Low biological productivity, a short growing season, and extremely cold, long winters impose severe demands on wildlife in the Southern Arctic. As a result, the number of resident bird and mammal species drops sharply as one moves beyond the trees onto the tundra. Food chains are relatively short and changes in the abundance of one species may profoundly affect another species. For instance, a cold, late spring drastically reduces the nesting success of Canada Geese. This causes trouble for Arctic Fox, which depends heavily on egg predation at this time of year. Close to a million caribou migrate south each year, including the Bluenose, Bathurst, Beverly, and Qaminirjuaq herds in the Northwest Territories, the Porcupine herd of the northern Yukon, and the Leaf River and George River herds of northern Quebec and Labrador.
Cruise North Expeditions provides visitors with an opportunity to explore the Arctic, and study its wildlife -- which includes Polar Bears, belugas, walruses and caribou. Polar bears can hunt their preferred food of seals from the edge of sea ice, often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present.