A Unique Adventure for your Portfolio

Witness the awe-inspiring migration of the caribou. See bald and golden eagles swoop down to crystal-clear waters. Photograph the majestic white wolf and shaggy muskox. These are just some of the reasons that naturalists and photographers flock to Tukto Lodge. Whatever your experience or ability, you will capture some of your greatest images here in the Arctic.

Mammals

Caribou

Caribou are the only members of the deer family in which both male and female have antlers. The average Dubawnt caribou bull weighs 350-400 pounds. They are excellent swimmers and they can propel themselves through water at almost two miles an hour. Caribou are extremely inquisitive animals: photographers can often attract the curious animals for a close-up by slowly waving their arms or bobbing up and down from the waist. Visitors at Tukto Lodge have photographed the magnificent caribou as close as 20 feet from camp!

Muskox

Easily recognized by their shaggy coat and upturned horns, this hairy mammal crossed the Bering Strait land bridge to North America thousands of years ago. Their thick dark brown or black coat helps them survive temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Breeding season is late summer and the bulls challenge each other to elaborate fights by emitting deep rumbling bellows. These mighty beasts have been under Canadian government protection since 1917 after being pushed to the brink of extinction by trappers and hunters. Their only wild predator is the Arctic wolf.

Arctic Wolf

A subspecies of the grey wolf, this northern wolf also hunts in packs, claims territories and is part of a social hierarchy, but differs in appearance, prey and habitat. Adapted to its environment, the Arctic wolf has thick white fur to blend into the snowy landscape and thick hair between its paw pads to survive temperatures down to -70 Fahrenheit. Due to the frozen tundra, Arctic wolves can't make traditional wolf dens and instead make their homes in rock outcroppings, shallow land depressions and caves.

Barren Land Grizzly Bears

The infamous grizzly has long been a symbol of wilderness and strength. Unlike its mountain grizzly cousins, this Arctic bear has reduced its dependence on plants as a source of food and survives primarily on caribou throughout late spring, summer and fall. The grizzly hibernates every year from late October to mid May. A healthy male can easily cover 30 miles a day and over a season may travel 500 miles!

Arctic Hares

Inhabiting Canada's tundra region, the Arctic hare is the largest of North American hares. Their coat changes to adapt with the seasons, becoming snowy white in the winter and blue-grey in the summer. Their back legs are extremely powerful and they can reach speeds of almost 40 miles an hour! The Arctic hare congregate in groups of 100 to 300 hares, often huddling together during the cold winters.