Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area

To conserve the marine habitat of bowhead whales and other species.

Access to Ninginganiq by anyone other than Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement is restricted, and any non-Nunavut Inuit must obtain a permit to enter the area. 

In Ninginganiq, the interaction of ocean currents and wind with shallow inshore banks and deep offshore troughs create a suitable feeding habitat for bowhead whales. Up to 147 bowheads have been observed in the area at one time, which is the largest concentration seen anywhere in Canada. Other species that use the area include polar bears, ringed seals, and narwhal. Ninginganiq is the largest National Wildlife Area in Canada and also contains important cultural sites, such as historical Inuit settlements and 19th-century European whaling artifacts. Ninginganiq is an Inuktitut word that roughly translates to “the place where fog sits.”