Experience an Arctic expedition adventure cruise: polar bears, walrus, and icebergs

August 15, 7:17 PMInternational Travel ExaminerDiane LeBow

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Ice class ship Lyubov Orlova / Montgomery Photo

Closer than the Antarctic, the Arctic region is the up and coming destination for adventure travelers. Cruise North Expeditions runs regular cruises into the Arctic starting at locations just a few hours flight from very cosmopolitan Montreal.

Enjoy an experience of a lifetime, as recent fellow cruise members described it, to the land of Inuit, polar bears, musk ox, walrus, and, well only a few, mosquitoes. Inuit people prefer this name to Eskimo which means “eaters of raw flesh.” They are the only hunting culture left on the North American continent.

Recently we sailed aboard a Russian ice class ship, the Lyubov Orlova, which is named after a famous Soviet actress. The ship is leased by the Inuit owned company, Cruise North Expeditions. Indeed we spent some days cracking through ice covered seas while viewing walrus and seals on ice floes and polar bear and musk ox on small rocky islands. We even got to see rare white beluga whales.

Arctic Polar Bear / Montgomery photo

Different than the traditional cruise, an expedition cruise offers more opportunities for outdoor activities and attracts adventuresome people, age range from 10 to 85 years. Activities can range from easy walks and investigation of local Arctic flora to vigorous climbs in search of musk ox and the interesting thick billed Muure, a sort of small penguin that nests by the 1000’s on rocky ledges.

Each day on board experts give interesting lectures on everything from wild life to Inuit games.
Zodiac expeditions take you to mostly uninhabited, except by Arctic wildlife and vegetation, rocky isles. An occasional tiny Inuit village welcomes you where you can meet local folks and often enjoy a performance of Inuit throat singing and even get a lesson in this unusual musical technique.

The food and service aboard the Lyubov Orlova are excellent and the cabins well appointed and comfortable.

Walrus on Ice Floe / Montgomery photo

One of the many admirable aspects of this Inuit owned and run cruise line is that they have an excellent apprenticeship program that recruits young Inuits from their villages to join the cruises. They work in various capacities as tour guides, expedition leaders, zodiac captains, and navigator trainees in preparation for future employment. As Dugald Wells, the President of the company, said to me: “These kids come to realize the outside world is interested in their culture and that opens up loads of possibilities for them they hadn’t dreamed of before.”

Inuit Man / LeBow photo