It’s time again to make expedition history with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. To reach places that are largely untouched by humans. To enter truly uncharted territory. On two premieres along the same route with the small HANSEATIC nature into Canada’s barely known inland sea, Hudson Bay. As the “ice cellar of North America”, this is a region that is completely iced over and not passable in winter. Only in summer does a short window of time make it possible to discover places and natural spectacles that few travellers can reach.

The small town of Churchill offers many exciting activities* – and above all beluga whales. The town looks like a last outpost of civilisation. The streets are dusty and the landscape vast. The harsh conditions under which people live in Canada’s north become clear here. Yet the loneliness and vastness are what makes it so appealing. The HANSEATIC nature spends two days here to ensure that you have plenty of opportunities for guided nature adventures during the day.

Selected shore excursions*:

• Beluga whale watching
  You’ll be there just at the right time when thousands of beluga whales come to swim in the waters off Churchill. From a kayak, SUP board or Zodiac (not on-board Zodiacs), you will experience the spectacle particularly intensively.
• Belugas and history
  A boat tour takes you to the countless belugas, which you can observe peacefully at your leisure. Afterwards, travel back in time with a visit to the Prince of Wales Fort. This fur-trading bastion from the early 18th century was built by the Hudson’s Bay Company.
• Visit to a husky camp
  Dave Daley is a well-known regional musher. He will captivate you with exciting stories about his dog-sledding adventures and will be happy to give you personal insights into his life with the animals.
• Tundra buggy tour
  The extra-large buggy takes you through the Churchill Wildlife Management Area – on former military tracks and through water. Look out for Arctic foxes, Arctic hares and caribou.
• Helicopter flight over Hudson Bay
  This tour lets you admire, with humility, the vastness and beauty of the subarctic tundra. From a bird’s-eye view, the drama of the remoteness becomes particularly clear. If you’re lucky, you may also spot moose and caribou.
• Visit to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre
  Feel like an explorer of Hudson Bay and gain fascinating insights into the world of ornithology, belugas, polar bears, Indigenous culture, Northern Lights and winter ecology.
  
  

A WORD OF ADVICE: POLAR BEARS IN CHURCHILL Sightings of polar bears around the town of Churchill in summer are unlikely. Often there are no bear sightings for months. Nevertheless, there is always a risk that an animal will show itself in the town. Doors and cars are therefore always open to provide protection. At 22.00 hrs, a siren sounds, signalling that minors under the age of 18 should go home. For your safety, individual exploration of Churchill is only possible to a limited extent. The use of a shuttle bus is mandatory. We always recommend a shore visit in conjunction with an organised excursion*.

Adventure and daring feats now lie ahead of you – in regions that were previously blank pages in the logbooks of the new expedition class. Here, in 1610, the English captain and explorer Henry Hudson searched for the Northwest Passage between Europe and Asia. In the process, he discovered a huge bay that was later named Hudson Bay in his honour. To this day, the history of the former trade route for valuable furs and the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company are still very much present. Your experts on board will provide you with exciting background information – on the local flora and fauna as well. You will see the quartzite Marble Island, the habitat of polar bears and Arctic foxes, from a different perspective. What kinds of views Chesterfield Inlet will provide will only be revealed upon arriving at the settlement on the fjord. Explorations with the Zodiacs are planned at Walrus Island to observe walruses – which, together with Arctic birds, also live on neighbouring Coats Island. Mansel Island is the territory of tundra swans and eider ducks.

Hudson Strait, too, is iced over and not passable for most of the year. Will your ship come across pack ice? If the route is clear, Eric Cove offers a great diversity of plants and traces of the Inuit on a hike. The Arctic summer adorns Diana Island with delicate flowers. Perhaps musk oxen and Arctic hares will make an appearance here. In the Lower Savage Islands, you have a good chance of observing polar bears from a respectful distance.

You’ll be entering unknown terrain in Iqaluit. The small capital of Nunavut and its surroundings invite you to outdoor activities*, such as hiking with your experts to the parliament, the igloo church and the museum. Experience caribou, Arctic foxes and various species of bird. Cruising in Frobisher Bay is enriched by knowledgeable commentary from your experts, who will also introduce you to the wonders of the world’s largest island.

In Sisimiut, explore the picturesque old town which resembles a museum village. A hike takes you from Ilulissat to the ice fjord, where glistening sculptures gather. Surrounded by glittering icebergs, you will find yourself in Disko Bay – cruising or in a Zodiac. The robust motorised rubber boats also take you to the Eqip Sermia Glacier. You, too, can be as proud as the Inuit at the heart-shaped mountain of Uummannaq – because at the end of your expedition, you will belong to a small circle of people to have taken part in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’s very own history of discovery.