Floe Edge
ᓯᓈᓅᖅᓯᒪᓂᖅ
You will love 'sinaaq' in the springtime!
As drift ice, it will rise and fall with the tides and travel with the ocean currents and arctic winds unless it is blocked by fast ice, coastal sea ice fastened to the land or shallow sea floor. In the springtime, the floe edge — where the open sea meets the frozen sea — becomes one of the most dramatic and dynamic ecosystems on Earth.
Guided Tours
From April through July in Nunavut, arctic wildlife gathers in abundance along the floe edge — including walruses, seals, polar bears, narwhals, bowhead and beluga whales, plus an astonishing variety of birds. It is a time of great celebration for the Inuit people.
On the way, you can enjoy magnificent mountain scenery, visit bustling bird cliffs and pass drifting icebergs — which are an excellent source of freshwater when at sea. Experienced local guides, who are totally familiar with the tides, local weather patterns and changing ice conditions, are the experts best qualified to determine your safest and most enjoyable route to and from the floe edge.
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Floe edge tours from many Nunavut communities like Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Igloolik, Pond Inlet and Qikiqtarjuaq will take you on a classic arctic adventure to witness this wildlife spectacle.
Icebergs
Formed from snowflakes fallen 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, compressed into ice with time, mass and gravity, then calved from flowing glaciers into the crashing waves, powerful currents and gusting winds of the Arctic Ocean, titanic icebergs are often carved into some of the most beautiful sculptures ever created by the forces of nature.
Outfitters all over Nunavut offer iceberg tours, multi-day outings or day-trips. Notably, the entire northeastern coastline of Baffin Island, from Qikiqtarjuaq to Pond Inlet, is ranked as one of the world’s greatest iceberg gallerie
Best Floe Edge Months of the Year
Community | 24 Hours of Sunshine |
---|---|
Arctic Bay | Late May to June |
Arviat | April to June |
Cape Dorset | April to June |
Chesterfield Inlet | May to June |
Coral Harbour | March to May |
Grise Fiord | April to May |
Hall Beach | March to April |
Igloolik | April to May |
Hall Beach | May 21 to July 22 |
Iqaluit | April to June |
Kimmirut | April to May |
Pangnirtung | April to June |
Pond Inlet | May to June |
Qikiqtarjuaq | May to June |
Rankin Inlet | April to May |
Repulse Bay | Mid to End of June |
Resolute | May to June |
Sanikiluaq | March to April |
Whale Cove | May to June |