Inhabited by the Porcupine caribou herd, as well as musk oxen, wolves, eagles, and birds of prey, the region shares the qualities that make the Arctic so National Wildlife Refuge so special. The Firth has the only Class IV-V whitewater on the north side of the Brooks Range. Like the Arctic Refuge, the Northern Yukon exhibits a variety of sub-arctic and arctic ecosystems. A warm microclimate allows the spruce forest to extend farther north than anywhere else in the Brooks Range.
A national park since 1984, the region is fully protected from the prospect of oil or gas development. Wildlife roams unimpeded here with a diversity unrivalled elsewhere in Canada. Dall sheep, moose, muskoxen, grizzly bears, wolves and wolverines, as well as a wide variety of bird species all make their homes in this arctic habitat.
The park has been recognized by Parks Canada as "an area of spectacular scenery and exceptional ecological significance." The Porcupine caribou herd moves through the area to and from calving grounds on the coastal plain. After calving, the herd congregates into huge herds, and the animals move westward or eastward, according to whim, crossing the Firth River. The post-calving migration is one of the world's great spectacles. Participants on the Firth, Kongakut, Hulahula, Jago, Aichilik and Canning river expeditions occasionally have the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time to experience the great migration. In any case, the landscape is spectacular, with wildflowers carpeting the tundra and mountainsides. The area surrounding the Firth is a land of contrasts - forest and tundra, craggy peaks and alpine meadows, wild coastline and ice-filled seas. At this time of year much of the vegetation is in bloom and wild flowers carpet the tundra and hillsides.
The trip begins in Inuvik, NWT. We fly by Twin Otter and smaller bush plane to the upper Firth, inside Canada. In the long sunlit days of our northern summer we will travel and explore by raft. We float north through mountains and rolling hills. A 25-mile-long canyon offers exciting whitewater.
We cross the coastal plain to a lagoon protected by a narrow islands and a spit. From the edge of the Beaufort Sea. From here, we are flown to Pauline Cove on Herschel Island. We'll explore the old whaling station on Herschel Island, and appreciate the botanic variety on this island in the Beaufort Sea. Seabirds, seals, and the occasional Bowhead whale may be seen. Herschel Island is the YukonŐs first Territorial Park and the only offshore island. Known for its abundant wildflowers and wildlife, Herschel harbors nearly eighty species of birds.
Pauline Cove protects 19th century buildings where American whalers spent winters between whaling seasons. Many of the heritage buildings have been restored. Humans have used the island for at least ten thousand years.
