Submersibles To The Breadalbane

A 10-day Expedition including Submersible Dives

Day 1 - Friday
Enter Canada
Fly to Ottawa. Prepare for tomorrow's flight far above the Arctic Circle. Overnight at our hotel in Ottawa. Dinner at your leisure and on your own account.

Day 2 - Saturday
Resolute Bay/Ice Station Beechey
Breakfast at our Ottawa hotel. Fly to Resolute Bay, located in Lancaster Sound. At Resolute, board a chartered plane for a scenic 30-minute flight to Ice Station Beechey, located 60 miles east of Resolute.

Ice Station Beechey will be set against the backdrop of Beechey Island, a location of major importance to the legendary Sir John Franklin expedition. Here, we will live on the fast ice in specially designed expedition accommodation. Ice Station Beechey can be reached only by snowmobile, tractor, or by specially equipped aircraft. A landing strip will be chosen near the dive site. The moonpool, where the submersible will be lowered for the dives, will be located on site.

Tonight we gather for a welcome dinner, expedition team introductions, and a dive briefing.

Days 3-5 - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
Submersible dive operation to the H.M.S. Breadalbane
We divide into three groups to begin our intensive, hands-on exploration. The small groups will rotate regularly so that all members experience all the activities offered.

At Ice Station Beechey, a large dome tent will be constructed over dive hole drilled in the ice. Inside these tent, members of Group One join their pilots aboard the Dual Deep Worker 2000 (DDW 2000) submersible and dive into a fascinating undersea world. Tethered from above, for safety, the submersible will descend to the sea floor where the Breadalbane sits, well preserved through time.

The powerful lights of the submersibles will reveal that two of her masts are still upright, and beautiful orange-coloured soft coral have attached themselves to her wooden hull. As our submersible circumnavigates the wreck, we also begin to realize that the place is alive with rare creatures of the Arctic sea: plankton, bioluminescent comb jellies, swimming snails, sea stars, shrimp, sea anemones, and even ringed seals. Our submersible will manoeuvre nimbly offering great photographic angles. With visibility up to 150 feet, you will take home stunning images of these rare creatures and the famous shipwreck. You will enjoy this incredible deep-diving experience two-three times during the expedition, and on each dive will witness something new. Importantly because the HMS Breadalbane is a National Canadian monument we will take care not to damage or disturb the wreck in any way as she sits in her majestic glory.

Meanwhile, Group Two will be viewing the scene on TV monitors inside the domes, and helping to pilot the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) camera, which will send back dramatic images from below. This is the next group to rotate into the submersible. Group Three will be involved in a number of non-diving activities in this fascinating world of ice and snow. These activities may include polar bear scouting, under-ice diving or sightseeing flights.

Days 6-7 - Wednesday, Thursday
Ice Station Beechey
We will continue with our dive programme with the aim of completing two to three dives for all dive participants. The final number of dives will depend on ice and weather conditions and operational considerations in regards to our submersible. Our other activities will also continue and we will take advantage of any special opportunities that may arise to add activities to our overall programme. As Thursday will be our last night at Ice Station Beechey our chef will prepare a special farewell dinner and we will celebrate a very unique expedition.

Day 8 - Friday
Ice Station Beechey / Resolute
We will complete any remaining dives and then board our ski-equipped aircraft for a short flight back to Resolute. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Resolute.

Day 9 - Saturday
Resolute/ Ottawa
After breakfast at the hotel, we will take a walk around Resolute, the only settlement on Cornwallis Island. Established in 1947 as a high Arctic weather station, it soon became the co-ordination point for government, scientific and commercial activities, and today serves primarily as the crossroads of Arctic air travel. As we stand on the brink of the 21st Century, it is amazing to realize that dog sledding is still a means of transportation in this area of the world. Next, we board our plane for the journey south. Overnight at our hotel in Ottawa. Dinner on your own account.

Day 10 - Sunday
Ottawa/Home
Breakfast at our Ottawa hotel. Return flights home.

Breadalbane PDF (371Kb)