Come on this relaxing snowmobile ride around Churchill and out toward Cape Merry and the port. The sun dogs are amazing in this short spin around the outskirts of the polar bear capital of the world on the shores of the Hudson Bay! The footage was captured with a Go Pro Hero 4 on a Yamaha RS Vector GT in -40 C frigid temperatures. Enjoy the ride!
The north has certain times of the year when sunsets and sunrises are exquisite! As fall approaches the colors become more vibrant and crystal clear producing shots like the first image over Great Slave Lake in Yellowknife by Andrew Diveky. The change in temperature and moisture level in the air combine to allow for the best optics and clarification in the sky.
During the winter, especially the early part when the Hudson Bay still has open water, the same affect with even more brilliant colors produces incredible sunsets and rises. Ice crystals in the atmosphere in early morning and later afternoon facilitate a magnification of light and colors to produce vivid sky scapes. Other features such as sun – dogs, rainbows and horizon mirages are also produced during these conditions.
Churchill’s incredible landscape and wildlife diversity provide an eclectic foreground features for the sensational colors of the morning and evening skies. These are some of the best shots from the north. Stay tuned for more awesome shots to come!
Great Slave Lake sunset. Andrew Diveky photo.
Sunset in Clyde River, Nunavut. Nick Illauq photo.
Awesome sunset shot nfrom the beach in Churchill. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Sunset in Churchill. Katie de Meulles photo.
Sunset and polar bears. Katie de Meulles photo.
As November comes toward the end, the last couple of Natural Habitat groups headed back to Winnipeg after their adventures in Churchill. With this years mid-November scare of an early Hudson Bay freeze-up, the challenge of finding polar bears in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area became quite formidable. Luckily, a prevailing South wind pushed the existing ice pack out and polar bears came on land. That occurrence coupled with a second wave of bears extended the season right to the end.
Guide Colby Brokvist and travelers were treated to incredible aurora on their first evening in Churchill. Photographing behind the town complex with awesome shots of the huge stone inukshuk in the foreground proved to be a great way to start the trip.
A photo tour poses for a group picture. Colby Brokvist photo.
The following day on the tundra turned out to be, “one of the best days of the season”, according to Colby. An old, snaggle-toothed male polar bear at Gordon Point approached the rover…coming close enough for some great shots by the avid photographers. This was the first polar bear for the group so the excitement was palpable for sure.
A snaggle-toothed polar bear up close and personal. Colby Brokvist photo.
After having another bear in close to the rover, Colby spotted a sow with two coy (cubs of the year) at a fairly far distance. Chancing a trip out to them paid off as they came to a relaxed disposition. Mom began to nurse her young and the shutters began to fly. once the snow began to fly and a wind whipped it around it was time to move on. An incredible opportunity at this point of the season was followed by another bear near the tundra lodge that also took a liking to the rover and meandered quite close. What a day on the land with hardly anyone else around.
Coys nursing in the CWMA. Eric Rock photo.
The next day was somewhat slower though what lacked in wildlife opportunities was compensated for with incredible light on the Arctic landscape and marvelous sun dogs in the sky…lasting all morning until about two in the afternoon. A curious polar bear at the tundra lodge made for some great photos for the time he obliged. “Still, the light was amazing and we took many opportunities to photograph trees, rocks, ponds and blowing snow. “, reported Colby. A howling wind the entire day piled drifts up to four-feet tall. Rovers struggled to make way on the trails…however all found a way to make it through and back to launch.
A sundog appears in the sky in the CWMA.Colby Brokvist photo.
The final day on the tundra proved to be slow with regards to wildlife and specifically polar bear activity. The end of the season was about to be a reality. A lone bear near the ice edge reminded all of the true reason for the bears congregating in Churchill..to wait for the ice to form on Hudson Bay.
While eating lunch, the group was thrilled by what Colby termed a “fly-by” from a sow and coy. The pair trotted by the rover and were gone from sight in moments. Still, a fantastic day on northern tundra.
Highlights of the last couple of days in Churchill including trying out the infamous sport of curling at the curling rink in the town complex…enjoyed by all. The final day of the trip was a spectacle that most people on the planet do not have the chance to witness. Manitoba Conservation officers made the decision to release the remaining 15 polar bears from “jail” or the holding facility as the politically correct call it. The bears are released from culvert traps and all you see is their “south” end heading onto the ice…a fitting way to signal the end of bear season …and the beginning of seal season for the bears.
Aurora borealis in the sky near Churchill,MB. Eric Rock photo.
Erick Rock and his photo tour had some decent bear action in their time on the tundra lodge though the northern lights provided amazing thrills as well as photo opportunities. They also witnessed bears heading ice-ward.released from containment and saying goodbye to bear season 2012
