clams on the rocky beaches. We travel the fjord inlet by Zodiac, looking in sheltered bays and stopping to see any black bears we find from the comfort of our vessel. Accommodation: Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina (or similar)

Day 5 To Campbell River and Cathedral Grove Provincial Park

Depart Ucluelet and drive for four hours to Campbell River on the north shore of Vancouver Island. Campbell River is known as the salmon capital of the world for its hugely impressive salmon runs, where five species of Pacific salmon swim the river. It has been designated a Heritage River for its importance in British Columbia; following the fish are bears, seals, kingfishers and eagles. This afternoon, we stop at Cathedral Grove Provincial Park to see the last remains of the temperate rainforest that covered the island more than a 1,000 years ago. This is one of the most accessible areas of giant Douglas fir trees in the province and there are many trails enabling us to meander through Douglas fir, western hemlock, grand fir and western red cedar trees. Accommodation: Painter’s Lodge (or similar)

Day 6 Boat excursion to Orford River to observe grizzly bears

Board a covered boat for a full-day excursion to the Orford River area (on the mainland of British Columbia) to observe grizzly bears in their natural habitat. Conservative estimates suggest there are 10,000 grizzly (brown) bears in British Columbia, with 92 percent of the original habitat of grizzlies still occupied. The abundance of spawning salmon in the Orford River at this time of year brings grizzlies down to feast. A two-hour journey by boat with a spectacular backdrop of mountainous scenery brings us to the mouth of the Orford River. From here, we take a short bus journey inland, where there are five viewing platforms from which to spot the bears. We visit one or sometimes two of these platforms, where we hope to observe the bears catching and feeding on salmon, sometimes with cubs in tow. On the boat journey to and from the Orford River, we may also see black bears, orcas, humpback and grey whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea lions. Accommodation: Painter’s Lodge (or similar)

Day 7 Quadra Island for hiking or optional sea kayaking

Board a ferry for a 10-minute journey across the Discovery Passage to Quadra Island, where we spend the day exploring the island trails and beaches by foot. Our leader will determine the best trail based on the group's preference and ability, but options include the Shallaligan Pass Trail along Quadra Island's coastline, which offers panoramic ocean views, or the Heriot Ridge Trail that passes through the bush and out onto a ridge for coastal views galore. There is also an optional three-hour sea kayaking excursion from Quadra Island. Accompanied by kayak and marine life observation guides, there is never a dull moment as we paddle by kayak around Quadra Island – we could see soaring eagles, oystercatchers, herons, cormorants, gulls and, if lucky, seals, sea lions, dolphins and porpoises. The mountain views offer a stunning backdrop to this excursion, which is suitable for beginners. Accommodation: Painter’s Lodge (or similar)

Day 8 Transfer to Victoria; whale-watching in the Salish Sea

We drive for around four hours to Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Victoria is well-known for its colourful gardens, British architecture and arts scene. In the afternoon, we have one final wildlife-viewing opportunity as we embark on a whale-watching excursion from Victoria, where orcas, humpback whales and sea lions are often spotted in the waters of the Salish Sea. A certified marine naturalist will accompany us in the Zodiac boat, helping to spot wildlife and providing background information on the species we observe. Accommodation: Huntingdon Manor (or similar)

Day 9 Ferry to Vancouver; orientation tour and end Vancouver

It's an early start on our final day in British Columbia as we take the ferry (approximately 1.5 hours) across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver. Our leader will take us on a guided orientation tour of the city then there's free time to explore Vancouver at your leisure. Those on Land Only arrangements may choose stay longer in the vibrant city of Victoria. Please speak to your sales representative if you'd like to add post-tour nights in Victoria or Vancouver.

Day 1: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Your arctic adventure begins in Ottawa. Explore the Canadian capital on your own, before spending the night at your well-appointed hotel.

Day 2: Embarkation Day in Iqaluit, Nunavut

After breakfast, board our charter flight to Iqaluit, where your first Zodiac ride will transfer you from shore to ship. You’ll experience the power of nature, as the tides here are the second highest in Canada, rising up to 39 feet (12 meters) twice a day. On board, you’ll meet your Expedition Team, the captain and his officers.

Day 3: Monumental Island

Off the southern coast of Baffin Island, this small, isolated island is completely uninhabited, except for the large population of impressive arctic animals that call the rugged terrain home. With your experienced expedition staff, you’ll get up close, exploring the rocky shoreline in a Zodiac, scouting for hauled-out walrus and polar bears prowling for food.

Day 4: Kekerten Island and Pangnirtung

Today, you cross north of the Arctic Circle. Wandering the historical remains of a whaling station on the uninhabited island of Kekerten, it’s easy to envision what life was like during the height of whaling in the Cumberland Sound area. This National Historic Site of Canada was charted by Scottish whaler Captain William Penny in 1840 and soon became a major whaling destination. The site was abandoned around 1926, after whaling declined and local Inuit families moved to the mainland community of Pangnirtung, where a trading post was established by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

As you cruise toward the picturesque Pangnirtung, you’ll see why this Inuit hamlet at the mouth of the Pangnirtung Fjord is called the Switzerland of the Arctic. Tucked beneath the snow- capped peaks of Mount Duval, Pang is also a renowned artists’ haven. Stop by the studio at the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts to view the traditional colorful tapestries that have attracted worldwide attention for decades. Here, you’ll also get a sense of local Inuit activities, such as sealing, fishing and hunting.

Day 5: At Sea

As our ship steams briefly south, enjoy the views of the southern coast of Baffin Island. While you spend this day at sea, join expedition staff as they look for whales and birdlife out on deck. This is your chance to relax with a glass of wine or hot tea and simply take in the wondrous beauty around you.

Day 6: Cumberland Peninsula

We continue sailing around the Cumberland Peninsula, letting the weather guide us in choosing our shore landings, as we explore this scenic region.

Day 7: Sam Ford Fjord

Situated about 380 miles (450 km) north of the Arctic Circle, in the land where the sun never sets, Sam Ford Fjord is truly one of the most isolated places on the planet. Yet this little-explored area of Baffin Island is one of the world’s best big-wall playgrounds, attracting intrepid climbers eager to scale the sheer rock faces that shoot straight out of the sea. Have your camera ready, as the number of huge formations here are awe inspiring.

Tonight, you’ll traverse Baffin Bay, saying goodbye to Canadian shores. Expedition staff will preview the excitement still to come in Greenland—glaciers and mummies!

Day 8: Uummannaq and Qilaqitsoq, Greenland

In the morning, you’ll visit the abandoned settlement of Qilaqitsoq (also known as Qilakitsoq), where a ghoulish discovery was made in 1972: the two graves of eight fully dressed mummies, thought to have drowned circa 1475. The remains of three women and a child are kept at the Greenland National Historic Museum in Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital.

You’ll want to be out on deck as we approach the stunning sight of Uummannaq, its colorful peaked houses perched on the rocky foothills of the red heart-shaped mountain that gave the community its name. Founded as a Danish colony in 1758 on the Nuussuaq mainland, five years later the settlement moved here, where seal hunting was more plentiful. A hike up a gently sloping hill overlooking the seaside town will yield a panoramic view of icebergs, sea and mountains.

Day 9: Eqip Sermia

Today, sail to one of the most breathtaking places in Greenland: the beautiful Eqip Sermia. As you trace the front of the massive calving glacier from a safe distance, the sounds and sight of huge chunks of ice crashing into the sea are simply spectacular.

Day 10: Ilulissat

Have your camera out as you approach Ilulissat. The nearby Ilulissat Icefjord, a tidal fjord covered with massive ice, has fascinated scientists for over 250 years. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the sea mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq (Jakobshavn Glacier), the fastest-moving glacier in the world, which produces at least 10 percent of all of Greenland’s calf ice. In fact, the young icebergs you see here will eventually end up off the coast of Newfoundland years later. Exploring the beauty of this natural phenomenon, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of glaciers and ice caps.

Day 11: Itilleq

Surrounded by sea, fjords and mountains, the picturesque village of Itilleq is situated on an island with no freshwater source (a facility desalinates seawater). The community, whose main trade is fishing and hunting, will welcome us and show us their way of life. Later, join locals in a friendly soccer match.

Day 12: Kangerslussuaq

After disembarking in Kangerslussuaq, a former U.S. military base, you’ll be transferred to your charter flight to Ottawa, where you’ll spend the night at your included hotel.

Day 13: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Today, make your way to the airport or spend a relaxing day exploring in the city.