Bowman Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Bowman Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary on western Baffin Island
within part of the Great Plain of the Koukdjuak
in Northern Canada
's territory of Nunavut
. It is classified as Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) under the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
at 0 metre (0 ft) above sea level
, and its size is 1079 square kilometres (416.6 sq mi). It is north of the Foxe Peninsula
.
's 1928-31 Arctic expedition in this area, he located the Blue Goose
(C. c. caerulescens) nesting grounds on Bluegoose Plain by Bowman Bay. The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1957-01-01. It received national legal protection under the Wildlife Act of 2003.
The sanctuary protects marine and intertidal wildlife. Industrial activities and hunting are prohibited.
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
within part of the Great Plain of the Koukdjuak
Great Plain of the Koukdjuak
The Great Plain of the Koukdjuak is located in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut within the Canadian Arctic. It is the namesake of the Koukdjuak River in western Baffin Island on the southeastern coast of Foxe Basin. It stretches from Cory Bay to Hantzsch Bay, and then inland.-Geography:The plain is...
in Northern Canada
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
's territory of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
. It is classified as Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) under the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Geography
At 107,900 hectares in size, the sanctuary is located on the eastern shore of Foxe BasinFoxe Basin
Not to be confused with Fox Bay, Falkland IslandsFoxe Basin is a shallow oceanic basin north of Hudson Bay, in Nunavut, Canada, located between Baffin Island and the Melville Peninsula...
at 0 metre (0 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, and its size is 1079 square kilometres (416.6 sq mi). It is north of the Foxe Peninsula
Foxe Peninsula
Foxe Peninsula is a peninsula found at the southern end of Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It juts out from the southerly end of the island in a southwestly direction, dividing Foxe Basin and Hudson Strait. Its western extremity is Cape Queen; to the southeast lies the...
.
History and conservation
During J. Dewey SoperJ. Dewey Soper
Joseph Dewey Soper was a widely-traveled Canadian Arctic explorer, zoologist, ornithologist, and prolific author.-Early years:...
's 1928-31 Arctic expedition in this area, he located the Blue Goose
Snow Goose
The Snow Goose , also known as the Blue Goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The genus of this bird is disputed...
(C. c. caerulescens) nesting grounds on Bluegoose Plain by Bowman Bay. The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1957-01-01. It received national legal protection under the Wildlife Act of 2003.
The sanctuary protects marine and intertidal wildlife. Industrial activities and hunting are prohibited.