Wednesday, September 1. 2010
Clipper Adventurer UPDATE: September 1, 2:13PM EST
September 1, 2010
Guests aboard the grounded M/V Clipper Adventurer all arrived safely back in Edmonton. Shortly after 14:00 on the 30th of August, passengers and staff entered the Edmonton Airport and were brought to the Adventure Canada comfort centre located at the Executive Royal Inn near the Edmonton Airport. Guests lunched and were assisted with travel arrangements home.
Unfortunately, the remainder of the 2010 Clipper Adventurer season is cancelled. We looked forward to sailing aboard her again next year.- The Captain and crew of Clipper Adventurer
- The Canadian Coast Guard
- The wonderful community of Kugluktuk
- The charter team at Canadian North Airlines
- The fabulous team at the Edmonton International Airport
- Enterprise Car Rentals
- Jason Pollmeier and the staff at the Executive Royal Inn at Edmonton Airport
We would also like to thank all of our travellers for your incredible compassion, understanding and patience throughout this unexpected adventure.
Sunday, August 29. 2010
Clipper Adventure Update
August 28th , 2010, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
At approximately 1910 local time (GMT-7) on August 27th, 2010
MV Clipper Adventurer, en-route from Port Epworth to Kugluktuk NU, was grounded on an uncharted rock at 67 58 N 112 40 W. At the time the seas were calm, sunny conditions and good visibility with no wind or swell.Efforts of the vessel's crew to dislodge the vessel during high tide on August 28th were unsuccessful.
The vessel now rests with a slight list. Conditions are stabilized. All passengers and crew are safe and unharmed. Weather remains favourable as passengers continue to enjoy onboard programming and hospitality.Canadian authorities have been notified and the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Amundsen is en-route set to arrive 0900 August 29th to assist with disembarking passengers.
Flight arrangements have been made to ensure passengers return to Edmonton for the evening of August 29th.
For inquiries please contact the Adventure Canada office 905 271 4000.Monday, August 9. 2010
New International Brochure Available
Get a sneak peek at the new 2011 International Adventures Brochure before it gets mailed out to the general public! Click the cover below to visit our brochures section!
Friday, July 2. 2010
Featured Destination: Greenland
- Despite it's name, you'll experience gargantuan icebergs almost everywhere in Greenland
- In the Disko Bay, icebergs often rise up to 100 meters above the waterline - keep in mind that 90 percent of an iceberg is hidden below the surface of the sea
- The breathtaking Arctic scenery is almost endless on the world's largest island, and with a total population of only 55,000 you are truly on your own as soon as you leave one of the small towns and settlements
- Human civilization is the exception in this country. The mountains, valleys, rivers and gigantic ice cap are practically virgin land
- The midnight sun can be encountered north of the Polar Circle. In Ilulissat, for example, the sun never sets from May 25th to July 25th, and during that period "normal" calendar time is
virtually non-operative - The northern lights - white, yellow, green and red they sweep across the dark sky in a state of eternal, rapid flux. They accummulate in intensity and culminate in scenery beyond imagination
- Northern lights appear all year round in Greenland, but they can only be observed against a clear, dark night sky. They appear at a height of about 100 kilometers (65 miles) and have the shape of a flapping curtain or points radiating from a single dot
Experience Greenland for yourself on one of our summer expeditions:
Arctic Quest: July 23-August 2, 2010
Into the Northwest Passage: August 14-28, 2010
Greenland & Wild Labrador: September 12-25, 2010
When in Doubt, include Barney Rubble!
Cormier - The Climate Rap
its importance to today's youth. The response was overwhelming, and many thoughtful and entertaining entries were received. The "Climate Rap" however took home the grand prize of a voyage this summer through the Northwest Passage.
Chris is a 15-yr-old student who attends Manchester High School West in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he will be a junior in the fall. Chris is interested in the Science and Medical fields, is a member of his High School's Environmental and Chemistry clubs as
well as the track, and cross country teams. His hobbies include skiing, travelling, hiking and being outdoors. We look forward to getting to know Chris better as we sail through the Northwest Passage this August.
Check out Chris' video and all the other submissions
by clicking here.
Would you like to join Chris and Claes Nobel in the Arctic this Summer?
There is limited space left on our Into the Northwest Passage Expedition, August 14 -28, 2010. For more information please click here or email Loretta at Loretta@adventurecanada.com
Thursday, April 1. 2010
CTV News with Cedar Bradley-Swan and Michelle Valberg
Friday, March 26. 2010
Save 20% on our Scotland to Spitsbergen program!
Book by April 9th and save 20% of our first Arctic sailing of the summer. An adventure that explores the wild side of Europe, our Scotland to Spitsbergen
itinerary calls in at the remote islands of the North Atlantic: St. Kilda, the Faroes, Jan Mayen and of course Spitsbergen. Lovers of natural history and landscape will be drawn to the wild shores that are home to bird colonies, marine mammals, polar bears, volcanoes, jagged cliffs, fjords and the midnight sun.
Love Golf?
Nuuk is home to a modern, nine-hole golf course located on the cliffs. With a par of 66 (four par three holes, four par four holes and one par five hole), the course offers breathtaking views of the fjord and the surrounding mountains.
Golf Nuuk on our Greenland and Wild Labrador program. Or opt for a more rugged experience, and play the course at Gjoa Haven on our Into the Northwest Passage program. Here we find an amateur course, frequented by locals.
No rentals or clubhouses here! But we can organize a loaner set of clubs
for your visit!
For more information on our Greenland & Wild Labrador tour please click here.
For more information on our Into the Northwest
Passage tour please click here.
Bring a Friend to the Galapagos!
savings of 15%
When you and a friend book on our October 2010 or March 2011 Galapagos departures you both save 15%! A land of plenty, the Galapagos
is a must see for any nature lover. Swim with sea turtles and penguins, dance with the blue footed booby, kayak with sea lions, gaze at the mighty Albatross and the Magnificent
Frigate as they soar above you. With wetsuits, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and good company are provided, all you need is a sense of adventure!
For more information on either of our Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands tours, please click here or email your questions to Loretta loretta@adventurecanada.com
Why not extend your stay and pay a visit to the awe inspiring site of Machu Picchu? For more information please click here.
Kananginak comes to Toronto!
World renowned Inuit artist and AC staffer Kananginak Pootoogook will be present at the opening of his upcoming solo
exhibition:Kananginak Pootoogook:Celebrating Five Decades of Artistic Achievement. Currated by the Museum of Inuit Art, the exhibit is a collection of prints and original drawings that commemorate a marvelous career spanning fifty years.
When: Sunday March 28, 2010 6-8 pm
Where: Museum of Inuit Art, Queens Quay W. 1st
floor Toronto
Paul Quarrington Tribute
Friends and family celebrate the works of renaissance artist Paul Quarrington, featuring live music and theatrical presentations of his literary works, sprinkled with a touch of Magic and Sport. Host Barbara Budd will introduce featured artists including Joel Quarrington, Tony Quarrington, Porkbelly Futures, BidiniBand, Soul Stew, Baldini the Magician, Dan Hill, Melanie
Doane, Joe Hall, Jim Cuddy, Anne Lindsay, and more!
This event will be focused on the performance of Paul Quarrington's work, and presentations inspired by his work, as testament to the creative gifts - especially musical gifts -- he has given to his audiences, friends and family.
When: Tuesday, April 13, 7:00 pm
Where: The Opera House, 735 Queen St. E. Toronto
Please click here to purchase tickets.Mush Mush! By Carol Heppenstall
T
he makings of a perfect vacation: beautiful weather; exciting programs; great food and yes great company! Such was the case on our recent voyage to Whitehorse for the Yukon Quest.
Debbie and Fred Last did an excellent job as resource hosts, particularly opening their beautiful ranch - Windy Ridge - for our final dinner a la bar b qued char!
Highlights included Sam McGee's cabin, searching through the archives for gold diggers and Pierre Burton's relatives. The day at Frank Turner's (22 time winner of the Quest) Muk Tuk Kennels where after brief instruction our four teams raced to the Yukon River and mushed for three hours! It was exhilarating to say the least and kudos goes to Mary Hunter, long time Adventure Canada traveller, who had her own team! The mushers' banquet included great food and the stories of
all 22 Quest teams. The race is 1000 miles in length and there were high and low moments for everyone. My favorite part was the awarding of steaks to the winning dogs who loved being on stage with their leader, Hans Gatt. And did I mention alpaca hobnobbing?
The Yukon is a magnificent place to visit and I for one want to return perhaps to capture the fall colour or another Yukon Quest. Sandra introduced us to Haiku poetry and we all wrote feverously all week. Here is the winner:
Waiting for the glow
In the dark and cold we pace
Finally, its here.
By Mike Holloway
Check out my blog for a taste of the Yukon!
PS thanks for a fabulous Birthday party folks!
Carol is guiding two other intimate departures to the Arctic this summer:
Silent Messengers
Santa Fe: 400 Years Young
Don't miss your chance to see the rare Ivory & Ross' Gull
Adventurers, keep your eyes peeled for two rare seabirds when you are on your expeditions this summer. The Ivory Gull is an iconic, truly Arctic bird that is now listed as endangered in Canada, but is often seen on our cruises. It is unmistakable with black legs and pure white feathers. The Ross's Gull is even less common, although it is listed as threatened, and is a real prize for bird watchers. It is the rarest breeding gull in North America, and is distinguished by bright, reddish-orange legs and a distinct black scarf around its neck. Both gulls breed in the High Arctic, but depending on the year, can be observed on any of our cruises in Nunavut.Our Arctic Quest will be a highlight for birders with numerous stops planned at breeding colonies. Space is filing quickly! Email Matthew James today: matt.james@adventurecanada.com
Climate Change and the Musk Oxen
Musk oxen once were plentiful across the entire Northern Hemisphere, but they now exist almost solely in Greenland and Canada's high Arctic. A dramatic decline in populations began about 12,000 years ago and was often credited to human hunting patterns. However a new study, by international scientists, suggests that the decline was due to a warming climate rather than to human hunting. This is the first study to use ancient musk oxen DNA collected from across the animal's former geographic range to test for human impacts on musk oxen populations. The late Pleistocene period was marked by rapid environmental change as well as the beginning of the spread of humans across the Northern Hemisphere. The team has studied the genetic diversity and population decline of a number of species and concludes that because of the wide-ranging fluctuations between species,
changes in the arctic environment are much more likely to account for fluctuations in populations as each species will adapt to climate changes in different ways.
For more information on this study please click here.
Interested in seeing musk oxen? Head to the Arctic one of our three Arctic Expeditions:
Arctic Quest
Tusaqtuut project makes Tides Top Ten List!
Many of your will remember the dynamic Meeka Mike and her
passion for preserving and encouraging the use of Inuit Traditional Knowledge. Her ongoing project, Tusaqtuut, has caught the attention of Tides Canada, an organization that promotes opportunities for people in Canada and around the world to escape poverty, strengthen their communities and live on a healthy planet. Each year Tides Canada selects ten organizations
that are making enormous inroads in building a more just and sustainable world.
The Tusuatuut project documents indigenous Inuit knowledge by working together with the last generation of traditionally-raised elders and works to enable Nunavut youth to regain and
retain their sense of identity, heritage and responsibilities. Meeka and her father Jamasee were special guests on our 2008 High Arctic Adventure.
Travel with our cultural ambassadors on any of our 2010 Arctic programming and gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the Inuit culture.View our 2010 Canada and the North Brochure online.
Would you like a paper
copy? Send your mailing address to info@adventurecanada.com