Alexander Fjord

Alexander Fjord

The Alexander Fjord is a natural inlet on Ellesmere Island's Johan Peninsula, in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut Province, Canada. It opens to Buchanan Bay to the east. The Alexander Fjord has a rich and colorful history, from the Paleo and Thulean cultures that populated the fjord from 2500 BC to 1500 AD, to the scientists who visit the fjord seasonally. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had a station at Alexander Fjord from 1953 to 1963, which was then the northernmost police station in the world. From 1987 to 1992 it was used seasonally as a scientific research base, and is now used again seasonally as a scientific research base. Most of the year, extreme isolation and harsh weather conditions prevail, but each summer, during the midnight sun, temperatures briefly moderate. As the snow melts from the rugged mountain peaks, the sea ice breaks up. The best-preserved artefacts and ruins from the Thule, Dorset and Viking cultures dot the shores. The islands and fjords are rich in wildlife. The fjord is home to Musk Oxen, walruses, Narwhals, Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears.