Nature Canada

Calendar Photo of Month: Baffin Island

Image of Jaime Clifton

Jaime Clifton, Guest Blogger

December’s calendar photo features the spectacular icy landscape of Baffin Island in the territory of Nunavut. Often referred to as “Auyuittug” in Inuktitut, meaning “the land that never melts”, this massive frosty island is located in the Arctic Archipelago. It is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. It is surrounded by sea ice and is home to snowy mountain ranges, colossal glaciers, frosty fjords, and a vast tundra. Despite its freezing temperatures, Baffin Island is home to a wide range of wildlife both territorial and marine. Here are just a few.

Narwhals and Belugas

While there are many animals that live on Baffin Island year-round, Baffin Bay (located between Greenland and Baffin Island) is a wintering ground for many species. Narwhals and Belugas take up residence in the Northern end of the bay, referred to as a polynya. This open area of water is surrounded by sea ice and is considered an “oasis of biological productivity” during the spring mating season. Belugas have 22 designated populations in the world, seven of which live in Canadian waters for at least part of the year. In late spring, they inhabit the icy shores of northern Baffin Island. They are great underwater navigators and can break through thick ice with their heads and backs.Image of a Beluga Whale

Birds

Baffin Island hosts millions of migratory birds every summer, including species of waterfowl, shore birds, murres, and waders. It is also a major nesting and feeding destination. The Dewey Soper Migratory Bird Sanctuary (MBS), located in west-central Baffin Island, is the first sanctuary established in the Arctic and has protected Lesser Snow Geese since 1957. As the largest known colony in the world, their nesting and feeding habitat is spread across a vast marshy plain.

Polar Bears and Seal

Migratory birds are not the only animals inhabiting Baffin Island. Polar Bears swim the frigid coastal waters and travel far and wide across areas of broken pack ice and the edges of fast ice. They are considered the most powerful predator in the arctic whose diet consists mainly of seal.  Their numbers are in-decline because climate change is causing their frozen habitat to melt. Ringed Seals are the smallest mammals living on Baffin Island but they are the most abundant. They can often be spotted popping their heads in and out the sea ice.

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