Cruises visiting Foxe Basin

Named after the 17th-century explorer Luke Fox, who was the first to reach it, Foxe Basin marks the entry of the mythical Northwest Passage, much coveted since the 15th century and first crossed from one side to the other by Roald Amundsen in 1906. Blocked by ice for much of the year, Foxe Basin is home to the last emerged lands to be discovered in North America, in 1948, during aerial surveys: the Prince Charles, Air Force and Foley Islands. In summer, bowhead whales take up residence here to give birth.