With the Churchill beluga whale season approaching I thought I’d offer up some inspiring photo’s from recent years guiding these amazing trips up in the North. Over twelve years of guiding Summer trips for Natural Habitat Adventures have produced a few stellar shots. Out on the water the action can be sublime. I would always warn travelers not to “focus” on trying to get that amazing shot, rather become part of the experience. Often the will to get the perfect shot creates a void between one and the actual wildlife encounter. In these days of technological immersion, the gap between the actual experience and seeing life through a camera is blurred. However, without hesitation, I know the real thing offers much more inspiration then looking through a lens. Tell that to an avid photographer. Certain excursions can be frustrating to photophiles …the power is somewhat lost from the side of an Italian -made zodiac. Either way, the experience with these incredible animals is transient and everlasting.
This rare shot captures a beluga head above water. Photo-Steve Selden
This is the most common photo taken of beluga whales in the waters around Churchill, MB. Photo-Steve Selden.
Calf in mother's slipstream in Churchill River. The calves are darker gray color. Photo-Steve Selden.
Near the mouth of the Churchill River the water is crystal clear and belugas are quite visible under water. Photo-Steve Selden.
A pod of male beluga whales near the mouth of the Churchill River. Photo-Steve Selden.
Churchill has been buried in a thick, dense fog for some days last this past week. Spring in this area tends to bring this affect as the melting ice becomes open swaths of water in the Hudson Bay. Fresh -water rivers such as the Churchill, Knife and Nelson among others flow into the bay as their earlier break-up signals the onset of Spring. This fresh water facilitates a speedier melting time -frame as the warmer water from the South mixes with the frigid salt water. All of these varied water temperatures blending with warming and cooling air temperatures create air moisture leading to increased fog. If your from the coast you really can love this time of year. If your from the coast and work with boats, not so much.
Foggy Churchill River. Photo-Steve Selden
Yesterday, June 11th, the wind-chill temperature was -7 C with a 40% chance of snow flurries. The unpredictable weather is another charm of the North. I remember guiding a group of Summer travelers and we were on Kelsey Blvd. watching the Canada day parade (July 1) some years back. The snow started lightly but then turned into an all out storm. The makeshift floats, polar rovers and fire engines sped up and disappeared fairly quickly into the white -out at the East end of town. We all scurried to Gypsy’s for hot toddy’s. Snow in July…..that’s Churchill.
While the fog is clearing, beluga whales begin to appear in the Hudson Bay and the bird population is building. Soon the Churchill River will be full with beluga’s chasing capelin and gulls and jaegers above picking off fish pushed close to the surface by hungry pods of whales. The weather will still be inconsistent but there will be glorious days in between that will allow the Arctic to unveil its’ magnificent beauty.
Beluga whale in the Churchill River. Photo-Steve Selden
Out on the water fog can be both exhilarating and heart – wrenching. Out on the zodiac boats whale – viewing, the fog transports one to another world. Even though the massive grain port structure might be within sight, the fog dilutes the place and moments with the belugas into a memory of a lifetime. It’s only fitting to share this space in time with intelligence under the frigid waters of the Arctic. Beluga’s belong in this environment. After sharing so many years with these animals in the wild, the thought of even one confined to an aquarium is numbing.
There have also been instances when the fog has created sense of doubt and even fear. Early in the Spring the ice can clog the river channels like an ever changing jig -saw puzzle. shallow areas can creep up on you and the weather can turn on a dime. One minute of doubt and indecision can create a tense scenario in the mind and then subsequent decisions are quite important. Water creates a sense of beauty and horror all within the same thought sequence. Respect is the common thread whenever a boat is under foot. The Churchill River presents one feel while the Hudson Bay places a magnifying glass over the situation. These dynamics however go hand in hand with the experience…leaving a traveler with a sense of awe for the Arctic environment.
Less than a week ago Churchill was hit with a late season Winter storm. Inevitably the cold season will give way to warmer temperatures though for now the Churchill area continues to cling to below freezing cold. Today the mercury reached a high of 27 F and the Hudson Bay remains ice filled.
However, for the same reason ice forms earlier in the Fall along the coast of Churchill, the land-fast ice and ice just along the coast begins to dissolve more quickly this time of year. Numerous fresh water rivers, including the mighty Churchill River, flow into the bay in the area. This saturation of fresh water freezes faster in the Fall and the same warmer water from the South tends to escalate the water temperature along the coast in the Spring. While the bay remains fairly consistent overall in ice-pack concentration, open water appears in the same places ice starts to form late November. The ice chart below from the Canadian Ice Survey illustrates current conditions.
Current ice concentration in the Hudson Bay.
Once the ice begins to diminish and break up in the bay, nearly 2,500 beluga whales will make their way down from the Hudson Straits in the Northeastern Hudson Bay area. Many females will be giving berth once in the “warmer”…40 F waters of the Churchill River mouth or if they can hold off the birthing, they will make their way up the river to the warmer, often 50 plus F water. This area, 12 -18 kilometers up river provides an incredibly comfortable “nursery” for mothers and calves. When you see the number of whales, many with calf’s in their slip-stream it’s magical. A completely different feel from the clear, cold choppy water around the mouth and in the bay itself. Groups of adult males cruising through the icy water provide action packed viewing quite regularly. Feeding on capelin – minnow sized fish spawning by the thousands in Summer- whales zig -zag across the mile- wide river intently focused on their prey. Meanwhile above the surface, iconic Arctic birds like jaegers, Arctic terns ,Franklin’s gulls and Bonapart’s gulls copete for capelin pushed to the surface by the frenzied whales.
Feeding whales in the Churchill River. Steve Selden photo.
Early June is birding season in Churchill though many species endure throughout the Summer. Wildflowers will begin to bloom as soon as the temperatures allow for the consistent warmer days. Arctic avens will carpet the tundra with their whiteness first followed by waves of others all through the Summer. My Churchill wildflower book looks like it’s been through the washer from 12 years of guiding Churchill Arctic Summer trips. Complete with pressed mosquitos on every other page, the book is also filled with engrained memories!
Photo Steve Selden.
Although the temperatures will slowly climb into the 50’s F next week and then higher still through June, July and August, the nights tend to cool down to require a fleece and hat most of the Summer. Days for the most part stay cool although Churchill has been the hotspot from time to time in Manitoba. No matter the weather, Summer in Churchill is unmatched in the raw beauty it unveils. If you’ve traveled to this place in Fall for the bears, you will love the Summer….the treasures of the tundra and the waters are different every day. After 12 years I still know there is more to see. Polar bears, beluga whales, incredible bird life and wildflowers…even aurora borealis in later Summer…Churchill has it all and more!
Natural Habitat longtime guide Eric rock recently presented a webinar on polar bear photography. He also gets into other aspects of Churchill and what to expect from this amazing, unique environment nestled on the shore of the Hudson Bay in central Northern Canada. Eric has been guiding Churchill polar bear trips for about 15 years and has been exposed to every type of bear behavior and photography conditions many times over. He shares his wealth of knowledge here for those who may be going to Churchill this Fall or even Summer for the beluga whale and Arctic summer trips. Or, if you are thinking of a trip sometime down the road, take a look and you will gather some quite inspiring information on how to capture these beautiful animals with your lens.
Eric will give you incredible insight into northern Arctic photography and the essence of photographing polar bears..specifically in Churchill,MB..a tiny seaport town on the precambrian shield along the Hudson Bay. Not only does Eric give you technical advice, he also provides inspiring thought on the experience of sharing the land with the polar bear and the simplicity which surrounds the majestic creatures. take this treasure trove of information and store it in your own files or return to churchillpolarbears.org for this and other resources on Churchill and other informative articles about the area. Also, go to Facebook and like Churchill Polar Bears …like us…and you will get periodic reports and articles on Churchill and polar bears!
I remember guiding Natural Habitat Churchill Summer travelers through the Churchill Northern Study Center to give them a little idea of what various research happens in the north. The old metal building was a left-over from the old rocket launching facility still standing , though barely, at the terminus of launch road about 20 kilometers from the town limits. It seemed to fit in quite nicely with the other decaying buildings on site. Two archaic rocket launch towers loom overhead and other collapsing buildings surrounding the compound have been dormant since 1990. Originally opened in 1954, the launch site was used by the Canadian army, Canadian government and the United States military over many years for research of effects of auroras on communications and later solid fuel propellant for rockets such as the Black Brandt. Once the cold war ended, another war on “cold” began…hence the new, incredibly energy efficient 27,000 sq ft facility.
Churchill Northern Studies Center -Photo CSNC
The new structure was dubbed the “upside -down ark” by many locals though the ensuing “meat on the bones” of the unique structure has gained more widespread acclaim as an incredibly “green” endeavor. On track to obtain Manitoba’s northernmost LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, the CNSC reduces both the high cost of operating in the North and reliance on outside services and utilities. The ongoing “cold war” in the north is a constant battle to keep the cold outside of any building and utilize energy most efficiently. With temperatures reaching -55 C in the heart of Winter, any new design or idea to combat frigid weather can save money year after year. In the Northern Studies Center case, savings can go toward increasing research funding and the ability to offer additional programs to the public.
Highlights of the new efficient building focus on conserving the all-vital energy produced in the north. Ninety per cent of the structure’s interior is exposed to natural light and artificial lighting is designed to compliment the outside source. Insulation values of R-40 are maximized with triple-pane windows and a south facing solar wall that preheats interior ventilation air. Unique concepts in heat exchange provide an incredible 80% recovery rate of energy used to heat air. Plumbing comes into play as well. heat recovered from shower grey water is used to heat cold water traveling to the water heater itself. That grey water will also be used for the flush toilets, thereby conserving even more.
Glue-laminated wood columns and supports shape the “Upside-Down Ark.” (Photo Credit: Penn-Co)
The old building will be renovated and utilized to house many of the mechanical systems needed to operate the new facility at a safe distance from the areas required for research and instruction there. “It will house many of the service functions (maintenance and contract research) of the CNSC. These areas will require less energy in some cases and will allow for many of the mechanical systems to be located away from the residential and teaching functions of the new building.” Executive Director Michael Goodyear stated.
The Centre’s bio-filtration system uses bacteria to break down waste water for release into an underground filtration bed. (Photo Credit: CNS
Despite the cold in Winter, Churchill is abundant in its’ biodiversity. The iconic polar bear, flora of the tundra and boreal forest, bird life and of course the majestic beluga whales of Spring and Summer make this place a prime destination for researchers and travelers. The Churchill Northern Studies Center can now support a greater number of people with interests in the region. Dormitories have rooms for 88 people now and 12,000 square feet of space for laboratories ease the strain on researchers and grad students working here. The new cafeteria seats 100 so everyone can eat together and share information and stories. In short the new facility is amazing!
I saw a post on Facebook the other day from a friend and colleague in Churchill who was extremely excited to be making a voyage out on Hudson Bay with a local dog musher to the edge of the floe ice. She spoke about not being able to sleep from excitement and then one more night until the trip. This would be her first venture out to the edge of the “frozen Earth” as it extends seaward in its’ annual transient state. That “state” is constantly questioned these days to the point of ad nauseam by pundits who predict an ice- free Earth within the next 50 years or so. These “experts” never see the ice like many of the actual residents of towns that reside near this wondrous phenomena of our planet! The beauty of this world is lost in the data predicting its’ ensuing demise. We deserve to enjoy these wonders of our home without constantly looking over our shoulders.
Rhonda on the edge.
Ok..back to the floe- ice…where am I going with all of this you might ask? I fondly remember the early years of Natural Habitat Adventures Seal Watch trips to the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. The tour was the initial journey offered to hearty travelers taking helicopters trips out to the floe-ice to spend a few hours in tranquility with harp and hooded seals and facilitate the growing movement to protect them. I worked as a guide on land and on the ice itself enabling people of all ages to enjoy this amazing experience. When we touched down on the floes and patiently awaited the blades to come to rest, time seemed to come to a wondrous halt. Once the sound of the machine was reduced to that last spin of the blades overhead cutting through the cool air, we stepped onto the serene magical formations of sea ice. All thoughts and perceptions of the world were condensed into a zen-like wave of openness of both the mind and the landscape. The two became one….unbelievably without all the information…just nature!
In this age of information it’s funny…well not really…how with “all the facts”, we don’t always seem to have a better life. Yes, we are amazingly informed human beings synced to our portable smart phones and twitterized (first four letters of that method of communication quite apt in many cases) to each other so that one passing moment doesn’t go undocumented or passed around like a half -chewed caramel. We crave attention from peers and demand to know everything about everything. I think I would sometimes rather hear an interesting, provocative explanation to a question rather than the actual correct one spoken from an android who just pulled up the info from his..er..android. In fact, while we’re on the subject of facts, I’m sure I would. In this exchange of information we have lost the ability to have tranquil, detached moments when our minds ease into thought like a young child does effortlessly from time to time. A momentary cleansing of the proverbial slate so to “not” speak. I often catch myself before interrupting my 7 year old son Jack as he gazes off so contentedly into his imaginary world within our world. Not knowing his every thought soothes me. One time, I pried what he was thinking about out of him as his eyeballs morphed into warm, swirly marbles in their sockets…he reluctantly answered, ” an itouch dad”. That was the last time I did any prying.
Ice floe edge in Hudson Bay. Photo Rhonda Reid.
When I read my friends post…on yeah, yeah..I know Facebook…I was jolted back to that state many of us humans have seemingly lost. Her avid anticipation to journey 15 kilometers out on the Hudson Bay ice to its’ edge where upon reaching it, she would find only water….unfrozen ice…caught me…stopped me…made me gaze off into space and think back to simpler times when such a trip seemed wildly normal. That quest for the end of the earth where we find…..nothing..nothing but water..melted ice. A place where we don’t need to google water or ice….we know the difference instinctively…at least I’m pretty sure. The only information we need is kept silently within our minds enriching ourselves and our race at once.
