Baffin Island [close]
Canada - Nunavut - Baffin Island

Location Overview

Photo Credit: Jennifer Latuperisa-Andresen

Baffin Island, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world, is a land of dramatic contrasts and profound beauty. Located within Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle, it’s a place where vast fjords cut into rugged coastlines, icy peaks rise above glacial valleys, and the Northern Lights dance across winter skies. Despite its remote location, Baffin has been home to Inuit communities for thousands of years, with traditions of hunting, storytelling, and art deeply woven into the island’s identity.

The island is famed for its wild landscapes, including Auyuittuq National Park, where granite cliffs, massive glaciers, and the iconic Mount Thor, the world’s tallest vertical rock face, draw climbers and trekkers from around the globe. Wildlife abounds, with polar bears, Arctic foxes, caribou, and migratory birds thriving across its tundra and coastal areas. Offshore, narwhals and bowhead whales slip through icy waters, adding to the island’s sense of wonder.

Life on Baffin Island moves with the rhythms of the Arctic, from the midnight sun of summer to the long polar nights of winter. Small communities like Iqaluit, the territorial capital, provide glimpses into modern Inuit life, where art forms like soapstone carving and throat singing carry forward ancient traditions.