Minarets Island

The Minarets on the eastern shore of Baffin Island (61.830°N x 66.950°W), is now called Akpait andis a National Wildlife Area. It is one of Canada’s largest Thick-billed Murre colonies, estimated at 133 000 pairs, or about 10% of the Canadian population in 1985.

The site also supports Northern Fulmars (~20 000 breeding sites) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (~1200 nests). Glaucous Gulls and Black Guillemots also breed here. Inuit traditional knowledge, and a collection of one individual during research in the early 2000s, shows that Atlantic Puffins occur at Akpait. This marine region is used by seabirds from mid-April through October, and is also important for many marine mammals.

Deployment of GLS loggers on Brünnich’s guillemots on Minarets took place pre-SEATRACK but shared with SEATRACK subsequently.