Summers on Baffin Island are marked by the return of the midnight sun, migrating birds, and a sparse blanket of hardy vegetation across the rocky terrain. As the winter ice recedes, a host of marine wildlife from narwhals to the long-lived bowhead whale linger along the floe edge before moving on to their summer territories. But nothing quite compares to the massive congregations of beluga whales swimming in shallow water estuaries with their newborn calves. Each year, thousands of belugas flock to Lancaster Sound just north of the island to form giant pods in one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet. During this time, the ocean fills with the symphony of friendly clicks, whistles, and other high-pitched vocalizations they use to communicate with each other, earning them the name “sea canaries.” #whale #beluga #nature #arctic #explore #gratitude