Arctic Animals & Wildlife

Undoubtedly the King of the Arctic, the mighty polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a large mammal, growing up to 2.7m long and 720kg in weight. Their thick insulating fur, which even grows on the bottom of their paws, allows them to camouflage with the snow, whereas their skin is black, to allow for better absorption of the heat from the sun.

Typically, males are solitary, and are often territorial and aggressive, whereas females will live with their young for up to 28 months, spending time to teach the young important survival skills. In Churchill, we have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the mighty bear in large tundra buggies, giving us the opportunity for that once-in-a-lifetime photo shoot. 

Otherwise known as Vulpes lagopus, this small, omnivorous land mammal has adapted to the far North, with the ability to survive frigid temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius. It can be found in North Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard and Russia making its appearance on your trip highly likely. They can often be seen tunnelling into snow to create burrows and shelter. Its seasonal blue/grey fur allows for superb winter camouflage, and evasion from its predators.

The Atlantic Walrus is present in the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and Svalbard​,​ while the Pacific sub specie​s​ ​is found from ​the Bering Sea to the East Siberian Seas. This iconic Arctic mammal is instantly recognised by its long and curved tusks​ which ​can grow up to a met​re​ long and weigh 5kg​.​

Brown in colour, Walrus can appear white after diving​,​ or even pink when they are warm​ ​due to a variation in their blood supply to the periphery of their body under different circumstances.

The bearded seal is a medium-sized earless seal, well known for its dull brown colour and big bushy beard. Large beasts, they can grow between 2.1-2.7m long and can range from 200 to 430 kg in weight. It is hardly surprising therefore, that a bearded seal can have a body fat content of up to 40%! They also make for a major food source to both polar bears and Inuit people on the Arctic coasts. Their skins are also traditionally used to make shoes, dog sled harnesses and in the construction of summer tents.

Measuring up to a gigantic 15-18 metres and over 100,000kg in weight, the Bowhead is an incredibly powerful sea beast. As if to prove this, they use their large heads and powerful bodies to break through sea ice at least 20cms thick, with some reports of bowheads breaking through ice up to 60 cms thick! The key identification marker of this species is its large symmetrical skull, which composes 1/3 of its body length, and paired blowholes. In addition, Bowhead whales don't have dorsal fins.

The and can be found congregating in large colonies in the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, Svalbard. The adult bird can grow up to 41cm and up to 1.2kg. The Brunnich's bill is also shorter and thicker than the common guillemot. The bird's call is similar to the sound of a growl.