Incredible Arctic Ocean Animals

In the Water

The sea angel is a pelagic sea slug that can be found on the surface of the water to a depth that is greater than 500 meters. These snails flap their delicate “wings” to get around in the water at a speed of up to 100 mm/s. Sea angels are tiny, and adults feed on their relatives, the sea butterflies. The sea angel then grasps the prey with its chitinous hooks and extracts the body of the sea butterfly out of its shell and swallows it whole.

The Arctic comb jelly is an unusual ctenophore. It prefers the colder waters of the Arctic and nearby polar seas. These are found mostly in surface water and down to 50 meters. The translucent creatures come in all colors of the rainbow, caused by the light reflection off the eight rows of moving cilia in the comb ridges on their bodies.

Beluga whales are adapted to the Arctic. They have a protuberance at the front of their head, which houses an organ (called a melon) involved in communication and echolocation. Many belugas migrate as the sea freezes over in the Arctic. They return to feed again in the spring, as the ice breaks up. They are seen near river mouths but may venture upriver. The animals feed on a variety of fish species, such as herring and salmon, as well as mollusks and crabs.

Brittle stars are seafloor-dwelling organisms that resemble a slender version of starfish. They play an important role in the Arctic food web, reshaping the seafloor sediment surface and influencing the distribution of other bottom-dwelling species. Moreover, they provide nutrition to fish and sea stars. Their five arms extend from a central disk, and each arm branches off into multiple smaller subdivisions.

Bowhead whales are the only baleen whales endemic to the Arctic and subarctic region. They have massive, thick triangular skulls, which allow them to break through thick ice. They are known to accumulate scars on their bodies.

Kaleidoscope jellyfish are tiny creatures thriving in cold waters, growing to about 2 centimeters tall, with the stalk accounting for half their size. The remainder of their bodies are shaped like funnels with color varying from gray/green to red/brown. Kaleidoscope jellyfish have eight arms radiating from the central mouth, and each arm ends in clusters of up to 100 tentacles. These jellyfish have adhesive discs with which they can attach themselves to various species of seaweed. They live on brittle stars, snails, and crustaceans, and once these organisms have been consumed, the jellyfish expels the shells from its mouth.

Narwhals are described as the unicorns of the sea. They are medium-sized toothed whales that travel in groups, feeding on fish, squid, shrimp, and other marine creatures. A narwhal's upper left canine tooth is the tusk.

Shortthorn sculpin are a species of sculpin found among seaweed or on rocky bottoms at depths of up to 450 meters. They have a squat appearance with large spiny heads.

Skeleton shrimp are the strangest creatures with the basic characteristics of amphipods.

These shrimp are found not only in the Atlantic Ocean but also in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. They usually live near the coast and eat whatever they can get. Allegedly, they freeze and wait for prey (worms, crustacean larvae, and protists) to come along, which they then ambush.

On the Land

Arctic foxes are small, elegant animals that survive with cunning. In the winter their fur turns white, camouflaging them against the bright, white snow. In the summer, arctic foxes are shades of brown and gray. They have an exceptional thermal system: their tiny, fur-covered paws with which they tread on ice and a metabolism that adjusts with the seasons. These foxes have sharp hearing and can detect faint movements of lemmings tunneling under snow. They leap high and dive nose-first into snowdrifts, emerging with their prey.

Arctic wolves have fur as pale as the snow. These wolves are the northernmost subspecies of gray wolves. They are able to endure year-round in the harshest climates on Earth. Arctic wolves live in tight-knit packs. Together, they hunt musk oxen, Arctic hares, and caribou.

Caribou are amazing deer that undertake one of the longest migrations on Earth. They travel up to 3,000 miles each year across the Arctic tundra, moving with the seasons looking for fresh vegetation. Caribou are adaptable to their environment with wide, concave hooves that act like snowshoes. Through long winter nights herds cluster together for warmth.

Musk oxen are huge, shaggy creatures. They have thick, two-layered coats for insulation. The outer layer, long and coarse, repels snow and wind, while the inner layer—called qiviut—is one of the warmest natural fibers on Earth, eight times warmer than wool. When danger threatens, musk oxen form a defensive circle around their young, horns outward, presenting a united wall of strength. They graze on tundra grasses, lichens, and moss and use their hooves to dig through snow for buried vegetation.

Polar bears are giants at over 10 feet tall standing on hind legs and weigh in at up to 1,600 pounds. They are animals adapted to the ice world. Beneath their white fur is black skin that absorbs and retains warmth from the sun. These bears have thick layers of fat to insulate them. They are predators of the North, hunting mostly seals. They face the threat of ice melting earlier and forming later each year.

Puffins are known as “clowns of the sea.” (pictured above) They have colorful beaks and a funny waddle. These animals are expert divers, using their wings like flippers to dive underwater for fish. They gather on coastal cliffs and spend most of their lives at sea, returning to land to breed.

As summer ends, puffins vanish into the mist, heading out to sea for months of solitude. Their bright colors fade in winter, replaced by a sober gray.

Ribbon seals are native to the Arctic region, spending most of their lives in cold waters. They are recognizable by their black skin and white markings. Ribbon seals are carnivores, specifically piscivores, feeding exclusively on aquatic fish and invertebrates.

Snowy owls have white plumage and golden eyes. They inhabit the tundra with their feathers providing insulation and soundless flight, so they can swoop down on prey undetected. Snowy owls feed on lemmings and small rodents. They are diurnal, hunting through the endless daylight of summers in the Arctic.

Walruses are huge creatures weighing up to 3,000 pounds. They have tusks that they use to haul their bulk onto ice and break through breathing holes. These giants are social animals and gather in large herds. They communicate through bellows, grunts, and claps of their flippers. Despite their size, they are graceful swimmers, capable of diving over 100 meters in search of clams and shellfish. With their whiskers, walruses detect movement and texture on the ocean floor to find buried prey. Ice is their platform for resting, breeding, and nurturing calves.