Whale Cove
Photo: Miranda Charles
Overview
Located in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Whale Cove is a community of about 470 people (2021 census) that sits north of Arviat and south of Rankin Inlet.
The hamlet is part of the Central Standard time zone along with Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Getting to Whale Cove from southern Canada involves a 2.5-hour flight from Winnipeg to Rankin Inlet and then a 30-minute flight from Rankin Inlet to Whale Cove.
Photo: Stephanie Richard
Highlights
The way of life in Whale Cove (also known as Tikirarjuaq) is proudly traditional – a mixture of three distinct Inuit dialects and cultures originating from inland and coastal traditional. The English name for this sheltered cove and its community comes from the great abundance of beluga whales that congregate here. The hamlet is also on the seasonal polar bear migration route, making it a popular place for arctic travellers to visit.
The area is an excellent place for fishing. Each spring there is an annual fishing derby for the biggest lake trout. In the summer, Whale Cove stages traditional Inuit games and holds contests such as tea and bannock making, inuksuk building and rabbit hunting.
Photo: Kelly Holben
Whale Cove maintains its traditional Inuit culture and lifestyle. Walk around town and you can see people wearing handmade traditional clothing, carving bone, antler or soapstone, and sewing clothing from animal hides. Local arts and crafts are sold at the town co-op store.
Photo: Stephanie Richard
Like many Nunavut communities today, Whale Cove relies heavily on subsistence hunting and fishing. Seal, walrus and beluga meats are main foods, as well as lake trout and arctic char, augmented by seasonal caribou and polar bear hunting. Added to this traditional diet of arctic fishes and mammals, highly nutritious wild berries are harvested in the summertime.
Weather and landscape
Situated near the 61st parallel, Whale Cove has a cold tundra climate. The shortest days have four hours of sunshine; the sea breaks up in June when the sun shines 20 hours a day.
Average temperatures in Whale Cove hover around -31 degrees in January and February. Snow starts to accumulate in October. With many windy days, huge snowdrifts are common. The summer months of July and August have average temperatures of around 8-9 degrees.
Whale Cove is located on the west coast of Hudson Bay. It is situated among rolling hills, tundra valleys and wild coastal beaches, with many crystal-clean lakes and rivers.
Photo: Miranda Charles