by Alysa Dudley

Created on: October 03, 2010

Roald Amundsen, born in Norway in 1872, followed in the footsteps of his Viking ancestors.  He embarked on his first seagoing adventure at the young age of 15. When he was 27 he traveled to the Antarctic for the first time, a voyage which sparked his fascination with polar exploration.

A route for trading ships which traversed North America was desired because it would be a great advantage for European trade with the Orient.  Europeans needed an alternative to land routes after the Ottoman Turks gained control of the Middle East in the mid 1400s. 

For hundreds of years many explorers, including Henry Hudson and Captain Cook, had attempted to find a “Northwest Passage” between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was not until the first decade of the 20th century that Roald Amundsen succeeded in navigating this route.

In 1903, Amundsen left Oslo in the “Gjoa” a 47 ton, 70 foot sloop, with a crew of six men and six sled dogs. Amundsen’s voyage began in Oslo and included two stops in Greenland to pick up more dogs and supplies. 

After arriving at Beechey Bay, Northwest of Baffin Bay, the explorers proceeded down Peel Sound and passed the eastern side of Prince of Wales Island.  They then went on to the Southeast coast of King William Island where they remained for two years conducting geographical measurements including the location of the magnetic North Pole. 

When the journey continued, a whaling ship traveling east from San Francisco was sited, and Amundsen knew he would be successful in his quest to navigate the Northwest Passage.  After stopping for the winter South of Victoria Island, the expedition continued until they  reached Nome in Alaska.  

The Northwest Passage is 9,000 miles long and is located about 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle.  The best time to travel is from mid-July through August, which is when warmer weather makes navigation possible.

Traveling through the Northwest Passage today is a journey through beautiful sites and exciting experiences. Stunning views, historic locations and an amazing variety of wildlife will delight visitors.

There is an abundance of life to be found in the Northwest Passage.  In the water travelers may see narwhals, seals, walrus, crabs, sea urchins, clams and many species of fish including Arctic char, lake trout and whitefish.  Land animals include Caribou, muskox, polar and grizzly bears.  There are also over 40 species

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