Kayaking with the beluga whales in Churchill’s Arctic Summer is one of the most incredible experiences one can have. I have done this numerous times and each one is a different experience though all are surreal and awesome! If you ever get the chance to make a journey to Churchill, this is a must do activity for all!
Kayaking on the Churchill River with the beluga whales. Moira LaPatourel photo.
New synthetic turf in the Churchill town square. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Churchill is moving into the 21st Century with a new synthetic turf field for the town square behind the chamber of commerce information kiosk. Looking more like an artist’s depiction than the real thing, this image from Alex De Vries – Magnifico in Churchill shows the newly “mowed” field. The old field and town “green” was far from that with hard dirt and scattered rocks throughout. This will hopefully encourage the youth and adult population to participate in sports such as baseball and soccer throughout the summer months. The field will be finished just in time for Canada Day on July 1st and the annual ball tournament and other festivities!
I can’t help thinking of a funny Canada Day story that occurred when I was guiding Churchill Arctic Summer trips years ago. When I first started I would stay in Churchill and await the arrival of the group on the VIA Rail train with my Natural Habitat Adventures co-guide. Once they arrived we would guide travelers across the tundra in search of flowers and wildlife and over the waters of the Hudson Bay and Churchill River to see the beluga whales. The amazing biosphere of Churchill would be home for the next five days. At the end of the trip my co-guide would return to Winnipeg with the group by air and return a few days later by train. Not a bad gig!
Churchill’s Via rail station with a train at the dock. Cartan Tours photo.
Train arrivals in those days, much like train arrivals these days, were often three – four hours late. Due to the warm weather and shifting permafrost in the summer months, trains would be issued “slow” orders that would only permit them to travel at recommended slow speed so to not place undo stress on the steel rails. Unfortunately, overloaded grain cargo trains heading to the Port of Churchill often disregarded the slow orders and periodically derailed in front of the passenger trains. These accidents caused huge delays and sometimes the necessity to reroute travelers on flights to Churchill or bus to get to a bigger town to wait out the track repairs. Not much has changed there either. All part of the adventure.
Churchill was putting on its usual festivities and I was taking part in the annual town softball tournament. Teams from the Churchill Northern Studies Center, the hospital, restaurants, Parcs Canada and just friends putting a team together were all enjoying the friendly competition on the diamond. Throughout the morning of the tournament, the train’s late – arrival had been updated numerous times and last I heard estimated to arrive in Churchill at roughly 3:00 pm. I came to learn that “roughly” in Churchill is all part of a vernacular we often refer to as “tundra time”.
Our game was going on around 1:30 pm and I was in my softball attire of sweats and a t-shirt, up at bat with the softball at the apex of its arc when I heard the train’s horn blowing loudly across the square. After raking a base – hit to right field (actually the aforementioned dirt and rocks) I glanced over to see the train limping into the station and I ran. Not towards first base but instead toward the Seaport Hotel to my room to change into proper Nat Hab guide attire and then cruise over to the station and meet the arriving group! I received lots of ribbing from the team for that panicky though funny exit…still makes me laugh to this day. Never trust the train schedule or rumors to its arrival in Churchill. Tundra time indeed!
Canada Day is on July 1st. Here’s an itinerary of the events planned. Town of Churchill image.
Thousands of beluga whales are gradually appearing in the Hudson Bay and Churchill River around the Churchill area. After leaving late last fall, early October, these magnificent milky colored whales are resurfacing for another fantastic Churchill Arctic summer season. We can’t wait to bring you all the photos and news from the water as the whales congregate, tend to young and feed on capelin in the cold water. There will surely be surprises each week as we follow Natural Habitat groups of travelers on their northern adventures!
Beluga whale underwater in the Churchill River last season. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Wonderful images of the thousands of active beluga whales that migrate south to the Churchill River and surrounding estuaries. This amazing time of year in the north is unmatched for all around natural beauty. From the magnificent belugas to the throngs of migratory birds, tundra wildflowers, awesome polar bears and other northern wildlife species and even the possibility of viewing the iconic northern lights later in the season, Churchill has it all in the Arctic summertime!
The Parasitic Jaegers employ a tactic known as kleptoparasitism as the birds chase down auks or gulls or in many cases above the Churchill River, Arctic terns. Jaegers harass the birds after they have procured a fish, usually capelin, until the frantic bird is so distressed that it drops its bounty toward the water in order to escape. The jaeger swiftly eats the bounty by catching it mid-air as the initial captor flies away.
Parasitic Jaeger with a capelin in mouth. Michel Windle photo.
The talented jaeger is able to maneuver with great speed in pursuit of its prey. The British Fleet Air Arms first naval dive – bomber, the Blackburn Skua was modeled and named after the parasitic jaeger. The bird can fly aptly into high winds by rapidly beating its wings and continuously shifting for buffeting purposes.The diet of the jaeger also includes small rodents and birds, eggs, insects and berries of the tundra. But hands down the most prosperous “prey” is the stolen one from other birds over the water. I witnessed many such incredible thefts as beluga whales churned up thousands of capelin over the Churchill River and Arctic terns plucked them from the water only to have them snatched by the jaegers.
The parasitic jaeger arrives in the north to breed in April or May and settles in loosely defined colonies. The female jaeger attracts a male through elaborate flying displays and some may mate together yearly while others choose new partners each season. Eggs are laid by June in the nests on the tundra and breeding pairs alternate nest watch. They protect the nest and young from predators by diving at the intruders at high speeds. As the juvenile jaegers are born, they leave the breeding grounds soon after in July. Breeding adults and fledglings remain through September at the latest.
Parasitic Jaeger over the tundra. Bill Coster photo.
When the time comes to fly south, they follow the coastline seemingly mimicing the paths of Arctic terns before heading farther out to sea. Most of this species winters near the South American coast or that of western Africa. The majority of immature jaegers will spend two years in the winter grounds before heading north to the bountiful northern habitats.
