Baffin Islands is the largest island in Canada and ranks fifth among the largest islands across the world. It provides some of nature’s most intriguing land spaces and adventurous playgrounds for adventure lovers. In terms of adventures, you can find rock climbing, skiing and other sports which draw a lot more crowd in terms of tourism here.
As mentioned above that the Baffin Islands has some of nature’s beautiful landscapes which are in terms of fjords, beautiful mountains and polar wildlife. This Island is remote and usually secluded which gives tourists the best chance to explore the beauty without any local’s distraction.
Now let’s explore what this magnificent Baffin Island has to offer for tourists and why you should keep this on your travel list.Â
Baffin Island Location
The Island is located on the east corner of Canada’s Nunavut territory and has its borders with southeast Greenland over Arctic Circle. Being home to polar wildlife it has many distinct and extinct animals under its protective ice cover. The Island is sparsely populated so it does provide the tourist to enjoy the nature icecaps with people’s distraction.
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Best Time to Visit Baffin Island
Most tourists visit Baffin Island for the Aurora views in the night sky but apart from that the sunsets and the 24 – hour Midnight Sun is also a spectacular viewing experience that one can never miss while visiting here. The ideal month for a visitor is in August- October when all these phenomena can be noticed and give them the perfect picturesque experience which can be cherished for the lifetime.
Reasons to Visit Baffin Island
Five reasons attract travelers to its shores: Picturesque Landscapes, Polar Wildlife, culture, history and adventure activities.
- Picturesque Landscapes
Baffin Island has many Icecapes that provide the perfect background for really exotic pictures for couples. Except that many areas have lush green fields and provide a great mixture of Icy hills(Auyuittuq) and green lands(Sirmilik) for the picture lovers.Auyuittuq means the land which never melts and Sirmilik means the place of glaciers. It is also home to Canada’s two national parks. Apart from these the Baffin Island is a collection of fjords, numerous glaciers, steep granite peaks and limestone cliffs.
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- Polar Wildlife
The beautiful landscapes of Baffin Island create an ideal place for wildlife habitats. About 65% of the world’s polar bear population is found inside the Canadian Arctic, so there’s always a possibility of spotting one. Ashore, you can also see caribou, hare, fox, lemmings and even the tundra grey wolf found only on this Island.There are over 100 bird species including snowy owls, falcons, hawks, ptarmigans and puffins. The world’s largest number of unicorn-like narwhal live and thrive in the waters of the north coast, alongside walrus and seals.
- Culture
Around 90% of the population lives in the capital of Iqaluit and the rest can be found in the hamlet named Pond Inlet, Cape Dorset and Kimmirut. The people living here are friendly and will help you understand their culture and also helps with the directions for the exotic spots. Most of the people are the descendants of the Inuit tribe which is around 3000 years old.The people here still follow their tribe culture and it is visible in their local museums which is the best and easiest way to learn about the rich history. The ancient people that lived here were craftsman and their culture is still kept alive by some modern Artisans. Nunavut province has the most artists per capita in the world, recognized internationally for stone carvings, hand-sewn tapestries and landscape art.
- History
Baffin Island is named after English explorer William Baffin. But the island was discovered long before by Viking explorer Leif Eriksson. Many mountains are even named after Norse gods such as Mount Odin, the highest on the island. Many historic expeditions looking for the Northwest Passage also set foot on the island’s shores. For example, the Fury and Hecla Strait take their name from the two ships led by Sir Willian Parry during his 1822 expedition. Similarly, nearby Beechey Island is the solemn resting place for three members of the ill-fated Franklin expedition. - Adventure Activities
Here you will find many adventure sports all related to icy tops and stuff. Rock climbing, cliff climbers, paragliding and sports are the usual outdoor activities. It is also a place for many Movie sets and many stunts are performed here on the ice. Skiing is one of the most popular sports around here with more than 50% of tourists who usually come here for getting that adrenaline rush which skiing from the top mountain points.
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Ways to reach Baffin Islands
By Road:
One possible route when attempting the legendary Northwest Passage starts from Greenland, crosses the Baffin Bay, and enters the passage via the northern part of Baffin Island.
By flights:
To reach Baffin Island from the south, you need to catch a flight from either Ottawa or Montreal. If you are going to a community in southern Nunavut then you need to get to Winnipeg.
Conclusion
Baffin Island is a place which you should visit once and should be there on your travel list. The Aurora views in the night sky, midnight sun which glows over the sky 24 hours are a kind of attraction which can only be found here. So if you are planning for an exotic and picturesque experience then visit Baffin Island and make your dream come true.