Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
Located well above the Arctic Circle, the site includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (7,608 km2), Herald Island (11 km2)
and surrounding waters. Wrangel was not glaciated during the Quaternary
Ice Age, resulting in exceptionally high levels of biodiversity for
this region. The island boasts the world’s largest population of Pacific
walrus and the highest density of ancestral polar bear dens. It is a
major feeding ground for the grey whale migrating from Mexico and the
northernmost nesting ground for 100 migratory bird species, many
endangered. Currently, 417 species and subspecies of vascular plants
have been identified on the island, double that of any other Arctic
tundra territory of comparable size and more than any other Arctic
island. Some species are derivative of widespread continental forms,
others are the result of recent hybridization, and 23 are endemic.
