Floe Edge
Every spring, the blue open waters of the Arctic Ocean meet the white frozen sea ice along a magical, mystic perimeter where fast ice turns to drift ice, rising and falling with the tides, currents and wind. This is when our land comes alive and Arctic wildlife converges along the edges; walruses, seals, polar bears, narwhals, bowhead and beluga whales, and a wondrous variety of birds. This is a time of celebration for the Inuit people.
This is sinaaq, the floe edge. Call it the cycle of life, the line of life – it is one of the most amazing and active ecosystems in the world that has shaped our history, our lives, our culture - we live it, breathe it, carve it, celebrate it, paint it, hunt it, learn it and shape it to survive. We were passing on wisdom and knowledge of this living system for centuries before the word ecosystem was ever said – and understood with precision the range and cycles of our Arctic environment before scientists added the ‘bio’ to diversity.
We still have this knowledge today - come visit with us and we’ll share it with you in adventures on the floe edge tomorrow.
Floe Edge Adventures
You can travel, explore, photograph and film on floe edge tours with outfitters and guides from many communities across Nunavut including Coral Harbour, Cape Dorset, Grise Fiord, Hall Beach, the oldest inhabited community north of the Arctic Circle, Igloolik, Iqaluit, Kukluktuq on the Coppermine River and Naujatt.
There are exhilarating Arctic adventures on day trips or longer outings to view iceberg galleries, wildlife and the stunning panoramas along the floe edge whether trekking, kayaking, or on a classic traditional qamutik (snow sled) especially along the coasts of Baffin Island, from Arctic Bay to Clyde River, Kimmirut, Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung - both nearby Auyuittuq National Park – plus Pond Inlet and Resolute Bay.