Other Animals
Birds
10. Polar Bear Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on the sea ice, where they mate, hunt and rear their young. It provides a platform for them to hunt, live, breed, and create maternal dens. Can be found in: small numbers in Greenland (Phippsoya and Isbukta), Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, around the Kara Sea and Canada. 11. Walrus With a 6" layer of insulating tissue, a walrus can weigh up to 3700 pounds. They use their tusks to pull themselves out of the water onto land. Can be found in : Kapp Lee, Spitzbergen, Franz Josef Land and Canada. 12. Musk Ox Usually found in the far north of Greenland, they move around during the different seasons to find food. They have 2 layers of fur, an inner and outer coat, to endure the freezing temperatures. Can be found in : Eastern Greenland, Svalbard and Canada. 13. Arctic Wolf A sub-species of the grey wolf, the arctic wolf is the only species not threatened by hunting or habitat destruction. It lives in 5 months of darkness throughout the year. Can be found in: Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. 14. Svalbard Reindeer One of the smallest of all reindeer types, both the males and females have antlers that are shed each year. They can reach speeds of up to 80 mph when they choose to run but normally live a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Can be found in : Svalbard. 15. Bearded Seals These are the largest species of Arctic seal, growing to 7-8 feet and weighing 600-800 pounds. Their long white whiskers make them easily recognizable. Can be found in : Greenland, Barents Sea and parts of the North Atlantic. 16. Arctic Fox The Arctic Fox can live in temperatures as low as -58 degrees F. During the summer, their pure white fur turns grey. They have excellent hearing which allows them to locate and catch prey. Can be found in : Canada and Greenland but because they live in burrows, they are rarely sighted. 17. Arctic Hare Nicknamed the "polar rabbit", the Arctic Hare has long, strong claws used for digging in the snow, smaller ears that help retain body heat and 2 fur coats - one short, thick undercoat and a thick, white topcoat. Can be found in : Greenland and the north Canadian Arctic islands.
Puffins 1.
The puffin spends two-thirds of the year at sea. Their beaks change color seasonally so if you're looking for one in winter, don't look for the bright red bill – look for one a little bit more grey in color. Can be found in : Iceland, Westfjords and Greenland.
2. Common Eider
They dive to the sea floor to collect mollusks and crustaceans, eating them whole. Females are brown and black and males are white to black with shades of green. Can be found in: coastal Greenland, Spitsbergen and Canada.
3. Arctic Tern
Arctic terns have a small round head, red beak, long angular wings and very short legs. They can live as long as 30 years. Can be found : all over the Arctic in the summer.
4. Purple sandpiper
They have short yellow legs and their feathers have a subtle purple sheen. Can be found: Arctic Ocean islands, Spitsbergen and parts of Baffin Bay.
5. Barnacle Goose These white-and-black geese build their nests at the top of cliffs, away from predators such as Arctic foxes and polar bears. Can be found : in eastern Greenland, Svalbard, Canada and Novaya Zemlya during breeding season.
Whales
6. Minke Whales Minke whales can grow to nearly 35 feet in length and can weigh nearly 10 tons. They are curious animals that like to approach ships. Can be found : off eastern Greenland, the Arctic Ocean, Barents Island and Kara Sea. 7. Bowhead Whale A marine beast with a large triangular skull to break through ice, they have the thickest blubber, longest lifespan, lowest core body temperature and greatest number of 'songs' than any other whale. Can be found: across Arctic waters from west of Greenland to the Barents Sea. 8. Narwhal They have a large ‘tusk’ (actually a tooth), so that’s how you’ll be able to tell them apart from other marine animals. Can be found: all year round in Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada and Russia. 9. Beluga Whale Belugas are small, toothed whales. They are gray when they are born and turn white as they age. They're very social and usually form pods in groups of about 10. They're very vocal and use a whole range of sounds to communicate and are known to mimic what they hear. Can be found: in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Svalbard and Greenland and Canada.
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