Introduced in 1920, the herd now numbers over 4,000 individuals. The Eskimos of the village of Mekoryuk, the only community on the island, own and manage the reindeer. More than 40 rivers combine to drain the upland. Isolated low mountains and buttes break the tundra. Vast seabird colonies nest on cliffs along the shoreline, and a large variety of migratory birds flock here in season.
Sea mammals frequent the coastal region.
Nunivak Island is probably best known for its herd of great shaggy musk oxen. While the Alaskan musk ox became extinct around 1865, these were introduced here from Greenland in 1935. The herd flourished, growing to more than 750 members, and some were shipped to other regions of Alaska. Each year, a lottery determines which hunters will get to shoot a few of the musk oxen, the chance of a lifetime for many. In 1980 the state transferred ownership of the herd to the Eskimos of the village of Mekoryuk, who subsist on musk ox and reindeer.