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Baffin Island Walrus & Bowhead Whales
Far north, lies the domain of two truly awesome mammals – walrus and bowhead whales. Our search for these remarkable arctic residents takes us to Igloolik and the shores of the Foxe Basin in Nunavut, Canada.
The Foxe Basin and adjacent Baffin Island are areas rich in wildlife and where Inuit have lived for centuries. At this time of year, bowhead whales, weighing up to 100 tonnes, feed along the edge of the sea ice as they wait to move further north, and groups of walruses can be found basking in the sun on pieces of sea ice.
We travel with Inuit guides in search of these massive creatures plus ringed and bearded seals. We will also find a variety of northern birds, including Red Phalarope, Common Eider, Sabine’s Gulls, and Arctic Tern. Photography should be superb with 24-hour warm arctic light, calm waters and a backdrop of gleaming ice.
Join us for a remarkable arctic wildlife experience on our Baffin Island Walrus and Bowhead Whales tour!
Also check out our Baffin Island Floe Edge: Narwhals & Polar Bears tour. You can combine these two Arctic tours with a night in Iqaluit between the tours.
Day 1: Arrival in Igloolik
Our Baffin Island Walrus & Bowhead whales tour begins today in Igloolik, Nunavut. Participants will arrive on flights from Ottawa (via Iqaluit) or directly from Pond Inlet if they are connecting this tour to our Baffin Island Floe Edge: Narwhals & Polar Bears tour. We meet for an evening meal and to discuss the upcoming adventure. We should have a chance to meet our local guides and walk around the community of Igloolik after dinner as we have 24 hours of daylight! Night at our hotel in Igloolik.
Days 2 to 6: Foxe Basin
We plan our 5 full-days of the tour around weather and ocean conditions.
The community of Igloolik sits on an island at the western edge of the Foxe Basin. At this time of year there is open water very close to the island. We set off from the edge of the ice by boat in search of walrus and bowhead whales. Walrus are typically found resting on small pans of sea ice over relatively shallow water where they forage for clams on the ocean floor. We will use the knowledge of our local guides to travel to the areas where we are most likely to find walrus. Weighing up to 900 kg (2000 lbs), these are enormous animals and seeing them packed together on a piece of ice is impressive!
At the edge of the open water we find the ‘floe edge’, which is the border between the solid ‘fast’ sea ice and the water. We travel along the floe edge in search of bowhead whales. There is a whole ecosystem of phytoplankton and zooplankton underneath the ice and these whales feed along and under the ice. We may even see them surfacing in small holes in the ice with just the ‘bow’ of their blowhole visible.
Bowhead whales are enormous! These arctic specialists can grow to 90,000 kg and are typically 15 m (50 ft) long, which means they are not one of the long slender whales – they have some girth to them. Being present when they surface close by is a truly magical experience!
Beyond our two large target mammals, there is plenty of other wildlife to enjoy. Ringed and bearded seals are relatively common and there is an abundance of birds migrating and nesting in the area. Over the water we are likely to see King and Common Eiders, Black Guillemots, Long-tailed Ducks, and Snow Geese. Polar bears are very uncommon in this area, but there is a small chance we could find one.
On small islands in Foxe Basin there are nesting Brant, Snow Geese, Red Phalarope, Arctic Tern, Sabine’s Gulls, and more. These are sites where local Inuit hunt geese and eiders and collect their eggs.
We anticipate being on the water looking for walrus, bowhead whales and other arctic wildlife four of these days. If weather prevents us getting out on the water, we will spend some time exploring the community of Igloolik and the island. Igloolik is one of the cultural centers of Nunavut and is home to the film production company that created the films Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner and The Journals of Knud Rasmussen among others. In fact, our travels on the water may take us near the islands where Atanarjuat was exiled in the legend. On the island, there are numerous ponds and some sod house archaeological sites worth exploring.
Nights at our Igloolik hotel.
Day 7: Departure
Our Baffin Island Walrus & Bowhead Whales tour ends today. We catch our flight south from Igloolik to Iqaluit in the morning and connect to a flight to Ottawa, arriving about 5 pm. We part ways here with memories from an incredible Arctic experience.
• Bowhead whale
• Walrus
• Bearded seal
• Red Phalarope
• Sabine's Gull
• Arctic Tern
• Common Eider
• King Eider
Travel in the Arctic requires flexibility to adjust to weather conditions and the daily schedule on our Baffin Island Walrus & Bowhead Whales tour is likely to be variable. On days with good weather we plan to be on the ocean in one or two small boats with our local Inuit guides. These are open aluminum boats with an outboard motor with capacity for 8, but we will only have up to 5 clients or guides in each boat. We will depart after breakfast and will have lunch out in the field and plan to return to the community for our evening meal. Note that we have included a maximum of 4 days on the water in the price of the tour. If a very good stretch of weather allows us to be on the water for 5 days you will have the option to go out for a 5th day for an additional charge.
This time of year can still be cool. Temperatures are above freezing, but it will be cool on the water and warm layered clothing along with the waterproof boots should keep you warm. We have 24 hours of daylight, so sunscreen is essential!
Worldwide, we feel this is one of the best places to watch bowhead whales on a tour and the opportunities to find walrus should also be excellent.
Our daily activities will be focused on looking for walrus and bowhead and watching birds, but we won’t hesitate to enjoy other aspects of the natural and cultural history of this area on this incredible Arctic tour.
While we have outlined the detailed itinerary, this schedule and our daily activities will be very dependent on the daily weather and ice conditions as well as possible schedule changes from the airline.
Because flights in and out of Igloolik are very weather dependent, trip interruption insurance is mandatory on this tour. Trip interruption insurance reimburses you for extra costs resulting from weather delays (e.g. additional hotel nights and meals, and change fees for connecting flights). Emergency medical insurance is also mandatory to protect you from the very high cost of a medical evacuation from the Arctic.
Our hotel in Igloolik is basic, but adequate with private bathrooms in each room. As is typical in the north, if space in the hotel is tight, single travelers may be forced to share with other singles of the same gender.
The deposit for this tour is $1000 USD/CAD per person.
• 6 nights in hotel accommodation
• Ground transportation
• Travel by boat on the ocean in search of walrus and bowhead whales for a maximum of 4 days
• Includes all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7
• Eagle-Eye Tours guide plus local Inuit guides with 4 - 9 participants
Not Included:
• Round-trip airfare from Ottawa to Igloolik (2020 price is $2,500 CAD / $2,000 USD + tax, tax is 13% for Canadians and 6.5% for non-Canadians) or airfare to to connect from our Floe Edge tour (2020 price is $375 CAD / $310 USD + tax)
• Mandatory emergency medical and trip interruption insurance
• Additional hotel night in Iqaluit if connecting from our Baffin Island Floe Edge tour
• Additional expenses as a result of flight changes or delays
• Items of a personal nature