The Arctic - Wildlife Guide

Scottish Islands, The Faroes and Jan Mayen Land.

Teeming seabird colonies including Puffins and other auks, Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars. Whales and dolphins are also often found in these waters.

Spitsbergen, Franz Joseph Land and Greenland

The most accessible part of the region and part of the true Arctic. Polar Bears, Walrus, various seals plus seabirds in vast colonies, Little Auks and Brunnich’s Guillemot along with more familiar species such as Puffins, Long -tailed and other skuas patrol the tundra and fjords looking for chicks and lemmings. Arctic Terns will dive bomb the human who gets too close! Grey Phalaropes swim in the shallows whilst the beautiful King Eider can also be found. The pure white Ivory Gull nests in small colonies and Sabine’s Gull are also regular. Reindeer and Arctic Foxes walk the landscapes. Delicate flowers carpet the land in spring and summer and at least one species of butterfly can be seen. Whales have been sadly heavily hunted out in the past but Belugas are a possibility along with other species on occasion. See pages 100-101 for the WildWings Escorted Spitsbergen Bird and Wildlife Tour led by Tony Marr. Greenland has suffered in recent years from the sad continued slaughter of much of it’s wildlife but offers dramatically different scenery, much softer, with steep-sided fjords cut by glaciers. Musk Ox still roam the land and Snowy Owls can sometimes be found. Voyages which visit are usually later in the season and offer a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights (Auroras) plus whales and dolphins during the final run down to Iceland.

Baffin Island and the High Canadian Arctic

Again the realm of the Polar Bear, the ultimate Arctic predator. Gyr Falcons and Snowy Owls hunt over the land whilst the seas contain the true Arctic whales, Narwhals, Belugas, Bowheads and the endangered Northern Right Whale. Geese, ducks and shorebirds nest across these chilly lands; Reindeer graze on the sparse vegetation and the second true Arctic gull, the exquisite Sabine’s, breeds whilst the third, the diminutive Ross’s, can occasionally be seen with luck. More teeming seabird colonies. Unfortunately this part of the region seems to be suffering from the most severe summer ice melt in recent years of any part of the Arctic. Go soon.

The Russian Far East and Wrangle Island

This region has only been open to Western travellers and naturalists since the mid nineties and voyages are still far and few between. The undoubted best part for the wildlife is Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands in the southern part. Please see pages 36-37 for the WildWings Escorted Bird and Wildlife Tours. The magnificent Steller’s Sea Eagle heads the avian cast with huge colonies of Pacific alcids and much much more. Brown Bears can be seen foraging on the shorelines. Wrangel Island is one of the main Polar Bear breeding areas. Cetaceans include Orcas, Sperm and Gray Whales plus the fast and furious Dall’s Porpoise amongst many other potential species. Sea Otters entertain whilst swimming on their backs.