Narwhals & Polar Bears: Arctic Bay

Stark landscapes, shimmering ocean fiords, seabirds, shorebirds and songbirds, narwhal, beluga, polar bear and more, enjoyed amid a warm Inuit culture – these are the highlights of this floe edge tour at the far northern tip of Baffin Island.
Arctic Bay is the third most northerly community in Canada. Located at the entrance to Sirmilik National Park, this community is sandwiched between ocean and mountain environments. The tundra here harbours birds that are not found regularly farther south: Common Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Red Knot, Rock Ptarmigan and more. Out at the floe edge, we have a chance to see all three species of jaeger, and possibly even Ivory Gull. More regular species are Thick-billed Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, and King and Common Eider.
Mammals are common here, with narwhal, polar bear, Ringed and Bearded Seals being the most likely. Beluga whales and walrus are also possible. The action is focused at the floe edge, where the “fast ice” ends and is brushed by chunks—some large, some small—of moving floe ice driven by wind and rich upwelling currents. Normally, we sit very close to the edge and wait for wildlife to pass by, however we are reminded to turn and face back toward land from time to time to marvel at the peaks at the flanks of Admiralty Inlet.
This tour involves camping on the ice and we get you there directly upon arrival, so you waste no time getting out on to the ice!