Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Deer Lake, Newfoundland (YDF). Overview of the adventure. Travel the dramatic route to Gros Morne for the evening.

Day 2 Journey to L’Anse au Clair, Labrador with a stop at Port aux Choix, Newfoundland to look at ancient orca carvings. The ferry to Labrador is famous for pelagic seabird watching. Whales and seals are also frequent highlights on this 90-minute crossing.

    Meals Breakfast, lunch, Welcoming dinner

Day 3 If time allows, we visit the 1540s World Whaling Capital, Red Bay, where we learn the story of the bowhead and right whales who once called these productive waters home. Travel through old growth Labrador forest along the new Labrador Highway to Mary’s Harbour where we meet the Battle Harbour ferry. Watch for the black bears and other wildlife along the route and around Mary’s Harbour. Overnight in the beautifully restored, historic premises of Battle Harbour. From here Peary declared, “The Pole is ours.” Today the area has been restored to the glory it enjoyed when it was the Capital of Labrador. We use generators for electricity and enjoy comfortable rooms and the local food.

    Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4-6 Coastal boat trips searching for humpbacks, orcas, and other whales. Explore Battle Harbour and the abandoned communities of the Labrador coast. We will also attempt to gather some of the region’s first humpback tail photographs. Our hope is that we can continue our orca dorsal fin photography and perhaps use hydrophones to listen in on the underwater vocalizations of orcas and dolphins. We have a small catalogue of orcas we recognize and we will be attempting to broaden our knowledge of these individuals and their biology. The region’s dramatic coast and recently abandoned fishing communities contribute a poignant and unforgettable human adventure to the expedition experience. We enjoy the coast’s whales, abundant seabirds, and seals by day while soaking up the historic atmosphere of Battle Harbour by night. We review the story of Peary and Bartlett and their trip to the Pole. We also revisit the time the world came to Battle Harbour to hear the stories of the first successful journey to the Pole. Our time here is always an expedition highlight.

    Meals Breakfasts, lunches, dinners

Day 7 Our gentle adventure departs Labrador for the St. Anthony, Newfoundland area and our local hotel. The ferry trip between mainland Labrador and the Island of Newfoundland provides prime whale and seabird watching opportunities for us again.

    Meals Breakfast, lunch

Day 8 Depending on the sea conditions and local reports, we will explore the dolphin and humpback-rich areas around St. Anthony and the Grey Islands on a local tour boat. Every season several recognizable orcas show up, including individuals we know from the Battle Harbour region. Our study colleagues in the area also have resident humpbacks that they recognize and can tell us about. This is our last day for photographing humpback tails and orca dorsal fins. We also explore the ancient Norse history of this scenic region and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site at L’Anse aux Meadows… and learn about the relationships the Norse and the first peoples had with the region’s whales.

    Meals Breakfast, lunch

Day 9 The last day of our expedition will likely see more moose and caribou than whales as we leave northern Newfoundland for the charming Glynmill Inn in Corner Brook. Here we enjoy a sumptuous farewell supper.

    Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10 Depart from Deer Lake airport. Bon Voyage!

    Meals Breakfast

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