RFI: Baffin Island
Hi all. Ian Thompson and I are beginning to look into trips to the Arctic, and in time, ideally putting a little group together. Key targets would be Bowhead whale and Narwhal. In Baffin Island, these are seen in different areas: Bowheads in the Sanirajak area, perhaps around Igloolik Island; while Narwhals are on the far side, near Pond Inlet. Various companies do offer tours (e.g. Eagle Eye), but we’re looking at self organsing to save a bit on cost, and (more importantly) be better able to put together a group that we’re sure will get along/be interested in the same things. If any one has any tips for local operators in either site we might reach out to, that would be ace – either in reply to this comment, or by email to ben.balmford@gmail.com.
We’re also exploring an alternative to look for Bowheads in Svalbard/Spitbergen, on the same cruise that Jon just did, in case that works out cheaper than the Bowhead leg from Baffin.
In any case, these trips would likely be in June 2026 at the earliest. If you’re provisionally interested in joining – one or other of the Baffin trips, or a Svalbard cruise – please do say, too.
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benbalmford
Hi Jeff. Thanks so much for all this information – that is all super appreciated. Apolgies I’d missed your reply to Jon in the Svalbard trip report, but that too is super useful. I think one thing that I’m struggling a little with is timings. As in, I think if we’re doing floe edge, either in Baffin or NW Hudson Bay, then it seems the best time of the year is mid June to mid July. I was then curious to see in your reply to Jon you suggested that Narwhal and Bowhead were possible together at the same time in NW Hudson in August time. Is that understanding correct? How long do you reckon a trip there would need to be at that time of the year to stand a reasonable chance of both species, plus ideally all the seals, walrus, and polar bear?
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JeffHigdon
Hi Ben, correct on timing. You’re looking at June-July for floe edge trips in any of these areas. You can get species like narwhal and bowhead at the floe edge in NW Hudson Bay, but they are present all summer. That’s generally the case elsewhere too, for example narwhal are at the floe edge off Pond Inlet before migrating into the fjords and bays.
I’ve never worked off the floe edge in Hudson Bay, but I think walrus would be harder to pick up at that time of year. But I would also defer to the local experts, if you are talking to any of the outfitting companies check with them.
Trip length needed is a tough one to predict. With good weather, 5 or 6 days would work. But it could take 2 weeks total to get 5 or 6 days of good weather. I once spent about 10 days sitting at the hotel in Naujaat waiting for the ice to clear, after heavy winds from the east blew all the pack ice into Repulse Bay. If you’re going all that way, and spending all that money, I’d plan to spend about 8 days there. You’re likely to get a couple bad weather days at minimum, but those could possibly be spent heading inland via ATV to look for caribou, wolves, foxes, etc.
One thing I would ask any local outfitters about us whether they have access to cabins outside town. Tent camping, while popular, can be sketchy with polar bears. Cabins are far safer. The best area for walruses around there, in my experience, is Frozen Strait. It’s about 100 km from town, so staying in an outpost camp somewhere like Duke of York Bay, Lyon Inlet, or White Island would help maximize your search effort.
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benbalmford
Hi Jeff, Hope your trip went well. Thanks for this reply – again, super useful. I’ll reach out to a few more operators in that case, and particuarly with what options would look like for a proper summer trip in the Hudson bay area combining some boat and land based activities… so all super helpful!
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BradleyFishes
Hello, not sure if this is helpful but I work out of a mine near Pond Inlet and you can essentially guarantee Narwhal sightings at the right time of year (August is usually great, we see hundreds). There are usually a few Bowhead kicking around as well. You could probably just fly into Pond and then get out with some of the local hunters to start looking – all depends how “organized” you want it to be. Let me know if you’d like any further information, I might even be able to put you in touch with some of the hunters.
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JeffHigdon
Most, possibly all, floe edge trips on north Baffin are organized by larger tour companies. Eagle Eye as noted (who might just send their guests out with one of the others, I’m not sure), also Arctic Kingdom and Blackfeather. All these companies presumably work with local outfitters. I don’t know much for details but in Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) they probably use one or more companies like Atii Tourism, Nunavut Outfitters Inc, Nuttuituq Outfitting, and Tagak Outfitting Services. I know and have worked with some of the owners of these companies (eg Enoookie Inuarak at Nuttuituq Outfitting), but not with the companies themselves. They (Blackfeather, etc.) might hire local guides direct though instead, I don’t know.
The primary outfitter in Arctic Bay (Ikpiarjuk) is Arctic Bay Adventures, and they have a good website. Enoookie (Nuttuituq Outfitting) is also licensed for Arctic Bay.
The Government of Nunavut has an online list of licensed tourism operators, with contact info. It is dominated by cruise ships and the like, but licensed local outfitters are listed:
https://www.gov.nu.ca/en/tourism/tourism-establishments-and-outfitters
As you’re aware, if you’re keen on narwhal then you pretty much have to do north Baffin vs Foxe Basin, out of one of the two above communities. You will have a good shot at bowhead whales, but not to the extent you would in Foxe Basin. But as you already know, you won’t get narwhal out on a floe edge trip from Sanirayak (formerly Hall Beach) or Igloolik. Small numbers of Atlantic walrus are possible on north Baffin floe edge tours, but you would see a lot more in Foxe Basin (south of the floe edge, in the mobile pack ice). Ringed seals are reliable at both, bearded seal as well but better in Foxe Basin (shallow waters and better habitat). Harp seals are more common on north Baffin tours but you can get a few in Foxe Basin at times, and hunters up there have told me that young harps are sometimes overwintering at the floe edge instead of migrating south. Hooded seal is unlikely but possible at the Pond Inlet floe edge, pretty much impossible elsewhere. You can see polar bears at any of these sites, but I’d say you would have better luck in Foxe Basin (rare on the floe edge but better in the pack ice where the walruses are).
If you have the time, and most importantly the $$$$, you can link floe edge trips to both north Baffin and Foxe Basin. Eagle Eye’s dates line up for combo trips, for example.
Both Igloolik and Sanirayak have outfitters, also listed at the above link. Examples include Amittuq Adventures and Pirursiak Arctic Tours in Sanirayak, and Anu Outfitting and Igloo Tourism and Outfitting in Igloolik.
I’ve worked out of all these communities, but only worked at the floe edge out of Igloolik (4 summers doing walrus and bowhead whale research). The local outfitter I used to use isn’t there any more, and for most of my field work I would contract employees and boats through the Hunters and Trappers Organizations, which also typically have outfitting licenses (mainly for sport hunts).
If you’re set on a “Baffin Island” trip, the above communities are your best options (and note that the Foxe Basin communities aren’t actually on Baffin – Igloolik is on a small island and Sanirayak is on the mainland, on the Melville Peninsula).
An alternative option would be northwest Hudson Bay, based out of Naujaat (formerly Repulse Bay), right on the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees north. The Great Canadian Travel Company was doing floe edge tours out of Naujaat, but I’m not sure if they still do. There are a few good local outfitters there, but for some reason they don’t seem to be listed on the Nunavut page I linked above. Some are listed here:
https://www.repulsebay.ca/tourism.html
There’s also Arctic Wilderness Guiding & Outfitting: https://arcticwildernessoutfitter.ca/packages/
If you want more info on northwest Hudson Bay, see my comments on Jon’s recent Svalbard trip report. Happy to provide more info if you need, but that thread would be a good start. I would recommend a late summer trip though, and not a floe edge trip – more mammal species. Much better chance for caribou there (very difficult in the other locations and virtually impossible on a floe edge trip), and I think you’d have a better (or at least equal) chance at Arctic fox and Arctic hare.
A Naujaat trip could also save you some money on flights and hotels, vs Baffin. And if flight schedules worked you could do a stopover in Churchill, Manitoba (in summer) for the best beluga whale watching on earth. I always say there are no guarantees with wildlife watching, with one exception – Churchill belugas in July and August. Sightings are 100% guaranteed. The Naujaat area is better for belugas than Baffin floe edge trips, too.
If you’re keen on birds, all these locations have great Arctic birding opportunities, with some variation. For example, north Baffin floe edge is better for seabirds like Northern Fulmars, and Foxe Basin and Naujaat are better for shorebirds and ducks and geese.
Happy to answer questions or provide more specifics as needed. I’m heading out tomorrow to guide a Manitoba mammal tour to Riding Mountain National Park and Churchill, so will be delayed replying this week.
Best wishes getting this trip organized. All the above-noted locations are great. As much as I love them all, I won’t be planning to join given that I’ve already spent significant time in the north. Unless you want an experienced Arctic biologist guide, then I’ll work for expenses, haha.