Musk-oxen, wolves & moose of the Thelon in Canada's North

The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary - the largest and most remote wildlife refuge in North America - was established to protect the last herds of musk-oxen from slaughter by European whaling ships. In recent years the musk-ox population has increased dramatically and has spread outward in large numbers into the Thelon & Back River basins. Join us for a special one-week fully-catered pontoon boat cruise through the Thelon Sanctuary during the warmth of the Arctic summer for close-up encounters with these pre-historic shaggy beasts!

pontoon boat on the upper Thelon River system

Join us this summer on a new and very special two-week pontoon boat expedition on the majestic central Thelon River. We start this trip below Lookout Point at the Nunavut/NWT boundary, and follow the river past Big Bend, Usus Islands, to finally end at the historically-rich Inuit area of the Beverly Lake fifteen days later.

Musk-ox, Moose & Inuit History - 2010

Departure Dates	Seats Left	Prices (Rates do not include GST)
July 16 to 30, 2010	0	Single: $7,000.00 US - $7,000.00 CAD Double: $12,500.00 US - $12,500.00 CAD

Click here to make your reservation on the 2010 or 2011 'Musk-ox, Moose & Inuit History' Expedition!

Musk-ox, Moose & Inuit History - 2011

Departure Dates	Seats Left	Prices (Rates do not include GST)
July 22 to August 5, 2011	6	Single: $7,000.00 US - $7,000.00 CAD Double: $12,500.00 US - $12,500.00 CAD

Please email us to request the 2011 detailed trip supplement for the 'Musk-ox, Moose & Inuit History' trips in PDF format

We will start this unique wildllife trip by boarding a charter aircraft at the traditional Inuit settlement of Baker Lake in Nunavut; to fly westward out over the remote Arctic tundra known locally as the 'Barrenlands'...

The traditional Inuit community of Baker Lake, Nunavut as seen from the airport - the geographical centre of North America

We will then cross the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary boundary, to land near the Nunavut / NWT boundary below the Lookout Point area on the central Thelon River: one of the most isolated regions in mainland North America!

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The ' Gap' on the central Thelon River region

Click here to learn more about how to get to our wilderness trips, including maps

overnight riverside campfire / photo by Oystein Kohn

The 20' river pontoon boat / photo by Tundra Tom

Once on the Thelon River, we will then spend a wonderful week exploring the countryside for musk-oxen, moose, wolves, and incredible archaeology and history in the heart of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, to locate & photograph the remarkable moose population that has flourished here over the past three decades.

bull moose water grazing along the central Thelon River in Nunavut

Wardesn Grove cabin - Thelon River

photographers setting up for musk-ox herd - Thelon River

musk-oxen herd along the Thelon / photo by Max Finkelstein

Pontoon boat: floating the Thelon in style / photo by Beverly Morse

Cooking up a storm along the Thelon - fresh food meals, salads, desserts / photo by Alicia Kelly

Sleeping ground tents / photo by Max Finkelstein

Inuit tent ring along the Thelon River in Nunavut / photo by Jim Allen

Throughout the first week of this most remarkable journey, we will encounter several Inuit archaeological sites that date back thousands of years. You can often find remnants of stone tools and spear points lying on the ground, left behind by the nomadic Inuit people who used to live in and travel through this region on hunting forays. and numerous sites of the Akilinirmiut Inuit people who once lived along the lower Thelon River, and still hunt & fish there to this day.

This stretch of river has several traditional water crossings of the Beverly caribou herds as they leave their calving grounds to the North. Weather and schedule permitting, we will spend a day of rest below Lookout Point, a famous caribou water crossing that has been used by both Dene' and Inuit hunters. We will have the opportunity to investigate many of their old encampments.

A tundra frost heave known as a 'pingo' stands like a small mountain against the tundra landscape / phot copyright David Welbourne
Musk-ox Pingo - Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary in Nunavut - photo copyright David Welbourne

Please email us to request the 2011 detailed trip supplement for the 'Musk-ox, Moose & Inuit History' trips in PDF format

Great Canadian Wilderness Adventures
Main Page	About Our Wildlife Trips	Our Field Ethics
Caribou, Musk-oxen & Northern Lights		Dance with Wolves!
Search for the Legendary White Musk-oxen		Musk-ox, Moose & Inuit History
Wolves & the Great Summer Caribou Migration		Clarke-Thelon River Expedition
Meet our Staff	Our Field Camp Facilities	Our most notable accomplishments
Email Us	Request more Information	Reserve Your Trip!

Click here to download our current trip calendar in PDF

Still undecided? Click on any of the faces below, and let our past clients & trips leaders tell you about their trips with us to the Canadian Far North!

Barry Girard	George Nagel	Noelle Tufts	Steve Lybeck	Tundra Tom	Bob Gainer
Steve Barger	Art Wolfe	Andy Kammer	Martin Haefele	Dr. Ella Trussell	Brad Armstrong
Rita Marett	George Archibald	Chris Crowley	Andrew Macrae	Bill Mullins	Julie Yamaguchi
Glen Grambo	Courtney Milne	Adele Curtis	Eric Peterson	Alan Weisman	Galen Rowel
Scott Schrader	Annika Brodén	Christian Heeb	Bill Silliker Jr.	Lonnie Brock	Dave Mech
Lee Mann	Jay Dickman	Terry Elliott	Dennis Fast	Allicia Kelly	Steve Maka

Come warm yourself by our fire.
Great Canadian Wilderness Adventures
Phone: 1-800-667-9453 (Canada & USA) Overseas Phone: +807-662-4512 North American toll-free Fax: 866-416-5548 Email: tundra@thelon.com Request More Information