The Churchill Arctic summer season continues on and beluga whales are still plentiful in the estuaries around Churchill. This shot by Alex De Vries – Magnifico came on another beautiful day on the Churchill River. There’s nothing like sharing the water with these majestic mammals!
Belugas in the Churchill River. Alex De Vries Magnifico photo.
Here are the recent bear statistics for Churchill over the last week/month published by Manitoba Conservation. It’s pretty clear that polar bear numbers in summer months have increased over the last decade as sea ice melts faster in the spring. When I guided Churchill Arctic summer trips 10 years ago, we rarely saw polar bears in the region before August. Polar bears are now arriving in July. Good for tourism but challenging for residents and conservation officers.
Summer polar bear on the tundra. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Polar bear roaming the tundra. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Male polar bear holding his position on Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Male polar bear on Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Mother and her cub on the tip of Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Sunset from the beach in Churchill. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Churchill’s summer wildflowers are in full bloom igniting the tundra with a patchwork of life exuding color. The Arctic wildflowers are incredible and throughout the summer different waves of color emerge. As a guide for the Arctic summer trips, I became immersed in identifying the flowers and educating travelers on the unique qualities of each. The tundra and its colors are one aspect of the amazing Churchill Arctic summer!
Round-leaved orchid, purple paintbrush and bog asphodel. Rhonda Reid photo.
Round – leaved orchid in Churchill. Steve Selden photo.
Churchill wildflowers on the tundra. Steve Selden Photo.
August colors of the tundra. Ed Bouvier photo.
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.
