Arctic Hare

Discover the Arctic Hare on Your Polar Adventure

Learn About the Fascinating Arctic Hare and Where to Spot Them


What you need to know about the Arctic Hare

Our Expert Says… "There's more to the Arctic Hare than meets the eye. The first thing that surprises most people is that they can run at more than 40 mph when they need to. The next surprise is that they can swim! Finally, they will often stand up on their long hind legs to get a better view, but can also hop along like this at great speed. An amazing sight!"

The Arctic hare is an iconic species that specializes in living in the icy conditions of the Arctic tundra. Found in Greenland, Northern Canada, and the Canadian Arctic islands, the Arctic Hare is one of the largest hare species in the world.

Growing up to 70cm (28”) long and weighing as much as 7kg (15lb), the Arctic Hare is a substantial animal that relies hugely on willow, which makes up as much as 95% of its diet. Because of the scarcity of unfrozen freshwater in their habitats for much of the year, Arctic hares will eat snow as their source of hydration.

The southernmost populations of the Arctic hare on Newfoundland and Labrador will molt twice a year to maintain camouflage - white fur in the winter, and a mid-brown in the summer. However, the populations that live further north stay white all year round given the short period of summer that is snow and ice-free at higher latitudes.

Arctic hares are prey for Arctic wolves, arctic foxes, gyrfalcons, snowy owls, and other carnivores. To help it survive the cold conditions, the arctic hare’s bodyweight is 20% fat, making it a “high value” prey. Despite its bulk, it is a fast runner. Arctic hares have been clocked traveling at almost 40mph when avoiding predators.

The Mountain Hare of the Eurasian Arctic is very similar. But it is not found on Svalbard.

Interesting facts about Arctic Hare

Curious Arctic Hares will stand up on their hind legs and even jump along in this pose.

Pictures of Arctic Hare

Arctic Hare

Highlights where the Arctic Hare can be seen

Arctic Beauty - Svalbard - Woodfjorden
Arctic Bay

On Admiralty Inlet on the very northwest side of Baffin Island.

Named after the whaling ship, the Arctic, in 1872, it is the site of quite a large community (mainly Inuktitut) called Ikpiarjuk, and a popular location to visit for expedition cruise ships. There is a museum and Ikpiarjuk a good place to learn about the culture. The area is great to ship cruise and explore for wildlife.

Narwhal
Bellot Strait

Narrow strait separating Somerset Island to the north from Murchison Promontory of Boothia Peninsula to the south, the northernmost part of mainland America.

The 2km (1.2 mi) wide and 25 km (16 mi) strait connects the Gulf of Boothia, Prince Regent Inlet, and Brentford Bay to the east with Peel Sound and Franklin Strait to the west. It became a strait on ‘one’ of the NW passage routes. On a map of the Canadian Arctic, unless you look in detail, it is easy to assume the Boothia Peninsula and Somerset Island is one peninsula. In many ways, with Bellot Strait locked in ice much of the year, it is like the peninsula. Since it is so narrow, it can be a place to look for Narwhal, and, along the shore, Polar Bear, or even wolf.

Greenland
Blomsterbukta

‘Flower Bay’, a great walk along a gulley to a lake at Blomsterbogten and to explore the tundra for flowers and wildlife, plus a hunter’s cabin. Part of the King Oscar Fjord system it is often combined with a visit to Ella Island in the same day.

Icebergs at Cape York,Greenland
Cape York

In northwest Greenland in Melville Bay, the ice sheet comes right down to the coast, separating the very northwest part of Greenland from the rest of western Greenland.

Cape York is one of the first locations on this northwest coast that has tundra and lakes to explore. The mountains and icebergs match this remote location that, in many ways, has far more of a link with the Canadian Arctic, rather than Greenland.

It is one of the most important locations in NW Greenland for breeding seabirds and it can be good for marine mammals. Including traditional hunting ground, whalers and explorers have also visited the area, and the family of Admiral Robert Peary's family placed a monument in honour of his explorations on the cape.

Nice area to explore the tundra and enjoy the magnificent views.

croker bay
Croker Bay

One of the deeper inlets into Devon Island, on the southeast side, but further west from Dundas Harbour. Great ship cruising with icebergs and the flat-topped mountain geology of this part of Devon Island.

Greenland
Daneborg and Clavering Island

Daneborg, on the south coast of Wollaston Foreland peninsula, is the location of the Danish Sirius Patrol that patrols NE Greenland and the vast national park.

Cruise ships check in here coming in from Svalbard then explore nearby fjords, making sure sea ice coming south in the East Greenland current does block off the entrances to the fjord systems. Some of this sea ice can include multi year ice that has drifted south from the Arctic Ocean, in complete contrast to the warming influence of the Gulf stream on the west coast of Svalbard, not that far to the east.

Across Young Fjord is Clavering Island, were Clavering and his crew of the Griper encountered a band of twelve Inuit in August 1823. Later explorers to the region found no evidence of inhabitants in NE Greenland. There are the remains of Inuit settlements and it appears, when the the first European explorers turned up, the small population was already dying out or moving on. Possibly the combination of cold conditions at the time, and trying to survive in one of the harshest areas on the plane, even for the Innuit - NE Greenland. There was also a weather station on the island.

Greenland
Ella Island

Located at the mouth of Kempe Fjord in the northern end of King Oscar Fjord. With the larger islands to the east such as Geographical Society Island.

It is in the middle of the King Oscar Fjord and Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord ‘complex’ that matches Scoresbysund to the south. It is a great area to explore with stunning scenery, often the first Greenland landscape that many cruise ships experience that have come across from Svalbard, and you may even find wolf tracks on walks ashore. But expeditions tend to spend more time in Scoresbysund since the entrance to this fjord system can be blocked off by sea-ice drifting south in the cold southern flowing East Greenland current.

pause for reflection
Etah

At the very northern end of Baffin Bay and the very northwest of Greenland, Etah looks across the Nares Strait to Ellesmere Island, the area usually frozen from October to July.

The area was the crossing point to Greenland for cultures 4,400 and 2,700 years ago, the Thule culture migrants less than a thousand years ago, and the point of the last migration of the Inuit from Baffin Island reached the coast of Greenland in 1865 Etah was also a starting point for various expeditions attempting to get to the North Pole.

Today the channel, when frozen, continues to be a crossing point for wildlife from Canada to Greenland, even Wolverine get across. Etah used to be the most-northerly populated settlement in the world, but it was abandoned (Inuit moving south to Pituffik) due to the harsh conditions.

Hekla Havn
Føhnfjord

Sheer sided fjord on the south side of Milneland. Great ship cruising, often as part of the circumnavigation of Milneland.

Denmarkøya, on the south-east side of Milne Island, is the location of a group of small islands with landing potential at the end of Føhnfjord, at a position between the deeper fjord systems and the open ‘bay’ of Scoresbysund. The popular landing here is Hekla Havn, named after the expedition ship used by Carl Ryder when the expedition explored NE Greenland from 1891 to 92. As well as the hut remains from the expedition, there are older Innuit remains, as well as good tundra walks, wildlife, and some great geology.

Ilulissat
Ilulissat & Disko Bay

One of the key highlights in Greenland with the chance to witness Ilulissat Kangerlua, one of the most active glaciers in the World. Either overlooking the iceberg choked fjord from a viewpoint on a short walk from town, or Zodiac cruising the outer fjord past a ‘wall’ of huge icebergs jumbled together. The walks across the tundra to the viewpoint can be a chance to see various Arctic birds whilst there is the chance to experience of life in town and the busy fishing port. There is also the chance of whale watching in Disko Bay.

Kangerlussuaq Airport
Kangerlussuaq

North of the Arctic Circle and deep in the long Kangerlussuaq fjord, it was the site of a WWII airport, then for refuelling for trans-continental flights.

The airport and the fjord are used as pick-up and drop off for cruise ships exploring the remoter parts of west Greenland. There are few roads in Greenland, but a 25 km dirt road connects the town with the mighty ice cap. Nowhere else is there easier access to the Greenland ice cap. Area also good for caribou, Musk Ox (actually introduced to this part of Greenland), and to look out for White-tailed Eagles.

Uummannaq
Karrat Fjord and Upernavik

Karrat Fjord, towards the north end of the Uummannaq Bay system, is a great fjord to explore with icebergs, rugged mountains, blue fjords, with the chance to walk on the tundra and look for wildlife. Various species can be seen but others can be elusive due to the proximity of Upernavik.

Upernavik, on the island of the same name, is a very pretty town on the slopes of the island, surrounded by magnificent scenery, at the entrance to the local fjord systems. As well as the colourful houses there is the most northerly 'open air' museum in the World. It also boasts to have the World's largest bird cliffs nearby.

There are a a few settlements further north before the ice sheet comes right down to the coast in Melville Bay between western Greenland and the very NW tip and Thule.

Nuuk
Nuuk

Greenland’s largest city and capital that is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, at the mouth of an extensive fjord system. Great to explore the city and the surrounding tundra and fjords, with lovely sunset views from Myggedalen.

Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
Pond Inlet & Mittimatalik

Located in the very northeast of Baffin Island, facing across to Bylot Island. There is the Inuit community and it is also a popular location and base for wildlife tours, including looking for Narwhal along the ice edge before it retreats.

Looking west towards the island
Prince Leopold Island

This island is in a key location in Lancaster Sound at the junction of Prince Regent Inlet and Barrow Strait, off the northwest coast of Somerset Island. It has some really impressive and steep seabird cliffs that is one of the most important sites in the Canadian Arctic and a bird sanctuary.

Also good area to look for marine mammals and other Arctic wildlife.

Sermiligaaq
Sermiligaaq

On south-east coast just below the Arctic circle, a small and pretty fishing village on a peninsula in Sermilik Fjord.

In Kalaallisut it means "Beautiful glacier fjord” and includes the vast Knud Rasmussen Glacier and the Kârale Glacier. Due west from Iceland, it can be a popular first landing and cruise and to explore for Greenland wildlife, some of which can be more elusive further south, and, if you are very lucky, a Polar Bear, that are scarcer to the south.

Uummannaq
Uummannaq

Town on small island of the same name with a prominent peak at the entrance of Uummannaq Fjord.

Photogenic location for the town, the largest north of Ilulissat, with a museum and the chance to experience a Greenland community. The fjords great for the scenery and icebergs and whale watching. In the region is Qilakitsaq, where there is a site with Innuit burial remains.

Our trips to spot the Arctic Hare