Population: 800+

Coral Harbour is located on the southern shore of Southampton Island, on the northern rim of Hudson Bay. The Inuktitut name for the community is Salliq (“large, flat island in front of the mainland”). The English name refers to the fossilized coral originally formed when the local climate was much more tropical.

Fossil Creek Trail will take you 450 million years in the past, as you see and touch the remains of life in primordial Nunavut. Visit the park to learn about how the fossils were formed, and what scientists think the environment was like long ago.

For the archaeologically inclined, superb Thule sites are found at Native Point near Coral Harbour. This was the home of the Sallirmiut people, the last of the Thule tribes. This large archaeological site is often called The Lost City of the North.

Coral Harbour is one of the best places in Nunavut to see marine wildlife. The nearby Coats Island is a resting place for colonies of walrus. The area is thriving with caribou, polar bear, and walrus.

Both the East Bay and Harry Gibbons Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, home to over 50 species of birds, are a must for bird watchers. They are home to hundreds of thousands of snow geese, tundra swans, sandhill cranes and other species that migrate to the area in spring. Local outfitters offer boat tours to view the wildlife in the area.