© Ungava Polar Eco-Tours
Ungava Polar Eco-Tours: The great insular experience!
Ungava Polar Eco-Tours is a local ecotourism operator offering adventure tours in the Gyrfalcon Islands of Ungava Bay, offshore from the Inuit community of Tasiujaq. While out on boat excursions led by experienced and friendly Inuit guides, visitors will encounter breathtaking wilderness with larger-than-life scenery and fabulous Arctic wildlife.
The largest tidal currents in the world are a sight to behold, and visitors can hope for once-in-a-lifetime sightings of animals like polar bears, small herds of musk oxen, various seal species, and even whales.
Passengers will experience the magic of nature in the greatest comfort, with ultra-modern accommodations, and the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights in all their splendour. It’s an extraordinary adventure into pristine wilderness and an authentic moment of human contact with guides and their families, for a memorable immersion in Inuit culture.
© Jean-Simon Bégin
True wilderness encounters with Nunawild
Starting from Kuujjuaq, Nunawild takes visitors on outdoor activities to discover the region’s stunning northern landscapes. This Inuit-owned private company also offers tours of this northern village, the gateway to Nunavik, sharing knowledge of the history of Kuujjuaq and neighbouring Inuit communities.
Boat excursions on the Koksoak River include a visit to a former Hudson’s Bay trading post that was once the hub of the community. Nunawild also organizes fishing trips from its camp and Arctic wildlife observation tours to see musk oxen, caribou, tundra wolves, birds of prey, and other smaller species such as willow ptarmigans, Arctic foxes, and hares. Visitors can also explore archeological sites and take cultural interpretation tours.
From brief visits to multi-day experiences, Nunawild always embraces an ecotourism approach rooted in respect for nature.
© Jean-Simon Bégin
Fly fishing and the great caribou migration at Leaf River Lodge
Nestled upstream on Leaf River in central Nunavik, Leaf River Lodge offers a world-class fly fishing experience. While most come to snag one of the large Atlantic salmon that spawn in its pools, it’s also possible to catch sizeable grey trout or speckled trout. Catch-and-release is practiced to preserve the stocks.
In September, professional angler Alexis Pageau shares the experience with visitors, and is pleased to pass on his fishing tips. As the season draws to a close, migrating caribou can also be observed as they cross the river, while the tundra comes alive with its fall colours and the Aurora Borealis lights up the Arctic sky.
Visitors can be accompanied by wildlife photographer Jean-Simon Bégin, as they observe and photograph northern species like willow ptarmigan and black bears.
© Heiko Wittenborn
Great outdoor adventures await in Nunavik’s national parks
With four of Québec’s most spectacular national parks, Nunavik is famous for natural wonders sure to delight fans of trekking, mountaineering, sea kayaking, and whitewater rafting.
Parc national Pingualuit is home to the legendary Crystal Eye, a circular lake filled with some of the world’s purest water, within the walls of an ancient meteorite crater. Parc national Kuururjuaq boasts the highest peaks in Québec and Canada east of the Rockies: the mythical Torngat Mountains, through which the majestic Koroc River flows to Ungava Bay, following an ancient route used by Inuit for millennia. Parc national Tursujuq is Québec’s largest national park, covering 26,107 sq. km where inland seas lie amid spectacular Hudsonian cuestas. And Parc national Ulittaniujalik is the perfect destination for a canoe-camping expedition down the perennially popular George River to take in the views on a hike up the park’s iconic Pyramid Mountain.