Akpatok Island

Description

This is Akpatok Island, in Ungava Bay in northern Quebec, Canada. The island lies at the same latitude at Scotland’s Shetland Islands (see E680/196), but has much harsher winters, being covered in snow and ice and surrounded by sea ice. Accessible only by air, the island is surrounded by sheer cliffs hundreds of metres high. It is an important sanctuary for cliff-nesting seabirds. Walrus and whales in the area make Akpatok a traditional hunting ground for the native Inuit people. The area shown in this image is around 60 kilometres wide. The image data includes infrared wavelengths, and was obtained on 22 January 2001, by the Landsat 7 satellite. (Photo by Science Photo Library Archive)