About
Name: Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus)
Length: 1.5 meters (height at shoulder)
Weight: 285 kg average
Location: Arctic
Conservation status: Least Concern
Diet: Grass, willows, lichens, moss
Appearance: Black, gray, brown, very rarely white
How do Musk Oxen forage?
Musk Oxen move to areas with thinner snow to conserve energy while digging for plants.
Are Musk Oxen social?
Musk Oxen herd together, with winter herds ranging from 12 to 24 members and summer herds from 8 to 20. They have separate hierarchies for males and females and mark trails with scent from pre-orbital glands. Dominant oxen get the best food and defend their status by roaring, pawing, and rushing. Males show dominance by kicking and mock-mounting lesser males. When threatened, they form a defensive circle with bulls on the outside.
How fast can Musk Oxen move?
Musk Oxen can run up to 60 km per hour.
What are Musk Oxen mating rituals like?
Females mature at 3 years, males at 5. Mating season starts in July, with males clashing until one wins and forms a harem of about 6 females. The dominant male herds the females, kicking them to calm them before mounting. Pregnant females become aggressive and lead the herd's grazing. Pregnancy lasts about 8.5 months, with calves born from April to June. Calves move with the herd within hours and are weaned after 2 months.
How long do Musk Oxen live?
Musk Oxen live up to 20 years in the wild.
How many Musk Oxen are there today?
Estimates range from 80,000 to 125,000.
Do Musk Oxen have any predators?
The main predator is the Arctic Wolf, responsible for up to half of Musk Oxen deaths due to predation. Grizzly bears and polar bears also attack, mainly targeting the young and elderly.
7 Magnificent Musk Oxen Facts
- Musk Oxen are named for the strong smell males emit during mating season.
- They have two layers of fur: outer "guard hairs" and inner "qiviut" that sheds in summer.
- The under-layer can be spun into wool, 8 times warmer than sheep's wool.
- Musk Oxen and Caribou are the only Arctic hooved mammals to survive the Pleistocene Era.
- They have an air pocket between their skull and brain to prevent brain damage during clashes.
- Musk Oxen were reintroduced to North America in the 1930s after becoming extinct in the late 1800s.
- They are more closely related to goats and sheep than to other animals.
Best Deals
East and South Greenland Explorer, Incl. flight from Narsarsuaq to Copenhagen
13 Aug - 02 Sep 2025$ 11.000
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
23 Aug - 05 Sep 2025$ 7.450
East Greenland, Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
30 Aug - 08 Sep 2025$ 5.650
South Greenland Explorer, Aurora Borealis, Incl. flight from Copenhagen to Narsarsuaq
02 Sep - 11 Sep 2025$ 5.150
East Greenland, Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
05 Sep - 14 Sep 2025$ 5.650
East Greenland - Scoresby Sund - Iceland, Aurora Borealis, Fly & Sail
01 Oct - 12 Oct 2025$ 5.900
Related Trips
Arctic
Longyearbyen
East and South Greenland Explorer, Incl. flight from Narsarsuaq to Copenhagen
13 Aug 2025 - 02 Sep 2025 
21 Days / 20 Nights
From $ 11.000 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
23 Aug 2025 - 05 Sep 2025 14 Days / 13 Nights
From $ 7.450 per person
Arctic
Akureyri
East Greenland, Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
30 Aug 2025 - 08 Sep 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.650 per person
Arctic
Narsarsuaq
South Greenland Explorer, Aurora Borealis, Incl. flight from Copenhagen to Narsarsuaq
02 Sep 2025 - 11 Sep 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.150 per person
Arctic
Akureyri
East Greenland, Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
05 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.650 per person
Arctic
Constable Pynt
East Greenland - Scoresby Sund - Iceland, Aurora Borealis, Fly & Sail
01 Oct 2025 - 12 Oct 2025 12 Days / 11 Nights
From $ 5.900 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Northeast Greenland Solar Eclipse Explorer Voyage
02 Aug 2026 - 15 Aug 2026 14 Days / 13 Nights
From $ 8.550 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Northeast Greenland Solar Eclipse Explorer Voyage
03 Aug 2026 - 16 Aug 2026 14 Days / 13 Nights
From $ 8.550 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland, Fly & Sail
12 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2026 20 Days / 19 Nights
From $ 9.350 per person
Arctic
Akureyri
Northeast Greenland Extreme
15 Aug 2026 - 28 Aug 2026 14 Days / 13 Nights
From $ 8.550 per person
Arctic
Akureyri
East Greenland, Scoresby Sund, Including Long Hikes
16 Aug 2026 - 25 Aug 2026 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.900 per person
Arctic
Akureyri
East & South Greenland Explorer – Aurora Borealis
25 Aug 2026 - 08 Sep 2026 15 Days / 14 Nights
From $ 8.350 per person
Blog
Blog
Harp seals harping on in Greenland
Harp seals are a moderately sized species, typically reaching about 1.6 meters in length and weighing around 130 kilograms. Both males and females are similar in size and weight, with males being only slightly larger. They possess a thick, robust body, a small broad and flat head, short narrow flippers, and a narrow muzzle.
Blog
The World Is Changing for Greenland's Native Inuit People
You may know them as Eskimos, but the people of the Arctic are officially called the Inuit. Historically, they were hunters in the truest sense. For hundreds of years, they survived the world’s harshest conditions, living off their prey of whales, seals, polar bears, musk oxen, birds, fish, and reindeer. This has always been their way of life.
Blog
Discover the Scoresby Sund Fjord System in East Greenland
Are you considering a trip to Greenland? One destination you absolutely must visit is the world's largest fjord with stunning landscapes: Scoresby Sund.
Blog
The Arctic Hare: Easter Bunny
Although the Arctic hare’s stern expression might make it seem like the least amused member of a serious tribunal, this polar animal is actually one of the most charming creatures on the planet – especially when Easter Sunday comes around.
Blog
How and When Did Greenland Become Covered in Ice?
Although it may be hard to believe, there was a time when Greenland was more green than icy. Today, those who embark on a Greenland expedition are greeted with views of the Greenland ice sheet and the marine life that thrives in this region, including seals and whales. Polar bears are also prominent in the northern and eastern parts of Greenland. These animals have adapted to their environment, but a few million years ago, the massive island would not have been as welcoming to them.
Blog
Not Eskimos: 10 Enlightening Facts About the Inuit
If you are planning to join an Arctic cruise, you might be intrigued by the Inuit culture. To help you gain a deeper understanding of these people, especially if you are considering a trip to Greenland, here are 10 fascinating facts about the Inuit that everyone should know.
Blog
Peaks, Fjords, and Auroras: 14 East Greenland Attractions
There really aren’t enough superlatives for East Greenland.
Blog
The Norse Settlement of Greenland
Erik the Red is a significant and vibrant figure in the history of the Norse Vikings. His story is primarily documented in the Icelandic Sagas Huaksbók (14th Century) and Skalhóltsbók (15th Century). These accounts offer slightly different versions of events that occurred 3-400 years earlier. The original saga of Erik the Red is believed to have been written around 1200 A.D., with the Skalhóltsbók version considered closest to the original. Additionally, Flateyjarbók (13th Century), which includes the Saga of the Greenlanders, is a crucial source for understanding the settlement of Greenland and the discovery of Vinland – North America.
Blog
Kayaking In Greenland
Think of Greenland and two images come to mind:
Blog
Scoresby Sund: the Greatest Greenland Adventure
In a land of expansive mountains, colossal glaciers, and majestic shorelines, few places are as expansive, colossal, or majestic as Scoresby Sund.
Blog
Six Seal Species You Might See On Your Greenland Cruise
If you spot a grand old whiskered man lounging in solitary splendor, there's a good chance you're looking at a bearded seal. Your Greenland cruise will take you to bays where these solitary fellows (except during breeding season) hunt for fish in the relatively shallow waters near the shores.
Blog
Traditional Lifestyles of the Inuit
The Inuit are an indigenous Arctic people who speak the languages of the Eskaleutian family and reside in four countries surrounding the North Pole: Greenland, Canada, the United States, and Russia.
Blog
The bowhead whale, whaling about the Arctic
The bowhead whale typically resides near pack ice, often in shallow waters. These whales are commonly found north of Europe, between Canada and Greenland, in the Hudson Bay area, the Okhotsk Sea, and the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. In these regions, they filter food through their large baleen plates. Bowheads are known to open their large mouths and graze along the surface, in the water column, or on the sea floor.
Blog
Under the Greenland Ice Sheet
Anyone who ventures to the right part of the globe can encounter vast amounts of ice, but a Greenland cruise offers something truly unique: ice sculptures hidden beneath the northern ice sheet. Scientists once thought these sculptures were rocky hills buried in ice, similar to the Ghost Mountains in Antarctica. However, it turns out that Mother Nature has crafted one of the most exclusive art exhibits in the world. These sculptures are not visible from the surface, but some scientists have managed to get a sneak peek using radar equipment.
Blog
Northeast Greenland National Park
Northeast Greenland National Park is the world’s largest national park and the ninth largest protected area on Earth. It should come as little surprise, then, that it’s also bigger than most countries, covering an impressive 972,000 square km (375,300 square miles).
Blog
Greenland: East vs. West
East and West Greenland offer vastly different experiences due to their unique climates, wildlife, habitation, and geology.
Blog
10 Traits of Post-Ice-Age Greenland
Grasses, sedges, and other species of heath were the first arrivals, and are still commonly found in Greenland. Scientists have been able to work out how plants colonised Greenland by examining ancient pollen samples found in deposits at the bottom of lakes: Dwarf birch came to western Greenland around 9,000 years ago, and around 4,500 years ago – roughly the same time humans were first boating onto Greenland shores – green alders were taking up residence there.
Blog
Ice streams and lakes under the Greenland Ice Sheet
The Greenland ice sheet is a dynamic mass of dense, flowing, and deforming ice. Snow deposited on the central parts of the ice sheet is gradually compressed into ice that slowly moves towards the ice margin. At the ice margin, the ice is removed by melting or by breaking off into icebergs.
Blog
Tracking Greenland’s Wildlife from Space
Despite Greenland’s harsh environment, life has found a way to thrive there. If you’re lucky enough to embark on a Greenland cruise, you stand the chance of encountering many species of cold-adapted mammals, birds, and fish.
Blog
Greenland: Where the Kayak Was Invented
If you've ever enjoyed kayaking, you owe a debt of gratitude to the ancient Greenlandic Inuit who originally designed them for hunting. The thrilling adventures people now have navigating some of the world's most challenging rapids wouldn't be possible without the Inuit's need for a nimble form of water transportation. While travelers still use kayaks in this region, they are typically not fishing, whaling, or sealing. Consequently, recreational kayaks have been adapted to fit their new role.