The congregation of beluga whales at Cunningham Inlet is a unique natural phenomena. Nowhere in the world do so many whales, gather so consistently, every year, where they can be observed, so easily by humans. It is a unique whale watching experience!
Some 2,000 beluga whales visit the pristine arctic environment of Cunningham Inlet each summer for about 4 weeks. Their arrival times with the melting of the ice, their departure is usually about August 7 to 10.
Spectators can stand on the shore, sometimes only a few feet away and watch the whales as they play, molt, nurse their young, and mate. Sometime they are noisy, thrashing and chasing each other, sometime they are quiet, restful and subdued. Sometimes they watch the whale watchers! They love sunshine and clean warm water, they dislike muddy water, airplane shadows, and any disturbance in the water.
Arctic Watch Lodge is only a 15-minute walk from the beluga whale’s favorite meeting place. On a calm day, you can hear them from Arctic Watch. The whales can be photographed and watched at any time. A special tower can be used to photograph and observe the belugas from above. Truly the best place for beluga whale watching!
There is a large variety of marine and land birds in the Cunningham Inlet area, including Arctic terns, three types of jaegers, snow buntings, guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, two species of loons, snow geese, brant geese and peregrine falcons.
Read more about the birds found at Arctic Watch in the Birds section.
The Arctic is home to a wide range of mammals including polar bears, the muskox, and caribou. The Arctic is also host to the only other living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, the narwhal whale.
Read more about the mammals, animals and fish found at Arctic Watch in the Mammals, Animals & Fish section.
Despite being snow-covered for most of the year, the Arctic is teaming with many species of plant life including the arctic poppy, the snow buttercup, and the arctic willow.
Read more about the plant life found at Arctic Watch in the Plant Life section.
Gastropods and trilobites are just two of the many fascinating types of fossils found in the Arctic.
Read more about the fossils found at Arctic Watch in the Fossil & Rocks section.
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Exploration Week 2012
Discovery Program 1
Northwest Passage Marathon
Discovery Program 2
Discovery Program 3 “Mystic Week”
Discovery Program 4
Youth Leadership ProgramSee out photography galleries for examples of photos that our guests have taken over the years.
Visit our Youtube channel to see and experience Arctic Watch through the eyes of a guest.
We are passionate about the polar regions of the world; the arctic, the North Pole and the South Pole. We plan unique treks to the Canadian High Arcticin places such as Ellesmere Island, Alex Heiberg Island and Baffin Island. We have trekked more often and more successfully to the North Pole than anyone in history. Find out more about at Weberarctic.
If you are planning an arctic trip, you should meet the WeberArctic team. They offer tips on polar travel philosophy, history and geography, climate implications for modern explorers, logistics and navigation, daily routines, travel techniques, clothing, equipment and more.
Developed and tested on hundreds of successful arctic expeditions, Richard Weber products have been developed for superior comfort and performance in extreme weather conditions.
