Pond Inlet information and photos

9 and 17 June 2014 

Pond Inlet is located in Nunavut along the northern coast of Baffin Island, between the 72th and the 73th parallel, and is home to just over a thousand inhabitants, mostly Inuit. Pond Inlet is an ideal base for exploring this beautiful Arctic region, which offers a variety of trips in all seasons and for all tastes, thanks to a unique nature, exciting wildlife and landscapes dominated by the spectacular mountains, glaciers, sea ice and icebergs. On this page you will find pictures and information about Pond Inlet, useful if you would like to know more about this remote place.

First Air ATR42-300C
How to arrive in Pond Inlet? As it happens with most flights in the Arctic to the remote communities of the far north, the adventure begins when you climb on the plane, because of the extreme environment where the flights are operated and for the beautiful landscape that can be seen from the air. At the date of this trip review (June 2014), Pond Inlet has a couple of daily flights from Iqaluit via Clyde River, with possible same day connections (both directions) for Ottawa, Montreal, Kuujjuaq, Rankin Inlet and Yellowknife, with more destinations added seasonally. The flight from Iqaluit to Pond Inlet is operated by First Air using an ATR-42 Combi (cargo + passengers) and by Canadian North using a Dash 8. In this photo, a First Air's ATR42-300C parked at Clyde River on the way from Iqaluit to Pond Inlet.
Clyde River airport Clyde River runway
Photos of Clyde River airport. On the left pictures, the main airport building. On the right picture, the airport apron. The planes that connect Iqaluit to Pond Inlet makes a stop of about 40 minutes in Clyde River, where passengers can stretch their legs and start breathing some real polar air. Apron, taxiways and runways are unpaved, since any concrete or asphalt may cause the underlaying permafrost to thaw, therefore creating bumps and very irregular surfaces. Aeroplanes landing here are equipped to operate on gravel / snow covered runways, and dusty environments.
Glacier
Flying over the Arctic with the nice weather is always exciting. In this photo, a glacier seems to run like whipped cream from a giant cake.
Landing in Pond Inlet
Pond Inlet from air

The approach to Pond Inlet from above shows a small Arctic community that sits on the banks of a sea channel still completely frozen, although all the snow has already melted on the mainland.
Pond Inlet airport Dash-8 Canadian North
Pond Inlet air terminal


Photos of Pond Inlet airport. Nearly four hours after leaving Iqaluit, First Air's ATR42 finally lands in Pond Inlet. In these photos, the terminal buildings and the airport apron, with turboprop aeroplanes parked.
Stop signal
The airport is a five minute walk from the village and during the walk to get to the hotel, I see the unusual road signs written in Inuktitut language.
Hotel Sauniq
Where to stay in Pond Inlet? The Hotel Sauniq, a few minutes walk from Pond Inlet airport and from town's center, offers very good standard and is ideal for an hot shower before or after a long expedition in the wilderness.
Pond Inlet
Mittimatalik Nunavut
Arctic community



After a quick dinner and a briefing with fellow travellers in relation to the great adventure that awaits us in the following days, I take a nice walk through the streets of Pond Inlet, under the warm sunlight at night. These photos of Pond Inlet were taken between 11pm and midnight.
Water transportation in the Arctic
As seen in Iqaluit, the community of Pond Inlet does not have an aqueduct because of the difficulties created by the polar climate and permafrost. Thus, every house has outside insulated & heated tanks filled by the "water truck" each time a red light, indicating low level, comes on.
Pond Inlet Pond Inlet Nunavut
Pond Inlet photos. The spring in the Arctic creates spectacular scenery, where the midnight sun illuminates sea ice, which contrasts with the tundra now free from snow.
Bylot Island is located 20 kilometers north of Pond Inlet and has a beautiful mountain range still partially snow covered.
Arctic town


The tour in Pond Inlet continues through the streets offering a beautiful view over Eclipse channel, still completely ice covered in June and illuminated by the midnight sun.
Arctic beach
I certainly don't miss a walk on the beach.
A beach in Pond Inlet, where a large iceberg trapped in the sea ice is the backdrop for boats and snowmobiles.
Midnight sun
A photo of Pond Inlet taken around midnight.
Sea ice Frozen sea
Eclipse sound


Only 8 days after my first pictures of Pond Inlet, the landscape has dramatically changed, since much of the snow that covered the ice has melted, while large cracks begin to appear in the ice. Normally, the ice breaks into large floes during the last week of June.
Inuit

° ° °

° ° °

Back to: OTHER TRIPS

Expedition to Baffin Island

Contact | About us | Privacy and use of cookies


This site is copyright protected, please contact the author before using any part.