Inuit spring at the edge of Scoresby Sound

Through PONANT’s alliance with The Explorers Club, this voyage will feature two Explorer Club members. Ann Andreasen the principal of Uummannaq Children's Home and director of Uummannaq Polar Institute, will be accompanied by graduates of her school who specialize in traditional Inuit drumming and storytelling. Mike Magidson a filmmaker has worked closely with Ann and her organizations to create compelling documentaries about Inuit communities. He will also join this voyage and provide enrichment in French through his films and experiences in Greenland. 

We also welcome a team of two Explorers Club Science Grantees, Dr. Cath Waller environmental marine ecologist, and Dr. Andy Richardson, marine biologist. Their research on board will entail the study of anthropogenic impacts of plastics on marine ecosystems in east Greenland. Their findings promise to illuminate compelling narratives and insights for you.

With the presence of Cindy Miller Hopkins, American Photo Ambassador.

A fine layer of mist seems to float above the enormous frozen expanse. A rosy glow points to the horizon, illuminating the immaculate surface. Welcome to the East coast of Greenland, a wild region that is one of the most isolated in the world. At the end of the long winter night, spring is accompanied by the midnight sun, while the coastal ice flow still protects the shores. Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, a reassuring cocoon capable of sailing through ice-covered waters, explore this coast, which is inaccessible to traditional ships during this precocious season. Here, the powerful yet fragile nature lays down the law. As is taught by Inuit wisdom, only the present moment matters. In the heart of this extreme and majestic universe, encounters with the landscapes and living things are experienced in the here and now.

Following the edge of the ice or in the heart of the ice floe, explore Blosseville Coast and then the region of Ittoqqortoormiit, at the entrance to Scoresby Sound, the world’s largest network of fjords. At the entrance to the fjord, the East coast of Greenland’s northernmost village enhances the snow-covered panorama with its colourful houses. The Inuit (men in Inuktitut) follow the rhythm of the changing seasons and the ice here, as they perpetuate their traditions, such as hunting on dog sled. An outing alongside the last hunters of the polar region will have you overwhelmed by various sensations aboard this ancient means of transport. Among the first outside visitors of the season, you will be warmly welcomed by the community. During privileged exchanges mixed with joyful and authentic moments, you will learn about the village customs on the ice floe. Inuit hospitality is no myth, it is given in the warmth of a look or an exchanged smile.

From the exterior decks, in a kayak or zodiac, or via a polar hike, you will have diverse opportunities to contemplate these hypnotic panoramas in their infinite variety: sumptuous glaciers, icebergs caught in the ice, hummocks, jagged peaks of dark strata. You will be struck by the grandeur and the splendour of the region. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to glimpse the magnificent silhouette of a humpback whale coming to the surface to breathe through its blowhole, or the impressive nanuk - the polar bear - lord of the manor, roaming this white desert in search of the perfect spot for hunting or fishing.

In the splendour of the ice before it breaks up, the East coast of Greenland will reveal itself to the patient explorer, one who is conscious of their privilege and remains humble before its immensity.

Find out more about the world of Le Commandant Charcot here!

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation, mainly in the fjords, will be determined by the type of ice we come across; as the fast ice must be preserved, we will take this into account from day to day in our itineraries. The sailing programme, outings, activities and observation of fauna cannot be guaranteed and are subject to weather and ice conditions. The experiences are unique and vary from day to day and for each departure. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while respecting safety instructions and regulations imposed by the AECO.