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Our planet's northernmost part is among the most unique of all of Earth's ecosystems. Despite its frigid, seemingly inhabitable conditions, life not only abounds, but flourishes there. Its nutrient-rich waters are capable of sustaining some of the largest creatures to ever walk the Earth, as well as some of the smallest.
Browse the gallery to check photos of the majestic animals that flourish in the Arctic.
Harp seal pups lie on an ice floe in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.
Reindeers graze near a Nenets settlement close to the remote village of Gornokniazevsk. The Yamal peninsula is located above the polar circle, some 2,000 km (1,242 miles) northeast of Moscow.
The Nenets are indigenous people in Russia's Arctic region, north of the Urals.
Even these mighty creatures can look tiny like ants when looked at from a different perspective!
This Arctic Fox looks like it’s skimming for potential prey on a hill at Omega Park, Quebec, Canada.
The seabirds hang out on an iceberg in Ilulissat, Greenland.
Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian-born American sled dog musher, was photographed with his huskies around 1920.
A polar bear keeps close to her young at the Beaufort Sea coast in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Siberian dogs before they’re harnessed to pull sleds across the Norwegian Arctic island of Spitsbergen.
Are these polar foxes playing or fighting in the Icelandic Thórsmörk mountains?
(Photo by Jonatan Pie)
This mighty family seems to be enjoying the sunshine over Svalbard, Norway.
Did you think the Canadian north under the aurora borealis couldn't get any more beautiful? Add a pack of sled dogs to the picture.
This baby sees something.
(Photo by Jonatan Pie)
Hunting is easier with a little help from your friends.
Life can be pretty good up in the Arctic.
(Photo by Jonatan Pie)
This Arctic rabbit sees something. Friend or foe?
(Photo by Andy Brunner)
These fur babies sure are enjoying the feel of snow in Spitsbergen, Norway.
(Photo by James Padolsey)
This Icelandic stud is hoping to get noticed for its modeling skills.
(Photo by Pascal Mauerhofer)
Did you know that the Arctic fox is only white in the winter? It morphs back to brown and gray in the warmer months.
These beautiful whales use complex musical calls to communicate underwater.
This bird is determined to find fish in the icy waters of the Iceland’s famous Jökulsárlón.
This powerful hunter is only about twice the size of a house cat.
This stud isn’t afraid to get comfortable on blue and white ice in Arctic Russia.
Because of their beautiful singing voice, these mammals are known as the canaries of the sea.
This wild one munches on the snow-free vegetation of Norway’s Spitsbergen island.
An Arctic hare must be attentive at all times, regardless of season.
Otter chilling in the fjords.
There’s no better place for a nap than on mama’s shoulder.
Polar bears aren’t the only bears that roam the big, vast Arctic grounds.
The horns of these magnificent animals are made of the same material as your fingernails.
These giants of the sea feed in polar waters in the winter before heading to warmer water to breed.
Killer whales take advantage of the nutrient-rich waters of the Arctic.
These powerful creatures can travel at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) when searching for food. Can you spot this one?
Could this predator have spotted its dinner in the Canadian tundra?
This bird seems to be enjoying the summer on Iceland’s Látrabjarg cliffs.
This majestic ox gets its name from the strong smell its males produce during the seasonal rut.
This Arctic elk is quite happy as it bathes in the cold Canadian waters.
Something in Finland’s taiga has caught this wolverine's attention.
The narwhal’s tusk is actually an elongated tooth!
The majestic animals that call the Arctic home
An insight into the Earth's northernmost region
LIFESTYLE Arctic
Our planet's northernmost part is among the most unique of all of Earth's ecosystems. Despite its frigid, seemingly inhabitable conditions, life not only abounds, but flourishes there. Its nutrient-rich waters are capable of sustaining some of the largest creatures to ever walk the Earth, as well as some of the smallest.
Browse the gallery to check photos of the majestic animals that flourish in the Arctic.