Here’s some tremendous drone footage of northern lights in Reykjanes Iceland..Natural Habitat Adventures is gearing up for another spectacular Churchill northern lights season starting in January. If this season is anything like last season we are in for another wild and amazing ride. The incessant aurora borealis captivated travelers last year as they enjoyed the show from the Aurora Pod or Aurora Domes on the outskirts of the sleepy frontier town on the shores of the Hudson Bay. The Churchill skies have been lighting up the northern lights thrill meter at an incredible rate all year long. However, the three month prime season is truly sensational. We are very excited to see what mystical happenings occur this winter in Churchill!
The Hudson Bay is not cooperating for the hungry polar bears in the Churchill region. As you can see in the notes by Conservation officers, Churchill is not so safe these days. Hopes are high that the ice will return and remain the rest of the winter once we are through this period. Anxious polar bears on the land and in the Polar Bear Holding Facility will eagerly migrate their once formed! This extended ice – free period will affect the southern Hudson Bay polar bear population in some way. It will be quite interesting to see what transpires in years to come.
Polar bear mother and cub resting on the Precambrian shield in Churchill. Katie de Meulles photo.
Ice map of the Hudson Bay region showing very little ice in the bay. Environment Canada image.
With the south winds blowing the ice – pack away from the southern Hudson Bay coast, there are still some polar bears around Churchill at this late juncture. These three polar bear family pics were taken by local photographer Karine Genest and featured by Polar Bear Alley, a long – time Churchill blog site. While we are still enjoying all the bonus polar bear coverage from the north, we are hoping that the ice returns and covers the bay soon. Just like your local pee-wee hockey team, these hungry animals need ice – time albeit for different end “goals”!
A sow polar bear and her two cubs relaxing near the Hudson Bay. Karine Genest photo.
Nursing polar bear cubs while mom keeps a watchful eye. Karine Genest photo.
Polar bears resting comfortably awaiting the return of the Hudson Bay ice. Karine Genest photo.
Daisy Gilardini from Vancouver took this phenomenal image near Wapusk National Park in Manitoba just outside Churchill. The well know denning area allows seasonal travel for photographers to capture exquisite polar bear family scenes like this one. The photo titled Motherhood was taken last March. It was selected as the grand prize out of 20,000 submissions in an international photo contest and will as a result will be on display for a year at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , DC,
