Just about everyone knows about the annual migration of the wildebeest in East Africa. Indeed, the largest movement of land animals on the planet is on many a bucket list. The North has its own incredible migration, although it is far less well known. Every year, hundreds of thousands of caribou migrate across the Arctic. The Porcupine caribou herd migrate between Ivvavik National Park (page 431) and the Alaska Wildlife Reserve, while the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq herd migrate north to south on the Barren Lands west of Hudson Bay. Much like the great wildebeest trek between the Masai Mara and Serengeti, the sheer volume of one species attracts volumes of others. In the case of the Arctic, this includes some of the most elusive creatures on a wildlife lover’s checklist: wolves and wolverines.
Arctic Haven is a remote lodge located at the treeline on the 84-kilometre-long Ennadai Lake, one of the great lakes in Nunavut’s Barren Lands region. Originally built as a remote fishing lodge, it was refashioned as a wildlife station in 2013, allowing visitors to finally witness the remarkable caribou migration. Each spring and fall, up to 300,000 caribou migrate along the eskers and lakes of the Barren Lands, directly in the path of the post-and-beam lodge. There are activities for both warmer and cooler weather, including snowmobiling, dogsledding, tundra hiking, boating, kite skiing, and fishing for trophy-sized lake trout, northern pike, and grayling. If luck is on your side, it’s also a great spot to see the northern lights.
Ennadai Lake was the original home and hunting grounds of the Ahiarmiut people, who were forced to relocate by the government in 1949. Today, the lodge is partly owned by a pair of Nunavut entrepreneurs, and respect for the environment and landscape is impressive (the entire lodge is solar-powered). One doesn’t expect gourmet meals, hot showers, wine, and Wi-Fi connections in the Arctic wilderness. Given the location, you can expect to pay what you would for a luxury safari lodge in the Serengeti. What you walk away with, on the other hand, is a one-of-a-kind wildlife and wilderness experience, guaranteed to blow the Tilley hat off of even the most experienced safari nut.
START HERE: canadianbucketlist.com/arctichaven