Join a professional ornithologist for an intimate, telescope-equipped survey of the Lower Savage Islands' teeming cliff colonies — thick-billed murres, black-legged kittiwakes, glaucous gulls and the elusive dovekie — in one of the densest seabird concentrations in Nunavut. A life-list defining morning.
What to expect
The session opens on a rocky platform at the base of a 40-metre quartzite cliff face where tens of thousands of murres pack every ledge in a cacophony of life. Your ornithologist sets up a Swarovski ATX spotting scope and guides you through identification of individual birds by plumage and behaviour, explaining the colony's social hierarchy and breeding ecology. A slow coastal traverse follows — on foot and Zodiac — to locate Arctic terns nesting on shingle spits and scan offshore for pomarine jaeger and northern fulmar. The session concludes with a personalised annotated species list emailed within 24 hours.
Good to know
Bring 8×42 or 10×42 binoculars if you own them; loaners available. Rubber-soled boots essential on coastal rock. Sessions depart mid-morning when seabird activity peaks — confirm precise timing against ship's all-aboard schedule, allowing a minimum 45-minute return buffer. Pre-booking strongly advised; contact Naturalist Journeys directly to customise for your cruise date.