Explore to inspire, a PONANT podcast
PONANT's cruises
The Arctic is an ocean of ice stretching over eight countries (Canada, the USA, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Russia). From the Inuit villages of Greenland to the banks of Spitsbergen, the volcanoes of Iceland to the meanders of the North-West Passage and the boreal forests of Canada – or even the North Pole itself, Arctic explorers’ holy grail – travelling the Arctic strips us of all superfluities, leaving only what is essential. Those essentials are ice, wind and life. To travel the Arctic is to go on an epic adventure in which humans and the wild tame one another.
Arctic landscapes: volcanoes, fjords, tundra and pack ice
Unlike the endless white of the Antarctic, the Arctic eschews uniformity. Icelandic black basalt follows the fawn colours of northern Canada’s tundra, while in Greenland, icebergs break away from glaciers to make their way across Disko Bay. In Spitsbergen, jagged peaks and deep fjords shelter an extraordinary wealth of wildlife. Birds set up colonies on cliff faces, while polar bears and walruses cohabit the pack ice and its banks. From the midnight sun to the aurora borealis, the light twists and turns our usual perspectives as we gaze towards the North Pole on the horizon.
The people and traditions of the North: the polar regions’ legacy
Travelling the Arctic means immersing oneself in the daily life of cultures which have braved life on the edge. From Nunavut in northernmost Canada to the two isolated Greenlandic outposts of Kullorsuaq and Ittoqqortoormiit, modernity has not erased communities’ vital link to nature. In these boreal lands, Inuit heritage is passed down in people’s remarkable resilience, evident in kayak-borne subsistence fishing traditions, dog-sledding journeys over pack ice, craftsmanship, the myths of ancient Thule and the Icelandic sagas, and the eternally watchful eye of the goddess Sedna.
Dog-sledding in Saguenay Fjord in Quebec, Canada
An iceberg on the pack ice on Greenland’s west coast
Village of Kullorsuaq, Greenland
An Inuit man in Canada
A church standing in front of Helgafell mountain on Heimaey island, in Iceland
There’s nowhere to hide in the Arctic. It’s a land of unavoidable truths, where people really see themselves for who they are as they stand face to face with the almighty power of nature.
Jean Malaurie, Les Derniers Rois de Thulé (The Last Kings of Thule) (Plon, 1955)
Boreal experiences in the heart of the Arctic
Glide between the giants of Disko Bay; share precious moments with Inuit communities; spot the faraway sovereign march of a polar bear. These are just some of the ways you can get to know a finely balanced ecosystem at the top of the world, the memories of its peoples and its wild power.
Admire the icebergs of Disko Bay
Ilulissat is the guardian city of the Isfjord and the gateway to a world where ice reigns supreme. It is possible to sail Disko Bay (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and get up close to the crystalline giants that have sheared off from Sermeq Kujalleq, the most prodigious glacier in the northern hemisphere. In the midnight sun, these drifting cathedrals twinkle with golden reflections. On land, the bright red childhood home of Knud Rasmussen (now a museum) serves as a reminder that these shores were the cradle of the greatest polar expeditions.
Meet Inuit communities
Whether in Qaanaaq, Ittoqqortoormiit or Nain, getting an immersive experience of daily life in the isolated villages of Greenland or Labrador in Canada is a rare opportunity to connect with the Inuits who have made hospitality a form of art. You will be transported by the power of song accompanied by drumming in Sisimiut, or by the last hunters’ stories of the pack ic ze as they chat around a pot of coffee during a traditional kaffemik community meet-up in Kullorsuaq. Exchanges such as these with a culture rooted in heritage and resilience are always precious.
Watching polar bears on the pack ice
Imagine the moment: you spot its outline emerge in the distance on the pack ice, its coat blending in immaculately with the frozen landscape. This is the kind of epiphany nature only offers to the few. As you explore the shores of Spitsbergen or northern Greenland, keep an eye on the horizon for the king of the Arctic. Spotting a polar bear will make all your patient watching worthwhile. It is a rare privilege to seize fleeting moments like these in the heart of the Arctic desert, breathing in the spirit of the North Pole at its most intense.
From one legendary milestone to another: the North-West Passage to the 90th parallel north
Crossing the North-West Passage and reaching the 90th parallel north remain the ultimate boreal challenges. You too can follow in the footsteps of Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen through the maze of Canadian islands and the geographic spot where all meridians converge. As an emotional experience, it is overwhelming to break ground which was for so long inaccessible, whether you are wending through the ice or treading the pack ice of the North Pole.
Get up close to the wildlife of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen island in the Svalbard archipelago is one of nature’s most untouched sanctuaries worldwide. Along the banks of this exceptional location for spotting Arctic wildlife, life happens in the towering presence of landscapes sculpted by ice. Here, a whale’s spout erupts from the water; there, walruses make their mighty presence felt on the shore or reindeer pad across the raw tundra. Beneath cliffs that shelter guillemots and gulls in their thousands, filling the air with their deafening cries, the furtive, light-footed polar fox searches for its next meal.
Experience the magic of the northern lights
When summer fades away and the darkness of the polar night sweeps over the fjords, the skies offer up their greatest mystery. It is the time to see the celestial drapes of light as they illuminate the heavens with their emerald and purple magnetic dance. In this moment of pure grace, the glittering ocean appears to respond to the undulating aurora beamed in from the edges of the atmosphere. Ready yourself for an unforgettable, dreamlike odyssey.
- Area: 21 million km2 (4% of the Earth’s surface)
- Population: 4 million (10% of whom are indigenous)
- Record: -69.6°C in Greenland
- The Arctic Council: A forum to enable cooperation between the Arctic states and indigenous peoples
Raking sunlight touches the surface of a mirror-like sea in Disko Bay
The midnight sun
In the Arctic, the Earth’s tilt keeps the sun above the horizon for 24 hours a day. This continuous raking sunlight means night never comes, giving the traveller the unreal feeling of being suspended in time.
An inuksuk looking out over Baffin Bay
The inuksuk
Inuksuit are made to look like people and serve as guide to an immense wilderness. These stone monuments watch over the tundra and waymark a route or resource, acting as a sacred symbol of mutual aid and survival.
Arctic fox
