Canada to Greenland cruise, Northwest passage

Planet

On this fantastic adventure you will sail aboard the new, purpose-built Sylvia Earle expedition ship. Built to exacting standards, the Sylvia Earle is a floating ambassador for the conservation of the planet, and has been built and named in honour of Dr. Sylvia Earle and six other pioneering conservationists whose important conservation efforts and causes will be celebrated and respected throughout the ship and throughout your expedition. For environmentally friendly expeditions to the Arctic, a trip aboard this ship is the number one choice. Unique in its class, the ship has, in fact, been certified as 100% Climate Neutral.

The Sylvia Earle features a unique Ulstein X-Bow ® which helps the ship to operate with low energy consumption, high fuel-efficiency and a reduction in emissions. Features of the ship have also been designed to minimise any damage caused to the sea floor by using state-of-the-art virtual anchoring technology. Onboard the ship there are efficient and stringent environmental management systems in place, including first-class energy, water and waste management practices, reduced single-use plastics, and the use of eco-friendly products and cleaning supplies.

Additional to the first-class responsible travel features that the ship has been built with and operates with, every element of your expedition will be carried out in line with the operator’s fully-fledged Sustainability in Action ethos. The operators are leading the way in their responsible tourism practices and are passionate about their ongoing commitment to responsible, respectful travel. As part of our own commitment to protecting both the wildlife and pristine landscapes of the areas our tours visit, we only work with partners who are members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), meaning that they adhere to stringent guidelines designed to ensure the Polar Regions remain pristine for generations to come. This also ensures that our valued customers can rely on us to only provide itineraries that will substantially limit the carbon footprint and negative environmental impact of the adventure they choose to embark on.

The operators of this trip were one of the first operators to become IAATO and AECO members and remain deeply committed to reducing their environmental footprint by taking real, tangible actions to take care of our fragile planet. Their minimal footprint promise is showcased not only in the unique design of the ship, but also in their actions on land, where great emphasis is placed on taking responsible care of the places they visit. Shore visits are carried out in small group settings, meaning you can tread lightly and make a more positive impact on the environment, and are carried out with experienced guides who will guide you in the important manner in which to explore these remote and untouched places, ensuring zero negative impact from your visit.

Whilst on land or at sea, your expedition team will continue to share their knowledge and advice for sustainable tourism. In the state-of-the-art lecture theatre and science lounge you can join talks and discussions designed to offer insight into the challenges that the Arctic environment currently faces from climate change and will help you to deeper your understanding of your natural surroundings. The fantastic Citizen Science Program will allow you to learn even more about the region and allow you to make a true difference to the environment by participating in data gathering and scientific research that will see you become an ambassador for the protection of our majestic but fragile blue planet. Topics focused on include whale science, seabird surveys, microplastics sampling excursions and weather pattern observations, and this is one of the most tangible ways available to truly give back what we take from the world.

People

As a company we are proud of our principle-based values which our community can always depend on. We support several home and overseas charities, organisations and campaigns including AfriCat, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), Save the Albatross, South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project, Wader Trust, Wildlife SOS India and sponsorship of individual and underprivileged children in many countries. We are committed to ethically working with overseas partners who employ and support local communities and local guides who know and love their region like no other, delighted to share knowledge and are dedicated to looking after our valued passengers.

Likewise, our partners for this tour place a huge emphasis on protecting and supporting the communities that their tours visit, with an aim to creating only positive impacts on their lives and livelihoods. On this expedition, you will have the chance to meet small, local communities in Greenland to learn all about their way of life in such remote areas. The operators will ensure that these visits are carried out with the utmost respect to local traditions and practices. You will also be offered the chance to visit small museums and churches to gain a true understanding of the culture and history of these communities. We work with our partners to ensure that there is a partnership between the tour operators and these remote communities, to ensure that respect is key to all interactions, and to engage around which elements of their cultures and environments that they want to share, meaning local populations are not simply considered passive players in tourism. Your conscientious tour operators will ensure that the utmost respect is given to all local cultures and the sites that you may visit on your trip. Strict guidelines will be in place when visiting any cultural sites and your expert tour guides will offer information along the way. For a vast portion of your tour you may not interact with any people other than your crew and fellow shipmates, apart from at your starting point and ending point. With first-hand experience of the areas we visit we have up to date local information and can therefore provide the most relevant information in our pre-departure literature. This includes information on on-going initiatives and community efforts that we actively encourage our customers to become involved in, cultural etiquette and advice on how to engage with and help the local communities. We can suggest local areas and communities to visit gaining cultural insights along the way, along with advice on where to buy souvenirs (to ensure the proceeds are going directly to the vendors) & locally owned restaurants & bars.

The operators of this trip are also incredibly conscientious in their everyday operations. They are deeply committed to operating with a team of diverse and motivated people, and a major feature of your expedition ship is the focus upon Women in Conservation, with each deck named after pioneering female conservationists and dedicated to promoting the importance of women in this field. The operators have also formed numerous partnerships with various goodwill organisations and have joined forces with the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA), Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and Canva to partner with Upschool to support climate change education by providing free courses and resources to over 1,000 teachers in 110 different countries allowing them to deliver this vital education to around 30,000 children in countries such as Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Yemen and Afghanistan.