Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.
In port at Monumental Island, the bucket-list move is Private Zodiac Walrus Safari: Up-Close with Arctic Giants. One Ocean Expeditions (Official Arctic Operator) runs it — a private, expert-led experience at your own pace, not a 40-person coach. Below: all 6 bucket-list things to do on a Monumental Island port day, each with the independent way to make it yours.
1wildlife
Glide silently alongside Monumental Island's legendary walrus haul-outs aboard a private Zodiac, guided by an expert Arctic naturalist. This is the defining bucket-list encounter of Canada's High Arctic — raw, wild, and utterly unforgettable.
Book it withOne Ocean Expeditions (Official Arctic Operator)CAD 295–CAD 450 per person (private Zodiac upgrade)
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2wildlife
Trek the tundra margins of Monumental Island with a seasoned Arctic guide in search of the world's largest land predator. Spotting a polar bear in its wild, ice-fringed habitat is one of the most visceral wildlife moments on the planet.
Book it withArctic Kingdom (Official Arctic Expeditions)CAD 550–CAD 850 per person (guided wildlife shore excursion)
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3adventure
Venture beyond the shoreline on a guided hike across Monumental Island's ancient tundra, sculpted cliffs, and sweeping Arctic vistas. Few travellers ever set foot on this remote island — walking it with an expert naturalist makes it profoundly rare.
Book it withOne Ocean Expeditions (Official Arctic Operator)CAD 195–CAD 280 per person (guided island hike)
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4scenic
Spend a focused shore session under the guidance of a professional expedition photographer, capturing Monumental Island's otherworldly Arctic scenery, wildlife, and ethereal light. This is bucket-list photography in one of Earth's least-visited landscapes.
Book it withArctic Kingdom (Official Arctic Expeditions)CAD 650–CAD 950 per person (private photography expedition)
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5culture
Engage one of Canada's foremost Arctic naturalists for an exclusive private session combining a Zodiac survey and an intimate onshore interpretation of Monumental Island's unique ecosystem. Understanding the Arctic transforms witnessing it.
Book it withArctic Kingdom (Official Arctic Expeditions)CAD 750–CAD 1,100 per person (private naturalist charter, 2-person minimum)
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6scenic
Embark on an extended open-water Zodiac cruise around the full perimeter of Monumental Island, absorbing the sheer, humbling scale of the Canadian Arctic and its ice-strewn, horizon-wide seascape. A meditative, perspective-shifting experience like no other.
Book it withOne Ocean Expeditions (Official Arctic Operator)CAD 175–CAD 250 per person (circumnavigation Zodiac cruise)
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