About the Port
Rising from the cold waters of Ungava Bay in Nunavik, northern Quebec, Akpatok Island is an uninhabited landmass known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, some reaching well over a hundred meters above the sea. The island has no permanent settlement, and its remoteness has long made it a place of scientific interest rather than everyday travel, visited historically by Inuit hunters for its rich wildlife.
The cliffs shelter one of the region's largest colonies of thick-billed murres, while polar bears are known to den along the island's slopes, making sightings possible for the attentive observer. Landings, when weather allows, are made by small expedition craft rather than any fixed pier, underscoring the island's raw, untouched character. Akpatok offers a rare glimpse of Arctic wilderness where geology and wildlife, not human settlement, define the landscape.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Akpatok Island.
Scan the Seabird Cliffs
Scout the towering limestone ledges for one of the Arctic's largest thick-billed murre colonies, best viewed from a Zodiac cruising slowly along the base of the cliffs.
Watch for Denning Polar Bears
Keep binoculars trained on the island's slopes and cliff bases, where polar bears are known to den; patient, attentive observers stand the best chance of a sighting.
Take a Zodiac Landing
Weather permitting, go ashore by small expedition craft onto Akpatok's untouched shoreline, a rare chance to set foot on Arctic terrain with no pier, dock, or settlement in sight.