by Steve Selden | Jan 26, 2011 | Tour News
Two years ago in November, during polar bear season, Churchill was the center of the universe for something other than polar bear viewing.The spirit of the Olympics.
Sure, there’s the grain port ..an Arctic inland seaport that is supposed to become the premier link for grain export from Canada to the rest of the world. And of course the thousands of beluga whales in Summer are unmatched when it comes to a wildlife experience. And, in November we all know what takes center stage. But these are things or experiences that are Churchill and will forever be Churchill….let’s hope anyway. What came to Churchill that November day was something so real in spirit but quite possibly unattainable in reality.
Photo: Steve Selden
On November 8, 2009 the Olympic games ceremonial torch appeared out of the snowy, frigid air on Kelsey Boulevard. One could feel the anticipation in the air as we all waited for the delayed torch to appear from the airport and into town. Once arrived, it was ushered around Churchill and down behind the town complex where the bearer boarded a tundra rover and gazed out over the Hudson bay. Snow and cold made that morning all the more memorable though the real memory will be the feeling that came with the torch to this tiny frontier town on the Hudson bay.
Photo: Steve Selden
Innocence and purity are words that come to mind when I think of that day as I fervently followed the torch from place to place snapping photo’s with freezing fingers. I had been to the Winter Olympics of 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah and will never forget the feeling of world unity through competition. The indescribable feeling that we are one people can be felt at the Olympic games for that far too short period of two weeks. You become isolated in a bubble of hope and belief that there is possibly a solution to countries fighting over land and ideals that does not end in war. It’s euphoric and hopeful.
I felt that again..even more-so, in the town I had spent a good amount of my life in over the past ten years- most likely because Churchill to a large extent is innocent and removed from the worldly pain that takes place each day. It is surely removed geographically …if the predominant gales were from the South instead of North, the town itself would slide across the frozen tundra and disappear into the steely Hudson Bay. Not to say they don’t have their human turmoil like every place; but comparably Churchill is a safe haven for the most part. The torch, on that November day, became one with the town and the hope of peace and freedom in the world. It’s a feeling I cannot explain to you in adequate words ..though you would know it if you felt it. It’s the embodiment of the Olympic spirit and the hope it holds for mankind and future generations to settle disputes peacefully.
Photo: Steve Selden
by Steve Selden | Jan 21, 2011 | Tour News
Polar bears are out on the ice in the Hudson Bay hunting seals. At least in the Western Hudson Bay. The Eastern coast and extending out some distance has been lacking in ice as a result of weather patterns, currents and an unusually late freeze-up in the bay overall. As a result bear population on the Western half is more saturated.
Photo: Steve Selden
The weather is settling back into normal, frigid Winter conditions as mentioned in my last post. Despite some Churchillians claim that this winter has been “warm”..yes warm, the temperatures are currently in the -30C range almost daily. The outlook for the next week or so is for the mercury to drop close to -50C with winds of 60 kilometers …more like the mean for January in the North. With extended cold such as this, the Eastern Hudson Bay should play catch -up fairly quickly. Seal populations should remain steady as they will still have ample birthing platform available to the West. This condensed area could be opportunity for polar bears to have a solid Winter of energy storage. Should be interesting to observe their weights this Summer.
Photo: Steve Selden
With the good also comes..well…the not so good. Unless your an Inuit hunter holding a polar bear tag this Winter. Hunting around Baffin Island and the Davis Straits has commenced with quotas increased this year. Limits on takes have increased from 16 males and seven females to 32 males and nine females. The Inuit contend that unused tags from previous years are being totaled for this year’s limit rather than an increase in quota overall. I’ll dig up more information on this and keep you all informed in future posts. It will be interesting to see how ice conditions factor into this year’s hunt as well.
CBC News Story On Iqaluit Polar Pear Quota Increase
by Steve Selden | Jan 12, 2011 | Tour News
Winter has settled in to a more predictable pattern in Churchill these days with temperatures consistently in the -25C range. Snow has been falling for the last day or so though the outlook for the rest of the week is clear and cold. Ice coverage in the Hudson Bay is catching up quickly to the mean for this time of year and polar bears are surely happy with that fact. Occasional spectacular Aurora Borealis (Northern lights) displays have been making their appearance…as the “high” season for viewing this amazing phenomena, approaches. Soon brave travelers from across the world will be coming to Churchill in February to take it all in. I’ll keep you updated on the action in the sky as well as daytime activities on the snowy tundra.
Photo: Colby Brokvist
Continuing with our recap of this past polar bear season in photo’s, here are a few more images to remember it by. These were some beautiful shots captured by people close to the bears. They tell the story of some trends we saw throughout a weird, unique season.
Photo: Paul Brown
In a season when ice coverage in the bay was at least two weeks behind the norm in the month of November, numerous seal kills were documented with polar bears feeding on the carcasses. For some bears this pre-season sustenance can be the bridge to survival. Are the bears adjusting to shorter ice seasons with keener hunting techniques or are more seals being pushed on land due to the lack of early ice formation?
Photo: Paul Brown
Sparring was a featured occurrence for travelers virtually every day once the season was in full gear. Male bears were overall regarded in healthy shape and willing to exert their precious energy while waiting on the tardy ice to form. Even females were observed roughing it up as agitation in a crowded Churchill Wildlife Management Area escalated.
More sows with cub(s) were reported than in past years. Not sure if this signifies anything or not but it did make for a widely diverse behavioral stage on the tundra. There was also more aggressive action by male bears toward the mom’s with cubs….only natural.
by Steve Selden | Jan 4, 2011 | Tour News
The new year has started with much colder temperatures and light snow from time to time. Currently the temperature range has been in the -15C to -20C range with the wind chill approaching -30C. Sunrise is just past 9am and sunset just after 3:30pm in the afternoon…short days though more than farther Northern arctic communities.
With the new year upon us, I’d like to look back at some of the fantastic photo’s in two or three parts from polar bear season and recap some of the highlights as we sit back while the bears are out on the ice gaining sustenance. I will present the pics in order of what I thought were most incredible. Ok, here we go.
Photo: Curtis Bouvier
Photo: Curtis Bouvier
Photo: Curtis Bouvier
These three photo’s have to be shown together in sequence to get a complete grasp on the encounter’s intensity. These were taken by Curtis Bouvier who is the nephew of good friend and long -time rover driver and tundra lodge manager Ed Bouvier. Ed has left Churchill while his nephew drove a rover this past season. These are truly unique and rare photo’s as this scene has not been seen by anyone I have been in contact with who lives or works in Churchill.
Photo: Colby Brokvist
In a season when the snow and cold stayed away early on, bears were viewed in a different light…such as this magnificent aura framing the bear. Sometimes, the contrast of the darker tundra can allow for more crisp shots without the glare of total white.
Photo: Colby Brokvist
Another by Natural Habitat guide Colby Brokvist. This one illustrates just how soft those Northern rocks (not Eric) are…it’s a little known fact.
Photo: Paul Brown
Our final photo for this segment is one by Natural Habitat Guide Paul Brown. This huge male perched in Precambrian shield granitoid rocks, feels solid and heavy. The shapes of the rocks juxtaposed against the mammoth bear are reminiscent of the iconic Henry Moore bronze abstract sculptures.
