Igloolik Island
Island Nunavut island hosting Igloolik community and Arctic culture
An Inuit community on an Arctic island, Igloolik attracts visitors for seasonal wildlife, traditional arts and performances, and for encounters with local Inuktitut culture and Arctic landscapes.
Igloolik Island is an island in the Foxe Basin off the Melville Peninsula in Nunavut, Canada and is the site of the Inuit hamlet of Igloolik. It is part of the Canadian Arctic archipelago and is a local cultural centre for the surrounding region.
The island contains the village of Igloolik, with community buildings, shoreline landing areas and local services rather than developed tourist infrastructure. The surrounding marine and sea-ice environment is used for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing at different seasons.
The island and surrounding area have been inhabited by Inuit peoples for many generations. European contact and Canadian administration altered settlement patterns in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the community remains an active centre of Inuit culture and language.
Sited in Foxe Basin off northern mainland Canada, the island lies in the waters between Baffin Island and the Melville Peninsula and is administered from Nunavut.
- Administrative region: Located within Nunavut's Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin) Region and administered as part of the territory of Nunavut.
- Settlement: Island hosts the established Inuit community of Igloolik, which is the primary population centre on the island.
What to See #
- Igloolik (hamlet): The main settlement on the island and the administrative and cultural centre for the local Inuit community, containing services, shops and community facilities used by residents and visitors.
Best Time to Visit Igloolik Island #
Weather & Climate near Igloolik Island #
Igloolik Island's climate is classified as Tundra - Tundra climate with cold summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in February). Temperatures range from -35°C to 8°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.
January
January is freezing with highs of -27°C and lows of -34°C. Light rainfall.
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February
February is the coldest month with highs of -28°C and lows of -35°C. The driest month with just 8 mm.
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March
March is freezing with highs of -24°C and lows of -31°C. Light rainfall.
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April
April is freezing with highs of -15°C and lows of -23°C. Light rainfall.
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May
May is freezing with highs of -5°C and lows of -12°C. Light rainfall.
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June
June is cold with highs of 2°C and lows of -2°C. Light rainfall.
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July
July is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 1°C. Moderate rainfall (31 mm).
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August
August is cold with highs of 7°C and lows of 2°C. The wettest month with 43 mm of rain.
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September
September is cold with highs of 2°C and lows of -2°C. Light rainfall.
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October
October is freezing with highs of -5°C and lows of -10°C. Moderate rainfall (32 mm) and breezy conditions.
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November
November is freezing with highs of -15°C and lows of -22°C. Light rainfall.
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December
December is freezing with highs of -22°C and lows of -29°C. Light rainfall.