Ungava Bay

Ungava Bay, Nunavut, is a large, funnel-shaped bay that deeply indents the northern coast of Québec adjacent to Labrador. At its mouth, about 265 km wide, it opens into Hudson Strait. Leaf Basin at its southwestern extremity is noted for its high tidal range and its swift and dangerous tidal currents. Akpatok Island in the bay's northwestern sector is remarkable for its forbidding coastal cliffs and extensive marine-abrasion platform, composed mainly of limestone, and its spectacular suite of raised beaches. Ice covers Ungava Bay from November until June, and its near-freezing waters are home to seal and arctic char, which are hunted and fished by the local Inuit population. Polar bear and walrus migrate from Hudson Strait down the west coast on ice floes and may be seen in considerable numbers on Akpatok Island in the summer.