Majestic and ubiquitous, you can find Nanuq - the polar bear - throughout our territory. As most communities are located by the ocean, most places are within range of the bears. The best time to see Nanuq is usually in the fall, when they gather on the shorelines waiting for sea ice to form. This brings bears in close contact with many communities, but especially places like Arviat, Hall Beach, Pond Inlet, Naujaat and Resolute. 

The polar bear is a clever and dangerous animal, with males weighing up to 700kgs and over 3m in length. They are extremely capable hunters, experts at catching seals and sometimes whales. Excellent swimmers, polar bears are known to swim in open oceans for hundreds of kilometers. 

You can find these bears in various settings- from inside communities (Arviat has had to hold Halloween Trick or Treating inside the school gym because of the number of polar bears near the community),  to the floe edge, where they will be in search of food.