This National Geographic video is a great look into the harsh yet magical world of the polar bear in the Arctic. While the winter is still creeping into the Churchill region, the next couple of weeks will reveal increasing numbers of polar bears and other Arctic wildlife. Before we know it there will be all kinds of action coming from Churchill and brought to you here on churchillpolarbears.org. This should be another amazing season up north with many surprises as it moves along!
In late fall, pre – winter, colors of the tundra and the species that roam the land come to a crossroads of earth tones. This pallet gradually transitions into a great white north we all think of when envisioning the forthcoming and exciting polar bear season. This time is short though one of the most beautiful in the Arctic and surrounding regions.
Multi colored red fox with the colors of the textured tundra behind. Katie deMeulles photo.
Each year during polar bear season in Churchill either red or Arctic foxes tend to be the more prevalent species for that particular season. In recent years there has been an influx of red foxes that have seemingly displaced the gorgeous, white coated Arctic fox population to some extent. Hunting, legal and illegal, has also played a role in lowering the Arctic fox numbers. Warming temperatures facilitate the red fox species to become more adaptive to the northern weather and even ice conditions in winter. The patchwork colors of the red fox in particular meld with the myriad of tundra color splashes.
The colors of the tundra deep into fall in Churchill. Ed Bouvier photo.
Early season photo of a sleepy polar bear. Paul Brown photo.
While snow is imminent in the Churchill region, polar bears will take this time to conserve energy by limiting movement as much as possible. Sleeping bears will soon be wandering restlessly as the snow falls and temperatures drop to freezing or lower by month’s end. Polar bears gazing toward the Hudson Bay in anticipation of a freeze over will become the norm as November marches on.
Lichen growing on rocks in Churchill. Steve Selden photo.
Silver fox scouring tundra for lemmings. Colby Brokvist photo.
The tundra will release the last fruits of its bounty to the scouring animals looking to nurture their bodies with berries, plants or lemmings before the winter hits hard. Changing appearances in foxes, hares and birds foretell the new season that will become a energetic forum of multiple species before the freeze leads to mass exodus lead especially by the king of the Arctic, the mighty polar bear.
Snowy owl on the tundra in the CWMA. Colby Brokvist photo.
A Gyrfalcon in the late fall in Churchill. Brad Josephs photo.
Polar bear season is next up for avid travelers and Arctic enthusiasts heading to Churchill. However, this video time-lapse from Natural Habitat Adventures guide Brad Josephs gives us a sneak preview to the incredibly popular northern lights season beginning in January and continuing through March. The aurora borealis have been phenomenal over the past few years and there’s no better place in the north to see them than Churchill! This season should be one of the best ever!
The excitement leading up to another surreal and other – worldly northern lights season in Churchill is always a fun time. Only a few years ago, very few people ventured north to view the spectacular aurora borealis light show. Now, this year Natural Habitat Adventures alone will send nearly 200 people to Churchill over the course of two months to sample the northern spirit and take in the most incredible show above the Arctic. This shot from a little further north in Inuvik is just a preview of what’s to come in January in Churchill! Keep posted for all the news from the north.
Fantastic northern lights photo from Inuvik. Kristian Binder photo.
