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Hi, welcome to the Authentic Explorations Podcast.
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Today we're heading to Canada and we'll be exploring some of the extraordinary coastlines.
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From the seaboard cliffs of Atlantic Canada, we explore what makes Canada's regions so distinct,
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Atlantic fishing villages, temperate rainforests and of course the powerful stillness of the
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high Arctic.
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We also discuss travelling with scientists, historians and artists on board and why engaging
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with local cultures isn't just an add-on to an expedition cruise, it's central to the
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experience.
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Welcome to the podcast Martyn, it's great to speak to you today.
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Thanks for having me on, it's my pleasure.
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Now I know you're living and working in Canada and just to give our listeners some context,
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Canada of course is the second largest country in the world, it spans six time zones and
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it's 41 times larger than the UK so for our British listeners they can get a sense of
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this huge size and scale of a country Martyn.
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Where have you visited in particular in Canada to date?
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Oh wow, I've been very fortunate to live in three different provinces but I've actually
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visited all of our provinces and all of our territories, mostly with Adventure
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Canada but I've also roadtripped across the country with my family and friends in the past.
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It is a huge country, it is massive.
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I went to university in Victoria on Vancouver Island and I believe Vancouver Island itself
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is the same size as England for a reference in terms of square kilometers.
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Definitely a huge country, it takes a long time to drive across three days just for Ontario
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for reference.
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I'm sure there are many amazing places to visit.
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In terms of expedition cruising which of course is the main focus for our podcast and you
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work with Adventure Canada.
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How did that company come into existence?
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Because of my senses that you're very much more focused on the adventure side of things
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compared to some of our other guests we've had to date.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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I think you're right.
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We would call it soft adventure but it definitely is more focused on getting onto the land
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and into communities rather than the ship and the amenities of the ships.
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Adventure Canada came about from two brothers and their friend who were river raft guides
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on the Ottawa River and they thought to themselves, "One summer, we need to get Canadians
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even further afield out into our backyard, the backcountry."
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They decided on Bathurst Island and I believe it was 1987.
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They did the first overland expedition to Bathurst Island and learnt a lot of the constraints
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of the Arctic and being on land.
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So decided to move to small vessels.
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So I think in 1991, very small vessel maybe only 20 passengers or so taking passengers to
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Bath and Island again and realized that this is the way to travel in the Arctic especially
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with some of the constraints with amenities having food and there aren't really hotels.
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No roads or very few roads.
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So an expedition ship is definitely the best way to get around for a tourist to be able
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to travel, to see a lot of different areas, experience more of the wildlife because we certainly
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don't control the wildlife and so to be able to take a ship to where we know that polar
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bears or bowhead whales might be really allows us to be flexible and to see more than you would
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in just one spot.
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I also really like the aspect of just unpacking once and then you're really immersed into
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that destination especially with our team onboard it really gives you that feeling of not
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leaving the destination each time you come back onto the ship especially with our team onboard
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being from the locations that we travel to.
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Well we will come on to that in a few moments time obviously when we dig a little bit deeper
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into the reality of some of these expedition cruisies.
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Before we came on to recording Martyn you mentioned that you've been into the high Arctic
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quite a number of times.
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Tell me about where that is for our listener who may not have the geography in their mind
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immediately.
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Yeah that's a great question so most Canadians live right around the 49th parallel with the
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border with the US within 100 kilometers or so I think that's 90% of our population.
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The Canada spends all the way to about 85-86 degrees north of the very northern tip of
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Velsmere Island so when we go up to the Canadian Arctic we're looking mostly at Baffin Island
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and the Northwest Passage which is a collection of islands in Nunavut which is one of our three
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territories.
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We typically are ranging between around 60 degrees north and 80 degrees north on our Arctic
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expeditions.
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All of the trips that we do to the Canadian Arctic also include Greenland as well which is
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actually funnily enough at the moment a very popular destination and is a spectacular place
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which is understandable why people want to go to Greenland.
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Now of course the seasonality is important given that in the Arctic of course the Northwest
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Passage would not be able to be traversed in the winter months.
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In terms of the months of the year when those expedition cruisies would take place when
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do they happen?
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Typically in the later part of the season so August into September we start our season
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typically in May or June and that would be more southerly locations of Newfoundland, Labrador,
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Sabel Island and the Gulf of St Lawrence.
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We also have trips over across the Atlantic to Scotland the Faroe Islands and Iceland but
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for the Canadian Arctic you're really looking at July for being able to get up to Baffin
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Island.
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You're still going to encounter quite a bit of sea ice at that time but it's been melting
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for a few months so it is starting to disperse and the open water is starting to take over
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and so we can get further north into early August the northern part of Baffin Island.
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It's that Lancaster Sound to Tallurutiup Imanga that's the newest marine reserve
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an area that's harder to get into until mid-August and then as we go further west into
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the Northwest Passage it's really late August into September that we're able to get in there.
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It's about a 7 to 8 week window where the Northwest Passage is.
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It's open enough that an ice class vessel can get through.
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There are icebreakers that will go through at different times of the year but for a commercial
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cruise, expedition cruise really I think the season starts in July at the earliest.
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I'm sure the significance of the Northwest Passage is probably familiar to many people.
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Again for our listener why is it such a magical place that conjures up in people's imaginations
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somewhere that they want to visit?
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Well that's a great question.
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Explorers were thinking that there was a way to get from Europe to the Orient for hundreds
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of years.
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It wasn't till 1906 that Robison first crossed through.
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There's the famous Franklin and a British explorer who attempted to go through
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in 1845 and that's a whole other story.
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There's even a TV series about it.
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The challenges are the sea ice and so as they discovered as they were trying to go through
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Martin Frobisher there were a ton of different British explorers that went through Scottish
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Ray who was a notable explorer.
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It was a challenge.
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It's a very interesting area.
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It's full of sea ice.
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There are pretty much no trees.
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So when you look at the landscape especially when it's frozen it does look just like undulating
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white in a lot of places.
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Of course you see some rock in places but when it's frozen it's hard to know where the water
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ways are.
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And so I think the biggest challenge is that the sea ice shifts and blocks certain passages
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so it is a challenging area to navigate.
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And now I've had years where we've had to re-root a few times.
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The last time that I went through the north of this passage in 2022 we actually had zero
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sea ice until the very end where it was starting to form behind us because it was much later
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in the year.
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So it's this kind of legendary way to get through northern Canada to get over to China or
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Russia.
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The Sir John Franklin's expedition was probably one of the most notable.
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They were going through with modern technology in the mid 1840s which was canned food,
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tin cans, a food which essentially was part of their demise.
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They went through with steel reinforced steam ships which were destined to never be able
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to sink after 1845 when they left Greenland they were never heard from again.
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The Erebus which is one of the ships that was found in the 2010s.
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Adventure Canada is actually the only expedition cruise company to have visited the ship.
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We were lucky enough in 2019 to pull alongside and in partnership with Parks Canada be able
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to actually visit the ship and the barge above.
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I think it's about ten feet or so underwater to the top of the ship but it's in a very,
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very remote island and very remote fiora on that island so it's very difficult to get
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to and essentially we were the only ones and probably will be the only ones to ever
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have visited that ship which is quite an honour.
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Now you're giving me a proper sense of adventure Martin.
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Yes.
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And it also conjures up in people's minds doesn't it the sense of history and exploration
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and as you say there's no clear route through and there's a lot about adapting in the moment
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to find your way through.
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This sounds amazing.
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Oh absolutely.
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It really gives you a great perspective when you're travelling with Adventure Canada you're
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there in the summer.
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It's warm there's typically more than 12 hours a daylight up to 18 to 24 hours a daylight
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in the peak of the summer and it still feels quite desolate.
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Hard to get a scale of things with no trees you're looking at a mountain you're wondering
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is that a thousand feet high or is that 5,000 feet high it's quite hard to tell and it
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is an incredibly immense land which gives you that feeling of being quite small in the
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world and then you think of all the people who have survived the Inuit people and the
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Thule people and the Dorset people who have lived in the Canadian Arctic and survived through
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the winter.
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We're there in the summer but I can't imagine being there with no sunlight in the depths
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of November December January into February and with modern technology some of the staff
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members that I've met are on Facebook and to see their photos in November all this is
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the last time I'll see the sun until the new year and then you get a post and you see
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this little sliver of light on the horizon and that's their first sign of daylight in the
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new year in mid to late February right around this time really fascinating and it gives
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you a really great insight into what is life living in the north especially when you're
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on an expedition with adventure Canada and you go to remote community like Gjoa Haven
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or Arctic Bay or our most northerly community Grise Fjord for just such a warm welcome
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people who are living in incredible adversity and just the biggest smiles opening their
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door to you.
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Those are some of the most amazing moments that I've had is cup of tea sitting in a zodiac
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with a local fisherman and we don't speak the same language but we seem to understand
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each other.
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I think people do go to the Arctic thinking of polar bears and sea ice but I think a lot
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of the times what they take away are the people and that those interactions with community
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members in the places that they go to visit because it really just stick with you were
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an incredible species but there's so many different ways to live and I think that gives
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you that great perspective.
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I think also one of the unique characteristics of traveling with adventure Canada as far
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as I understand is the amount of opportunities that are to really connect with the local
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communities and to have local scientists and guides on board your ship so it seems like
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it's very much a part of integrating in with the community as opposed to being a tourist
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and an observer from the outside.
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Is that correct?
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Absolutely and I think it comes back to the founding ethos of the Swan family.
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We're now in the second generation of the Swan family that ethos it's all about people.
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It's people discovering places but also discovering things in themselves and connection to other
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people which really broadens our horizons of what's out there and what's possible.
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We've already talked a little bit about the Inuit people but the main area in the Canadian
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Arctic that we travel to is Nunavut which is one of Canada's newest territories from 1989.
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It was split off from the Northwest Territories and it's 80% of Canada's coastline, 20%
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of Canada's landmass and yet there's about 45,000 people that live in that entire area.
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Yeah, incredible resilience.
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Some of the staff members that I've been able to meet on I think about 12 exhibitions
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to the Canadian Arctic just incredible the resourcefulness, the knowledge of the land, spotting
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polar bears where 10 minutes before I can even see polar bear and binoculars they've spotted
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a polar bear from experience just from having been on the land and living it it really shines
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through and that's what adventure Canada really wants to foster is that connection for our
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guests to the people that are the Expedition team members on board but also for the members
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in the communities that we meet as well to really get a better understanding that there's
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so many different ways to live.
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There's so many different cultures in the world I think especially when you're invited
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into someone's home and you're trying their traditional food.
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It's such an incredible experience to connect with someone else and really learn about what
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their life is about day to day.
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Quite different to most of us if we're not living in that tough environment of the extreme
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cold and dark for many months of the year.
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So on board ship in terms of the staff, the scientists, the historians, the filmmakers, the
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artists, whomever you have on board, how do you select what particular skills will be
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on any particular expedition crews?
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That's a great question.
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We really try to keep the team well rounded.
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Having started exhibitions in the 1990s were almost 40 years on next year so that a number
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of the staff have been with Adventure Canada for over 20 years.
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So there are repeat expedition team members that bring a wealth of knowledge.
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We are now expanding so we're not just on one ship.
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We actually have two ships that will operate in the Canadian Arctic, 75 passenger ocean Nova
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and 175 passenger ocean victory.
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And so the teams will be a different size because of the different size of ships but the
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importance is to be well rounded so we want to make sure there's a photographer, there's
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always going to be a host and an expedition leader.
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But then in terms of the naturalists will really depend on the trip.
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Like a North-West passage is going to be very important to have a historian on board that
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trip.
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So we just look to have the team be well rounded and there are so many multi-talented people
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that work with Adventure Canada that allows us to have someone who may be a photographer
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but they're also an incredible or anthologist and because of their experience with traveling
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with Adventure Canada for such a long time, they typically know many other aspects of
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what it's like being in the Canadian Arctic.
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We have one of the Swan family members and I'm a Swan is the person who takes on hiring
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all of those different team members and she's been doing this since she was in her early
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teens I believe like all of Swan families and so there's a great connection between our
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staff members that are working on the ship and our office staff that are setting up these
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operations.
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I'm sure we have many that are thinking, oh Canadian Arctic, yeah that sounds great interesting.
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So what sort of things will I be doing every day from an expedition cruise?
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Can you give us an idea of a typical expedition day?
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Well we try to keep you today a little different and we do have some main pillars of experiences
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that were incorporating into the entire trip which would be zodiac cruising expedition landings
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where we're getting off the ship and going for hikes or walks and then community visits.
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In terms of a typical day, we're up relatively early to capitalize on on those long days,
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lots of light so you might start with a yoga class in the morning followed by breakfast
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and then after breakfast we're typically getting ready to go off the ship so maybe we're
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doing a community visit this day, a place like a lula sat which is in Greenland, we'd be
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off the ship into the community in the morning and then the afternoon maybe we're in the zodiacs
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and out exploring the sea ice the massive icebergs that are outside of lula sat.
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There's split days where we're in two different locations in the Canadian Arctic.
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We can always come back to the ship for lunch which is quite typical and then dinner as
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well all the meals are included and then if there is a day where perhaps we're having
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to cover a larger distance like the Northwest Passage Expeditions cover about 26 to 2700
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nautical miles over 17 days so it's quite a large distance so sometimes that maybe we have
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an outing in Goa Haven Community in the morning and then the afternoon we have presentations
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on the ship so those specialists that come on board for just typically that one trip are
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going to then talk about maybe the marine biology or preempt us for the next community
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that we're visiting and give them a little more information into the history of the place
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or perhaps it's deep dive into the heat saving techniques of a polar bear as we're going
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into the areas where we might see polar bears.
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So we do really want to make sure our clients are learning as much as possible and we know
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from surveying our clients that's really what they love about Adventure Canada and why
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they keep coming back is the depth of knowledge of our staff and how much they learn on our
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trips.
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Now you've given us a lovely sense of the high Arctic and the Northwest Passage as one
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example.
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Give me a little bit of a sense first of all of Atlantic Canada on the East Coast and
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some of the things that people can experience if they go to the East Coast of Canada.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Well, there's a number of provinces in Atlantic Canada that we can visit.
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I myself was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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So quite fond of Nova Scotia.
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We do visit a quite a unique place off the coast of Nova Scotia called Sabel Island.
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It's a sand spit island where there are about 500 wild horses roaming and about 500,000
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breeding gray seals that come there every year as well as the rare Ipswich Sparrow.
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So there are quite a few birding opportunities there as well as different wildlife is quite
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a different place.
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I know people live on this island.
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It's essentially like a crescent moon sand spit and there's also a marine protected reserve
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off of there.
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So we see a lot of the larger, pelagic animals there.
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So we were lucky to see a blue whale one year.
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We've seen Malamala, Beluga whale, very rare whale in that area.
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So it's a great area for wildlife.
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It's also one of our shortest trips.
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We do switch up our trips a little bit every year.
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So there was a trip in 2022 that I was on board called Atlantic Canada Explore, which
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visited Sabel Island, but it also went to Cape Breton, which is the northern part of Nova
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Scotia.
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And then the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a fantastic area for multiple provinces, 15 different species
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of whales, including the beluga whales, which you think of as being in the Canadian Arctic,
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but they do come all the way down into the St. Lawrence.
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We have our Gulf of St. Lawrence expedition that goes into that area as well.
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And Newfoundland's circumnavigation is a fantastic trip.
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I did that trip in 2018 with my parents and it's the best trip they've ever done in their
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entire life.
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And when we're traveling on a ship, when we're going around an island, that's typically
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where a lot of the people live in Newfoundland based on fishing.
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So a lot of the communities were on the outskirts of the island.
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So it's a great way to see a place where you can really not have to travel inland and drive
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between places you're relocating overnight and then you're in the destination during the
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day.
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What I love about Newfoundland, myself, is just the people.
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It's such a warm welcome into any of the communities in Newfoundland.
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A France way on the South Coast with no roads to in and out is probably one of my favorite
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just such a fantastic experience there.
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Dramatic landscape, which you don't necessarily associate with, or at least I didn't with Nova
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Scotia or Newfoundland, but you have rolling granite rock in the fjords as well in the South
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Coast of Newfoundland.
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These incredible fjords that we can travel up and then not to mention Labrador.
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It's part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and Newfoundland is the island
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and Labrador is the main land coast.
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And as we travel up Labrador, we get into this spectacular location called the Tornget
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Mountains of Labrador.
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And they are one of Canada's newest national parks, about 12 or 13 years old now.
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I think maybe a bit more than that.
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And there are again, no people that live in the Tornget Mountains of Labrador.
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Incredible fjords, teeming with fish.
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We have black bears as well as polar bears in that area.
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We spend four days typically getting onto the land in the Tornget Mountains.
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Probably one of the most special places in Canada for me, just so pristine and untouched
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and quiet.
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For me, one of the most amazing things on one of these expeditions, when you go really
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remote, you have no cell phone signal, you get onto the land, you're not hearing any humming
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of generators or anything like that, it's just quiet and you don't get that in many places
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anymore.
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And do you do any voyages or journeys on the Pacific Northwest Coast?
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Yeah, we've just recently reintroduced our Hydroguide Expedition, so this is on a 12
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passenger ship, much smaller.
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And then we have going to the Great Bear Rainforest, a 24 passenger vessel is taking our guests
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there.
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Those are typically in the summertime, very different big trees, wet weather typically.
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I mean, July and August are definitely the dry months, but Hydroguide itself is a windswept
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island off the coast of British Columbia, very unique flora and fauna.
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I don't believe there are many predators there, so the deer are essentially just able to
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forage themselves.
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And so there's very little low lying brush in the area, so it has a very different look.
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It almost looks like a pixie forest.
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But yes, we get to experience the Hyda culture in that area.
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And then when we're in the Great Bear Rainforest, of course, the big focus there would be visiting
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the Spirit Bear and the home of the Spirit Bear, which is also called the Carmoid Bear.
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And there's also Grizzlies and Black Bears in that area as well and dramatic landscape
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on the west coast of British Columbia.
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That's where I live now.
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I live in the Rocky Mountain trench, so I'm not on the coast, but BC has so much to offer.
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It's really quite incredible.
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Well, it's sounding very appealing for what you're describing to us, Martin.
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And one of the developing areas of interest amongst people traveling on expedition cruises
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is the solo traveler.
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How do you cater, if anything, in particular, to appeal to the solo traveler who may be
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listening to this and thinking, "Oh, it sounds wonderful, but I'm not sure I want to travel
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there on my own."
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Yeah, we have a very large number of solo travelers come with Adventure Canada.
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We offer solo cabins, so they're just set for an individual.
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We've actually decreased the capacity of both of the vessels that go to the Canadian Arctic
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in order to open up cabins for solo travelers.
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So we have twice as many as we were thinking initially to offer because of just listening
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to our client base and knowing that there were such a number of solo travelers that wanted
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to continue to travel with us.
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We offer share opportunities on both ocean, novant and ocean victories.
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So if someone wants to travel, they want to meet someone or they don't want to book a solo
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cabin, they can book into a share cabin, and then we find a guest to share with them with
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the same gender.
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We find that some of the ways that our guests are making new friends.
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So we do solo, mingular events.
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We do hosted dinners for all of our guests, so they'll come on to the ship.
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And at one night, they'll receive an invitation to a hosted dinner, which is where Adventure
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Canada staff sit down with them and they can ask questions directly.
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So it's much more of an intimate and personal experience.
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That's really a great way to ask those questions.
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Of course, but it's also a great way for our single travelers when they all get hosted together
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to meet other solo travelers.
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So yeah, it's a huge part of our demographic, and we continue to offer more and more opportunities
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for solo travelers to get on board.
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As you look ahead, Martin, then in terms of destinations becoming more popular and your
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guests are asking for what's on the horizon these days?
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Yeah, so we're offering more trips that go to different areas in the Canadian Arctic, typically.
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So we've offered a new trip for 2027 that goes to the top of the world.
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So we're aiming to get up to 80 degrees north around Ellsmere Island between Ellsmere Island
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and Greenland.
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I already mentioned this.
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Greenland is incredibly popular at the moment.
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So we're offering now a new Eastern Greenland expedition that goes up to Scoresbysound,
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which is the largest, longest, fewer system in the world.
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So I'm excited for that trip in 2027.
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And then, as I also mentioned, we tend to tweak our itineraries a little bit.
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So in 2022, I was on Atlanta, Canada Explorer, which did Ellsmere Island and the gate
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right, as I already mentioned.
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And then we've adapted our mighty St. Lawrence trip to a Gulf of St. Lawrence trip, which
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is going to go to some of the areas we do on our Newfoundland circumnavigation and some
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of the areas that we went to on our Atlanta, Canada Explorer.
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So changing the itineraries each year, just a little bit, not necessarily all of them.
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There's certainly staple itineraries that don't change like the North West Passage,
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maybe minor adjustments, but we have a really high repeat customer rate.
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And our clientele really loves the new trips that we offer.
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So we've just launched trips to Svalbard.
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We've already mentioned the Pacific Northwest.
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We're doing like a Laugus and Antarctica, Japan.
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And there will be more stuff coming as well as we continue to expand, chartering different
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vessels throughout the world.
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I've been with Adventure Canada for 10 years now, 11 seasons, and we were on the same
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ship for those years.
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It was a 200 passenger ship, and we're now onto a modern X-Bow 2021 build.
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That's Ocean Victory, and it's a bit smaller at 175 passengers.
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So going from ocean endeavor to Ocean Victory, it's a big change.
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There's definitely a lot more amenities on board, like fast internet is something that's
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you know, really coming out into the expedition world and does change things a little bit.
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So that's one option for someone who wants something maybe a little more upscale, more
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modern, but also 175 people, so certainly in that small ship realm.
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But if you're looking for even smaller ocean Nova, it isn't offering all the bells and whistles
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that Ocean Victory has, but with 75 passengers, we have much more opportunity to be interacting
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with each other.
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Probably everybody will get to know each other.
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And we've designed the itineraries on Ocean Nova to spend a little bit more time in the
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destination.
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So it'll take less time to get off the ship with fewer people.
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And we will be in the locations for longer with Ocean Nova.
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So small ship, if people want really small, Ocean Nova is a fantastic opportunity.
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And Ocean Victory for those who want a little more upscale, Ocean Victory will be the
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ship that will cover the north of this passage.
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It does cover a lot for their distances that Ocean Nova.
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I know you've told us a quite a number of countries in your life.
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Over 40 now is it?
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I think almost 50 now, yeah.
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50, wow.
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Where's next on your agenda then?
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That's a great question.
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I'm in a very different place.
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My wife and I are expecting our second child in May.
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So the trips are going to be much closer to home at the moment.
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But I still have yet to go to Antarctica.
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So that's very, very high up on my list personally.
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And I love going to the Canadian Arctic.
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It's such a beautiful place.
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I love traveling there with our staff.
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So I'm looking forward to getting back up north again soon.
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In all of the travels that you've mentioned to us, you seem to really have an attraction
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for the Canadian Arctic and the Northwest passage in particular.
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If you were going to give our listener a memory of when you think about that place, what
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is it of work within you?
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Oh, that's a really good question.
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Just kind of a warm feeling of the excitement of those times.
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I mean, there's just so many different experiences that come into my brain when you ask me
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that.
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Whether it's just seeing some incredible landscape, the fjords of the very far north of
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the Ellsbury Island or tea with a local in Greenland or being surrounded by blue-go-wales
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off beachy island, where we went there for the history and we had 50 blue-go-wales cycling
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around our zodiacs.
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It's that excitement of something new and I love travel and I've traveled, as you mentioned,
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quite a bit through my life.
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It changes you.
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Those experiences are lifelong.
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Those experiences are deep rooted and they really do take hold of you.
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My personal feeling is that we really do have to look after this natural world and seeing
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how incredible it is, how different cultures live or how mammals in the Canadian Arctic
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are and how beautiful they are, but such an incredible place that we have to protect.
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I think that's the main focus with Adventure Canada too is to create stewards who see this.
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You can see the impact on culture on the land with climate change and to have people come
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back and take that home and make changes within themselves and to talk about the difficulties
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of the enua culture and how they're challenged with modern society.
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There are maybe things that you didn't expect to feel and you might be challenged in what
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you're feeling.
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Maybe it's challenging some of the deepest notions of who you think you are or what you think
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life is about.
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I think it's just putting out there to the listeners that life can be quite easy these days
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but getting yourself out there and challenging yourself and I think travel is one of the best
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ways to do that.
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I think that can really broaden your mind and really give you some great insight into your
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life and other people's life and how to interact with other people to us.
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It certainly is social media is making socializing a little bit different these days.
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There's so many different learning opportunities and so many different things you can take away
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that's what I love about travel.
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That's why I continue to travel and we'll get back to travel once I'm able to.
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Yes and I'm sure you'll be able to pass on that inspiration that you have to your children
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as well in due course.
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Well I've certainly learned a lot about our conversation today Martin it's been fantastic
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to talk to you.
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I have a much better sense of what Canada has to offer as a place to experience.
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So thank you so much for your time.
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No thank you so I really appreciate all your great questions and having the opportunity
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to chat about travel.
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That's fantastic.
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So thank you.
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Thank you Martin for taking us on what felt like a real adventure to me.
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I always forget how large Canada is and how remote some parts are.
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Parents tell me they want to go to Canada and then they look at you funny when I ask them
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whereabouts.
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As there are many different destinations offering wildly different experiences as you've shown
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us today.
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Having been to British Columbia experience mountains and wildlife and sailed the inside
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passage I got really excited when you were talking about the Northwest passage.
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My goosebumps on the back of my neck when you described the amazing opportunity you have
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to visit the Arabus site for a real once in a lifetime adventure.
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It was interesting to hear you say you've increased the solar capacity on the ships as this
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is a growing market and more people than ever are happy to travel on their own but with
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like-minded travellers.
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Thank you for taking the time as well to run through a typical day for a small ship expedition
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and explaining how more versatile at getting into the places the small vessels can be.
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Well, I'm off to clear 17 days in my diary for my Northwest passage expedition.
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Anyone would like to join me or have a chat about finding your ideal Canadian destination.
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Get in touch with me, Jane Middleton at the Authentic Travel Company.
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My details are down in the show notes.
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Thanks Sue, I look forward to next month's podcast.
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Make sure you follow us, subscribe and share it with others who enjoy travelling to remote
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places and I look forward to connecting with you soon.
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[MUSIC]
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Hi, welcome to the Authentic Explorations Podcast.
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Today we're heading to Canada and we'll be exploring some of the extraordinary coastlines.
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From the seaboard cliffs of Atlantic Canada, we explore what makes Canada's regions so distinct,
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Atlantic fishing villages, temperate rainforests and of course the powerful stillness of the
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high Arctic.
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We also discuss travelling with scientists, historians and artists on board and why engaging
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with local cultures isn't just an add-on to an expedition cruise, it's central to the
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experience.
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Welcome to the podcast Martyn, it's great to speak to you today.
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Thanks for having me on, it's my pleasure.
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Now I know you're living and working in Canada and just to give our listeners some context,
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Canada of course is the second largest country in the world, it spans six time zones and
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it's 41 times larger than the UK so for our British listeners they can get a sense of
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this huge size and scale of a country Martyn.
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Where have you visited in particular in Canada to date?
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Oh wow, I've been very fortunate to live in three different provinces but I've actually
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visited all of our provinces and all of our territories, mostly with Adventure
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Canada but I've also roadtripped across the country with my family and friends in the past.
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It is a huge country, it is massive.
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I went to university in Victoria on Vancouver Island and I believe Vancouver Island itself
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is the same size as England for a reference in terms of square kilometers.
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Definitely a huge country, it takes a long time to drive across three days just for Ontario
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for reference.
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I'm sure there are many amazing places to visit.
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In terms of expedition cruising which of course is the main focus for our podcast and you
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work with Adventure Canada.
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How did that company come into existence?
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Because of my senses that you're very much more focused on the adventure side of things
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compared to some of our other guests we've had to date.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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I think you're right.
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We would call it soft adventure but it definitely is more focused on getting onto the land
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and into communities rather than the ship and the amenities of the ships.
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Adventure Canada came about from two brothers and their friend who were river raft guides
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on the Ottawa River and they thought to themselves, "One summer, we need to get Canadians
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even further afield out into our backyard, the backcountry."
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They decided on Bathurst Island and I believe it was 1987.
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They did the first overland expedition to Bathurst Island and learnt a lot of the constraints
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of the Arctic and being on land.
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So decided to move to small vessels.
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So I think in 1991, very small vessel maybe only 20 passengers or so taking passengers to
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Bath and Island again and realized that this is the way to travel in the Arctic especially
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with some of the constraints with amenities having food and there aren't really hotels.
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No roads or very few roads.
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So an expedition ship is definitely the best way to get around for a tourist to be able
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to travel, to see a lot of different areas, experience more of the wildlife because we certainly
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don't control the wildlife and so to be able to take a ship to where we know that polar
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bears or bowhead whales might be really allows us to be flexible and to see more than you would
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in just one spot.
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I also really like the aspect of just unpacking once and then you're really immersed into
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that destination especially with our team onboard it really gives you that feeling of not
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leaving the destination each time you come back onto the ship especially with our team onboard
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being from the locations that we travel to.
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Well we will come on to that in a few moments time obviously when we dig a little bit deeper
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into the reality of some of these expedition cruisies.
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Before we came on to recording Martyn you mentioned that you've been into the high Arctic
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quite a number of times.
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Tell me about where that is for our listener who may not have the geography in their mind
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immediately.
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Yeah that's a great question so most Canadians live right around the 49th parallel with the
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border with the US within 100 kilometers or so I think that's 90% of our population.
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The Canada spends all the way to about 85-86 degrees north of the very northern tip of
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Velsmere Island so when we go up to the Canadian Arctic we're looking mostly at Baffin Island
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and the Northwest Passage which is a collection of islands in Nunavut which is one of our three
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territories.
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We typically are ranging between around 60 degrees north and 80 degrees north on our Arctic
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expeditions.
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All of the trips that we do to the Canadian Arctic also include Greenland as well which is
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actually funnily enough at the moment a very popular destination and is a spectacular place
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which is understandable why people want to go to Greenland.
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Now of course the seasonality is important given that in the Arctic of course the Northwest
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Passage would not be able to be traversed in the winter months.
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In terms of the months of the year when those expedition cruisies would take place when
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do they happen?
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Typically in the later part of the season so August into September we start our season
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typically in May or June and that would be more southerly locations of Newfoundland, Labrador,
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Sabel Island and the Gulf of St Lawrence.
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We also have trips over across the Atlantic to Scotland the Faroe Islands and Iceland but
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for the Canadian Arctic you're really looking at July for being able to get up to Baffin
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Island.
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You're still going to encounter quite a bit of sea ice at that time but it's been melting
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for a few months so it is starting to disperse and the open water is starting to take over
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and so we can get further north into early August the northern part of Baffin Island.
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It's that Lancaster Sound to Tallurutiup Imanga that's the newest marine reserve
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an area that's harder to get into until mid-August and then as we go further west into
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the Northwest Passage it's really late August into September that we're able to get in there.
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It's about a 7 to 8 week window where the Northwest Passage is.
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It's open enough that an ice class vessel can get through.
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There are icebreakers that will go through at different times of the year but for a commercial
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cruise, expedition cruise really I think the season starts in July at the earliest.
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I'm sure the significance of the Northwest Passage is probably familiar to many people.
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Again for our listener why is it such a magical place that conjures up in people's imaginations
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somewhere that they want to visit?
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Well that's a great question.
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Explorers were thinking that there was a way to get from Europe to the Orient for hundreds
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of years.
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It wasn't till 1906 that Robison first crossed through.
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There's the famous Franklin and a British explorer who attempted to go through
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in 1845 and that's a whole other story.
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There's even a TV series about it.
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The challenges are the sea ice and so as they discovered as they were trying to go through
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Martin Frobisher there were a ton of different British explorers that went through Scottish
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Ray who was a notable explorer.
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It was a challenge.
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It's a very interesting area.
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It's full of sea ice.
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There are pretty much no trees.
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So when you look at the landscape especially when it's frozen it does look just like undulating
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white in a lot of places.
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Of course you see some rock in places but when it's frozen it's hard to know where the water
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ways are.
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And so I think the biggest challenge is that the sea ice shifts and blocks certain passages
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so it is a challenging area to navigate.
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And now I've had years where we've had to re-root a few times.
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The last time that I went through the north of this passage in 2022 we actually had zero
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sea ice until the very end where it was starting to form behind us because it was much later
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in the year.
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So it's this kind of legendary way to get through northern Canada to get over to China or
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Russia.
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The Sir John Franklin's expedition was probably one of the most notable.
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They were going through with modern technology in the mid 1840s which was canned food,
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tin cans, a food which essentially was part of their demise.
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They went through with steel reinforced steam ships which were destined to never be able
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to sink after 1845 when they left Greenland they were never heard from again.
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The Erebus which is one of the ships that was found in the 2010s.
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Adventure Canada is actually the only expedition cruise company to have visited the ship.
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We were lucky enough in 2019 to pull alongside and in partnership with Parks Canada be able
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to actually visit the ship and the barge above.
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I think it's about ten feet or so underwater to the top of the ship but it's in a very,
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very remote island and very remote fiora on that island so it's very difficult to get
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to and essentially we were the only ones and probably will be the only ones to ever
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have visited that ship which is quite an honour.
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Now you're giving me a proper sense of adventure Martin.
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Yes.
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And it also conjures up in people's minds doesn't it the sense of history and exploration
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and as you say there's no clear route through and there's a lot about adapting in the moment
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to find your way through.
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This sounds amazing.
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Oh absolutely.
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It really gives you a great perspective when you're travelling with Adventure Canada you're
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there in the summer.
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It's warm there's typically more than 12 hours a daylight up to 18 to 24 hours a daylight
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in the peak of the summer and it still feels quite desolate.
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Hard to get a scale of things with no trees you're looking at a mountain you're wondering
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is that a thousand feet high or is that 5,000 feet high it's quite hard to tell and it
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is an incredibly immense land which gives you that feeling of being quite small in the
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world and then you think of all the people who have survived the Inuit people and the
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Thule people and the Dorset people who have lived in the Canadian Arctic and survived through
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the winter.
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We're there in the summer but I can't imagine being there with no sunlight in the depths
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of November December January into February and with modern technology some of the staff
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members that I've met are on Facebook and to see their photos in November all this is
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the last time I'll see the sun until the new year and then you get a post and you see
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this little sliver of light on the horizon and that's their first sign of daylight in the
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new year in mid to late February right around this time really fascinating and it gives
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you a really great insight into what is life living in the north especially when you're
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on an expedition with adventure Canada and you go to remote community like Gjoa Haven
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or Arctic Bay or our most northerly community Grise Fjord for just such a warm welcome
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people who are living in incredible adversity and just the biggest smiles opening their
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door to you.
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Those are some of the most amazing moments that I've had is cup of tea sitting in a zodiac
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with a local fisherman and we don't speak the same language but we seem to understand
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each other.
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I think people do go to the Arctic thinking of polar bears and sea ice but I think a lot
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of the times what they take away are the people and that those interactions with community
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members in the places that they go to visit because it really just stick with you were
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an incredible species but there's so many different ways to live and I think that gives
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you that great perspective.
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I think also one of the unique characteristics of traveling with adventure Canada as far
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as I understand is the amount of opportunities that are to really connect with the local
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communities and to have local scientists and guides on board your ship so it seems like
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it's very much a part of integrating in with the community as opposed to being a tourist
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and an observer from the outside.
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Is that correct?
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Absolutely and I think it comes back to the founding ethos of the Swan family.
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We're now in the second generation of the Swan family that ethos it's all about people.
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It's people discovering places but also discovering things in themselves and connection to other
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people which really broadens our horizons of what's out there and what's possible.
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We've already talked a little bit about the Inuit people but the main area in the Canadian
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Arctic that we travel to is Nunavut which is one of Canada's newest territories from 1989.
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It was split off from the Northwest Territories and it's 80% of Canada's coastline, 20%
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of Canada's landmass and yet there's about 45,000 people that live in that entire area.
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Yeah, incredible resilience.
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Some of the staff members that I've been able to meet on I think about 12 exhibitions
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to the Canadian Arctic just incredible the resourcefulness, the knowledge of the land, spotting
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polar bears where 10 minutes before I can even see polar bear and binoculars they've spotted
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a polar bear from experience just from having been on the land and living it it really shines
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through and that's what adventure Canada really wants to foster is that connection for our
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guests to the people that are the Expedition team members on board but also for the members
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in the communities that we meet as well to really get a better understanding that there's
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so many different ways to live.
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There's so many different cultures in the world I think especially when you're invited
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into someone's home and you're trying their traditional food.
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It's such an incredible experience to connect with someone else and really learn about what
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their life is about day to day.
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Quite different to most of us if we're not living in that tough environment of the extreme
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cold and dark for many months of the year.
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So on board ship in terms of the staff, the scientists, the historians, the filmmakers, the
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artists, whomever you have on board, how do you select what particular skills will be
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on any particular expedition crews?
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That's a great question.
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We really try to keep the team well rounded.
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Having started exhibitions in the 1990s were almost 40 years on next year so that a number
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of the staff have been with Adventure Canada for over 20 years.
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So there are repeat expedition team members that bring a wealth of knowledge.
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We are now expanding so we're not just on one ship.
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We actually have two ships that will operate in the Canadian Arctic, 75 passenger ocean Nova
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and 175 passenger ocean victory.
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And so the teams will be a different size because of the different size of ships but the
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importance is to be well rounded so we want to make sure there's a photographer, there's
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always going to be a host and an expedition leader.
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But then in terms of the naturalists will really depend on the trip.
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Like a North-West passage is going to be very important to have a historian on board that
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trip.
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So we just look to have the team be well rounded and there are so many multi-talented people
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that work with Adventure Canada that allows us to have someone who may be a photographer
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but they're also an incredible or anthologist and because of their experience with traveling
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with Adventure Canada for such a long time, they typically know many other aspects of
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what it's like being in the Canadian Arctic.
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We have one of the Swan family members and I'm a Swan is the person who takes on hiring
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all of those different team members and she's been doing this since she was in her early
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teens I believe like all of Swan families and so there's a great connection between our
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staff members that are working on the ship and our office staff that are setting up these
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operations.
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I'm sure we have many that are thinking, oh Canadian Arctic, yeah that sounds great interesting.
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So what sort of things will I be doing every day from an expedition cruise?
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Can you give us an idea of a typical expedition day?
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Well we try to keep you today a little different and we do have some main pillars of experiences
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that were incorporating into the entire trip which would be zodiac cruising expedition landings
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where we're getting off the ship and going for hikes or walks and then community visits.
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In terms of a typical day, we're up relatively early to capitalize on on those long days,
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lots of light so you might start with a yoga class in the morning followed by breakfast
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and then after breakfast we're typically getting ready to go off the ship so maybe we're
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doing a community visit this day, a place like a lula sat which is in Greenland, we'd be
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off the ship into the community in the morning and then the afternoon maybe we're in the zodiacs
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and out exploring the sea ice the massive icebergs that are outside of lula sat.
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There's split days where we're in two different locations in the Canadian Arctic.
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We can always come back to the ship for lunch which is quite typical and then dinner as
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well all the meals are included and then if there is a day where perhaps we're having
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to cover a larger distance like the Northwest Passage Expeditions cover about 26 to 2700
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nautical miles over 17 days so it's quite a large distance so sometimes that maybe we have
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an outing in Goa Haven Community in the morning and then the afternoon we have presentations
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on the ship so those specialists that come on board for just typically that one trip are
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going to then talk about maybe the marine biology or preempt us for the next community
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that we're visiting and give them a little more information into the history of the place
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or perhaps it's deep dive into the heat saving techniques of a polar bear as we're going
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into the areas where we might see polar bears.
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So we do really want to make sure our clients are learning as much as possible and we know
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from surveying our clients that's really what they love about Adventure Canada and why
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they keep coming back is the depth of knowledge of our staff and how much they learn on our
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trips.
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Now you've given us a lovely sense of the high Arctic and the Northwest Passage as one
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example.
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Give me a little bit of a sense first of all of Atlantic Canada on the East Coast and
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some of the things that people can experience if they go to the East Coast of Canada.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Well, there's a number of provinces in Atlantic Canada that we can visit.
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I myself was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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So quite fond of Nova Scotia.
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We do visit a quite a unique place off the coast of Nova Scotia called Sabel Island.
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It's a sand spit island where there are about 500 wild horses roaming and about 500,000
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breeding gray seals that come there every year as well as the rare Ipswich Sparrow.
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So there are quite a few birding opportunities there as well as different wildlife is quite
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a different place.
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I know people live on this island.
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It's essentially like a crescent moon sand spit and there's also a marine protected reserve
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off of there.
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So we see a lot of the larger, pelagic animals there.
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So we were lucky to see a blue whale one year.
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We've seen Malamala, Beluga whale, very rare whale in that area.
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So it's a great area for wildlife.
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It's also one of our shortest trips.
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We do switch up our trips a little bit every year.
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So there was a trip in 2022 that I was on board called Atlantic Canada Explore, which
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visited Sabel Island, but it also went to Cape Breton, which is the northern part of Nova
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Scotia.
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And then the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a fantastic area for multiple provinces, 15 different species
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of whales, including the beluga whales, which you think of as being in the Canadian Arctic,
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but they do come all the way down into the St. Lawrence.
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We have our Gulf of St. Lawrence expedition that goes into that area as well.
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And Newfoundland's circumnavigation is a fantastic trip.
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I did that trip in 2018 with my parents and it's the best trip they've ever done in their
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entire life.
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And when we're traveling on a ship, when we're going around an island, that's typically
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where a lot of the people live in Newfoundland based on fishing.
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So a lot of the communities were on the outskirts of the island.
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So it's a great way to see a place where you can really not have to travel inland and drive
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between places you're relocating overnight and then you're in the destination during the
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day.
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What I love about Newfoundland, myself, is just the people.
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It's such a warm welcome into any of the communities in Newfoundland.
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A France way on the South Coast with no roads to in and out is probably one of my favorite
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just such a fantastic experience there.
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Dramatic landscape, which you don't necessarily associate with, or at least I didn't with Nova
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Scotia or Newfoundland, but you have rolling granite rock in the fjords as well in the South
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Coast of Newfoundland.
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These incredible fjords that we can travel up and then not to mention Labrador.
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It's part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and Newfoundland is the island
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and Labrador is the main land coast.
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And as we travel up Labrador, we get into this spectacular location called the Tornget
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Mountains of Labrador.
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And they are one of Canada's newest national parks, about 12 or 13 years old now.
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I think maybe a bit more than that.
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And there are again, no people that live in the Tornget Mountains of Labrador.
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Incredible fjords, teeming with fish.
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We have black bears as well as polar bears in that area.
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We spend four days typically getting onto the land in the Tornget Mountains.
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Probably one of the most special places in Canada for me, just so pristine and untouched
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and quiet.
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For me, one of the most amazing things on one of these expeditions, when you go really
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remote, you have no cell phone signal, you get onto the land, you're not hearing any humming
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of generators or anything like that, it's just quiet and you don't get that in many places
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anymore.
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And do you do any voyages or journeys on the Pacific Northwest Coast?
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Yeah, we've just recently reintroduced our Hydroguide Expedition, so this is on a 12
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passenger ship, much smaller.
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And then we have going to the Great Bear Rainforest, a 24 passenger vessel is taking our guests
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there.
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Those are typically in the summertime, very different big trees, wet weather typically.
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I mean, July and August are definitely the dry months, but Hydroguide itself is a windswept
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island off the coast of British Columbia, very unique flora and fauna.
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I don't believe there are many predators there, so the deer are essentially just able to
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forage themselves.
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And so there's very little low lying brush in the area, so it has a very different look.
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It almost looks like a pixie forest.
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But yes, we get to experience the Hyda culture in that area.
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And then when we're in the Great Bear Rainforest, of course, the big focus there would be visiting
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the Spirit Bear and the home of the Spirit Bear, which is also called the Carmoid Bear.
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And there's also Grizzlies and Black Bears in that area as well and dramatic landscape
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on the west coast of British Columbia.
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That's where I live now.
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I live in the Rocky Mountain trench, so I'm not on the coast, but BC has so much to offer.
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It's really quite incredible.
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Well, it's sounding very appealing for what you're describing to us, Martin.
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And one of the developing areas of interest amongst people traveling on expedition cruises
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is the solo traveler.
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How do you cater, if anything, in particular, to appeal to the solo traveler who may be
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listening to this and thinking, "Oh, it sounds wonderful, but I'm not sure I want to travel
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there on my own."
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Yeah, we have a very large number of solo travelers come with Adventure Canada.
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We offer solo cabins, so they're just set for an individual.
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We've actually decreased the capacity of both of the vessels that go to the Canadian Arctic
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in order to open up cabins for solo travelers.
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So we have twice as many as we were thinking initially to offer because of just listening
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to our client base and knowing that there were such a number of solo travelers that wanted
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to continue to travel with us.
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We offer share opportunities on both ocean, novant and ocean victories.
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So if someone wants to travel, they want to meet someone or they don't want to book a solo
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cabin, they can book into a share cabin, and then we find a guest to share with them with
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the same gender.
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We find that some of the ways that our guests are making new friends.
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So we do solo, mingular events.
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We do hosted dinners for all of our guests, so they'll come on to the ship.
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And at one night, they'll receive an invitation to a hosted dinner, which is where Adventure
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Canada staff sit down with them and they can ask questions directly.
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So it's much more of an intimate and personal experience.
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That's really a great way to ask those questions.
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Of course, but it's also a great way for our single travelers when they all get hosted together
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to meet other solo travelers.
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So yeah, it's a huge part of our demographic, and we continue to offer more and more opportunities
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for solo travelers to get on board.
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As you look ahead, Martin, then in terms of destinations becoming more popular and your
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guests are asking for what's on the horizon these days?
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Yeah, so we're offering more trips that go to different areas in the Canadian Arctic, typically.
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So we've offered a new trip for 2027 that goes to the top of the world.
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So we're aiming to get up to 80 degrees north around Ellsmere Island between Ellsmere Island
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and Greenland.
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I already mentioned this.
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Greenland is incredibly popular at the moment.
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So we're offering now a new Eastern Greenland expedition that goes up to Scoresbysound,
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which is the largest, longest, fewer system in the world.
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So I'm excited for that trip in 2027.
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And then, as I also mentioned, we tend to tweak our itineraries a little bit.
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So in 2022, I was on Atlanta, Canada Explorer, which did Ellsmere Island and the gate
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right, as I already mentioned.
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And then we've adapted our mighty St. Lawrence trip to a Gulf of St. Lawrence trip, which
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is going to go to some of the areas we do on our Newfoundland circumnavigation and some
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of the areas that we went to on our Atlanta, Canada Explorer.
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So changing the itineraries each year, just a little bit, not necessarily all of them.
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There's certainly staple itineraries that don't change like the North West Passage,
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maybe minor adjustments, but we have a really high repeat customer rate.
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And our clientele really loves the new trips that we offer.
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So we've just launched trips to Svalbard.
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We've already mentioned the Pacific Northwest.
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We're doing like a Laugus and Antarctica, Japan.
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And there will be more stuff coming as well as we continue to expand, chartering different
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vessels throughout the world.
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I've been with Adventure Canada for 10 years now, 11 seasons, and we were on the same
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ship for those years.
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It was a 200 passenger ship, and we're now onto a modern X-Bow 2021 build.
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That's Ocean Victory, and it's a bit smaller at 175 passengers.
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So going from ocean endeavor to Ocean Victory, it's a big change.
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There's definitely a lot more amenities on board, like fast internet is something that's
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you know, really coming out into the expedition world and does change things a little bit.
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So that's one option for someone who wants something maybe a little more upscale, more
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modern, but also 175 people, so certainly in that small ship realm.
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But if you're looking for even smaller ocean Nova, it isn't offering all the bells and whistles
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that Ocean Victory has, but with 75 passengers, we have much more opportunity to be interacting
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with each other.
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Probably everybody will get to know each other.
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And we've designed the itineraries on Ocean Nova to spend a little bit more time in the
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destination.
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So it'll take less time to get off the ship with fewer people.
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And we will be in the locations for longer with Ocean Nova.
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So small ship, if people want really small, Ocean Nova is a fantastic opportunity.
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And Ocean Victory for those who want a little more upscale, Ocean Victory will be the
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ship that will cover the north of this passage.
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It does cover a lot for their distances that Ocean Nova.
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00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,080
I know you've told us a quite a number of countries in your life.
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Over 40 now is it?
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00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:28,080
I think almost 50 now, yeah.
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50, wow.
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00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:30,960
Where's next on your agenda then?
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00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:31,960
That's a great question.
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I'm in a very different place.
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My wife and I are expecting our second child in May.
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00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,800
So the trips are going to be much closer to home at the moment.
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But I still have yet to go to Antarctica.
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So that's very, very high up on my list personally.
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And I love going to the Canadian Arctic.
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It's such a beautiful place.
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I love traveling there with our staff.
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So I'm looking forward to getting back up north again soon.
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00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,920
In all of the travels that you've mentioned to us, you seem to really have an attraction
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for the Canadian Arctic and the Northwest passage in particular.
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If you were going to give our listener a memory of when you think about that place, what
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00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:07,440
is it of work within you?
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00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,200
Oh, that's a really good question.
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00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,720
Just kind of a warm feeling of the excitement of those times.
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00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,360
I mean, there's just so many different experiences that come into my brain when you ask me
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00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:18,360
that.
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Whether it's just seeing some incredible landscape, the fjords of the very far north of
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the Ellsbury Island or tea with a local in Greenland or being surrounded by blue-go-wales
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off beachy island, where we went there for the history and we had 50 blue-go-wales cycling
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around our zodiacs.
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00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:40,840
It's that excitement of something new and I love travel and I've traveled, as you mentioned,
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quite a bit through my life.
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00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,040
It changes you.
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00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:44,880
Those experiences are lifelong.
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00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,920
Those experiences are deep rooted and they really do take hold of you.
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00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:53,640
My personal feeling is that we really do have to look after this natural world and seeing
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how incredible it is, how different cultures live or how mammals in the Canadian Arctic
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are and how beautiful they are, but such an incredible place that we have to protect.
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00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:09,320
I think that's the main focus with Adventure Canada too is to create stewards who see this.
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You can see the impact on culture on the land with climate change and to have people come
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00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:19,600
back and take that home and make changes within themselves and to talk about the difficulties
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00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:23,080
of the enua culture and how they're challenged with modern society.
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00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:27,120
There are maybe things that you didn't expect to feel and you might be challenged in what
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00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:28,120
you're feeling.
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00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:32,360
Maybe it's challenging some of the deepest notions of who you think you are or what you think
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00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:33,360
life is about.
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00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:37,760
I think it's just putting out there to the listeners that life can be quite easy these days
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00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,280
but getting yourself out there and challenging yourself and I think travel is one of the best
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00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:42,280
ways to do that.
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00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:47,400
I think that can really broaden your mind and really give you some great insight into your
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00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,880
life and other people's life and how to interact with other people to us.
457
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:55,160
It certainly is social media is making socializing a little bit different these days.
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00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,040
There's so many different learning opportunities and so many different things you can take away
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00:26:58,040 --> 00:26:59,680
that's what I love about travel.
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00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,360
That's why I continue to travel and we'll get back to travel once I'm able to.
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00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:08,000
Yes and I'm sure you'll be able to pass on that inspiration that you have to your children
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00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,280
as well in due course.
463
00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:13,680
Well I've certainly learned a lot about our conversation today Martin it's been fantastic
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00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:14,680
to talk to you.
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I have a much better sense of what Canada has to offer as a place to experience.
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00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:21,320
So thank you so much for your time.
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00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,760
No thank you so I really appreciate all your great questions and having the opportunity
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00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:25,760
to chat about travel.
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00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:26,760
That's fantastic.
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00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:27,760
So thank you.
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00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:33,800
Thank you Martin for taking us on what felt like a real adventure to me.
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00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:37,960
I always forget how large Canada is and how remote some parts are.
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00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,280
Parents tell me they want to go to Canada and then they look at you funny when I ask them
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00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:43,560
whereabouts.
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00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:48,640
As there are many different destinations offering wildly different experiences as you've shown
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00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:49,960
us today.
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00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,400
Having been to British Columbia experience mountains and wildlife and sailed the inside
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00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:59,080
passage I got really excited when you were talking about the Northwest passage.
479
00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:03,600
My goosebumps on the back of my neck when you described the amazing opportunity you have
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00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:08,000
to visit the Arabus site for a real once in a lifetime adventure.
481
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,480
It was interesting to hear you say you've increased the solar capacity on the ships as this
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00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:17,000
is a growing market and more people than ever are happy to travel on their own but with
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00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,840
like-minded travellers.
484
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:24,320
Thank you for taking the time as well to run through a typical day for a small ship expedition
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00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:29,440
and explaining how more versatile at getting into the places the small vessels can be.
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00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:35,040
Well, I'm off to clear 17 days in my diary for my Northwest passage expedition.
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Anyone would like to join me or have a chat about finding your ideal Canadian destination.
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Get in touch with me, Jane Middleton at the Authentic Travel Company.
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My details are down in the show notes.
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Thanks Sue, I look forward to next month's podcast.
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Make sure you follow us, subscribe and share it with others who enjoy travelling to remote
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00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,840
places and I look forward to connecting with you soon.
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