Last week a very unusual sighting of a bowhead whale in the Churchill River created a buzz in town and around the whale watching community. Churchill is known for its beluga whales that return from the north every summer and infiltrate the estuaries surrounding the Churchill region. Thousands of belugas come south with calves or to give birth to them. They also come for the warmer waters which produce a bounty of marine food such as capelin.
In recent years, sightings of orca and bowhead whales have caused a stir and talk of climate change allowing for the unusual presence of these magnificent creatures. Whatever the reasons the thrill of seeing these whales is unbelievable!
Bowhead whale in the Churchill River. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Yesterday, in Churchill, Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and Minister responsible for Manitoba, along with Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger announced the future construction of $31.7 million marine research facility, the Churchill Marine Observatory, in Churchill. The facility will be located adjacent to the Port of Churchill which is Canada’s sole Arctic accessible deep-water port.
Officials in Churchill announcing plans for Churchill Marine Observatory. Town of Churchill photo.
Apparently the main focus of the Churchill Marine Observatory will be a facility for researchers to study discovery, impact and mitigation of oil spill disasters in sea ice regions within the northern Arctic and subarctic regions. The observatory will also study issues encompassing present and future Arctic marine transportation. Climate change and sea ice shifting has created new possibilities for shipping in the northern regions. Canada and specifically Churchill will be strategically positioned globally through ongoing study of the scientific and economic issues that pertain to Arctic marine transportation with regards to oil and gas exploration.
Researchers from major Canadian universities, University of Washington and Canadian federal government departments will come together through this new facility. Saltwater subpools and an environmental observing system constructed on the Churchill estuary will allow scientists to study actual conditions and complications of oil spills in Arctic seawater and sea ice. Overall, hopes the project will strengthen Canada’s capacity to protect the environment in the Arctic.
The main food source in Churchill and surrounding estuaries in the Arctic summer is capelin. What is capelin you might ask? A small fish slightly larger in size though similar in appearance to smelt. Capelin will amass in schools of thousands and move through the water in a massive wave. Beluga whales periodically feed during the capelin run and will focus solely on the process until they are sufficiently sated. When belugas are feeding as a pod they will be completely synchronized in the water and oblivious to any whale watching vessels. Birds such as Arctic terns and Bonaparte gulls are tell tale harbingers of beluga feeding sessions as they hover overhead and dive to capture the fish pushed to the water’s surface. Once feeding time is over belugas will typically return to their curious, gregarious ways and approach boats or kayaks on the water.
Capelin schools are the most plentiful food source that belugas can feed on. The whales also scavenge mollusks and singular organisms in the water but to survive the energy constraints of frigid Arctic waters and stress of navigating ice and shoals, the mass feedings on thousands of capelin ease the strain of the harsh northern conditions.
Beluga whales feeding on capelin in the clear, cold water of the mouth of the Churchill River. Steve Selden photo.
Capelin spawn on the gravelly bottoms of shoreline and rivers close to tide-lines and many typically end up stranded along coastal beaches. During the apex of the fish run beaches can be covered with the small species.
These photos from Churchillian Katie de Meulles are from the annual Canada Day polar bear plunge into the Hudson Bay. With a water temperature around 40 F, the plunge will numb you pretty fast. I’ve experienced the event firsthand and my legs went numb halfway out to the flags….still a great day of Churchill fun!
The first grizzly bear possibly ever seen in Churchill was spotted just outside the Churchill Northern Studies Center last Thursday in the late evening. A group of residents entered the center and alerted the staff that they just saw a grizzly bear outside. A group of high school students staying at the center from Sisler High in Winnipeg and some staff rushed out to a second floor observation deck and shot this video. Assistant director of the center Heidi den Haan snapped a few photos of the bear before he wandered off.
“There’s very, very few sightings in the park. But to actually have one here? And to have everybody see it? That’s very, very rare for sure,” den Haan said. “We have polar bears coming around the centre all the time. We’re right on Hudson Bay. But grizzlies? There’s just this one. Oh yeah, this is definitely singular. The kids are extremely lucky to have witnessed it,” den Haan said.
Barren ground grizzly spotted near the Churchill Northern Studies Center. Heidi den Haan / CSNC photo.
The sighting comes just weeks after researchers in Wapusk National Park, known for its polar bear denning area, circulated photographs of grizzly and black bears roaming the tundra. The park is 100 kilometers southeast of Churchill. The researchers believe the bear spotted in Churchill and brown bears out in the park are barren ground grizzlies. These grizzly bears are a little smaller then Rocky Mountain grizzlies. They are also considered more aggressive. Omnivorous in their feeding habits these bears hunt caribou, ground squirrels, eat berries and scavenge carrion.
Grizzly bear outside the Churchill Northern Studies Center. Heidi den Haan/ CSNC photo.
There have been reports of barren ground grizzlies mating with polar bears. Offspring from this hybrid match are called grolar or pizzly bears and sightings are extremely rare with the only reported sightings coming from the western high Arctic.
Stephen Atkinson, a biologist working with Nunuvut and Northwest Territory governments speaks to the unique overlap of boreal forest and tundra terrain in the Churchill region. This incredible blending of ecosystems allows one the possibility of seeing grizzly, polar and black bears all in one day or at least one visit to Churchill. ” There’s nowhere else in the world you can see that, it’s an opportunity to see all three species of bear,” said Atkinson.
Researcher Doug Clark’s remote camera in Wapusk National Park captured all three bear species within a seven month time span in the same location. The camera’s are part of an ongoing research project supported by Parks Canada studying polar bear – human interactions in outlying field camps in the region. Since Churchill has three unique biomes that converge in one region, species can overlap. With climate change happening it becomes more feasible for species to roam from their natural range. Three bear species in Churchill are proof of this theory!
