“What a trip! The action just kept coming and we seemed to always be in the right place at the right time”, reported Natural Habitat guide Colby Brokvist. Highlights included many cub sightings, including one curious guy right up on our rover. We had sparring males so close that some of the guests on the deck of the rover were hit with snow as the bears tussled!
Polar bears in sparring mode. Colby Brokvist photo.
Other highlights included Manitoba Conservation chasing a large male polar bear out of town, and numerous fox sightings. Topping it off, the aurora borealis came out on Halloween night and the group of travelers and Colby journeyed down to the inukshuk behind the town complex to observe the amazing display around 1 am in the morning.
Aurora shining in the Arctic sky above the boreal forest. Brad Josephs photo.
Shipping News: The last grain ship is out of port and the tug boat brought in the channel buoys this past week.
Manitoba Conservation Blotter: There are currently 13 polar bears in the polar bear compound as of yesterday, including a sow with a cub caught in a bear trap near the cemetery.
Polar bear print in the snow. Karen Walker photo.
Guide Karen Walker and group had a male polar bear come very near their polar rover, on the spit past the lodge. The temperature was hovering around freezing, so the snow was soft and left a fantastic foot print for photographs. “At one point we had a very close bear on the right side of our rover and sparring to the left side of the rover,” added Karen.
A fox den on Christmas Lake esker in Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Karen Walker photo.
Out along Christmas Lake esker, the group discovered the entrance of a fox den. “We never saw the fox, but we saw lots of tracks,” stated Karen. That evening the wind really picked up and it has become quite evident that winter has set in. Over the last few days, two blizzard-like storms have descended on Churchill.
Another great week of wildlife, and particularly, polar bear viewing in Churchill, MB with Natural Habitat and guide Colby Brokvist.
Slightly warmer air temperatures made for a bit more action out in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. A sow and two coy were entertaining the group of travelers for hours and then amazingly the cubs even sparred with each other for a short time. A full day with the family provided thrills for the folks on the polar rover.
Polar bears in sparring mode. Colby Brokvist photo.
The following day Colby and group started off watching conservation officers tranquilize a large, skinny male bear out near the old dump close to what used to be the incineration plant. The groggy bear took two minutes to fall, and was then loaded on the truck and brought to the polar bear compound. Pretty thrilling to witness that live.
Polar bear in the CWMA. Colby Brokvist photo.
Out on the tundra of the CWMA, the travelers encountered Arctic fox, snowy owl, and some big male bears sparring at the lodge. “One large adult male came right up on our rover and I was excited to recognize his facial scar pattern as one who had been out at the Tundra lodge with me for several weeks a few seasons ago” reported Colby. ” I haven’t seen him since, so it was a memorable moment for me.” Another great day out on the land.
Two coy frolick in the willows. Colby Brokvist photo.
The group topped off the trip with a polar bear lift just before flying home. Natural Habitat sponsored the flight in support of the conservation and management program here in Churchill.
For more than 20 years Churchill local Metis elder Myrtle DeMeulles has been educating travelers to the area about the ways of living off the land and surviving in the sub-Arctic. Myrtle has been giving cultural presentations to Natural Habitat Adventures as well as other tour groups year round for as long as most anyone can remember.
With her trademark dry humor interwoven into a rich cultural historical talk, Myrtle in someways resembles the Grateful Dead…every “show” is unique and takes the listener down a winding road, enthralled by her story.
Myrtle’s caribou hide sculpture.
Myrtle also has been creating caribou hide sculptural two-dimensional artworks for decades.
Here’s an insightful interview of Myrtle…check it out.
Churchill has no shortage of polar bears at the moment. In fact, the 2014 season has started with a “bang”…literally. Conservation officers and the Polar Bear Alert squad have been busy patrolling the area. With 10-12 bears currently in the polar bear holding facility, formerly known as the polar bear jail, there’s a clear indication that this could be one of the most frenetic seasons in a long time.
Natural Habitat guide Karen Walker has been leading a group of quilters from the states around the Churchill area and they have had great fortune in sightings so far.
A lone polar bear skirts a pond in Churchill. Eric Rock photo.
“I’ve got a group of quilters on this trip. Luana Rubin is the organizer of the group. She came on Justin’s polar bear trip last year and this year she brought a group of quilters up with her. You can check out Luana’s website at eQuilter.com” reported Karen. The group has been connecting with local quilting groups and enthusiasts in both Winnipeg and Churchill.
After exploring Winnipeg for a day, the travelers enjoyed a mostly clear flight up to Churchill, allowing vivid views of the post-glacial – thermokarst ponds and rivers covering the land along the way. Crossing over Gillam to the south allowed a view of the hydro dam. After lunch at gypsy’s in Churchill the group experienced an orientation of the area through a visit to the Parcs Canada visitor center and a look at a polar bear den exhibit followed by some time at the revered Eskimo museum to take in the rich history of the region.
Polar bear in the willows in Churchill. Eric Rock photo.
Heading out to the tundra of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, along the Launch Road, travelers spotted their first polar bear. The male bear “was a little ways away, but it was still quite exciting for the group” according to Karen. After a quiet, relaxing evening on the tundra, enhanced by a wine and cheese offering, the group was afforded a nice view of an arctic hare on the drive back to the launch.
A planned trip out east the following day, took a turn a short way down the trail with the appearance of two bears near the Tundra Lodge, so the polar rover meandered over in that direction. A couple of other groups on rovers were in the area so one polar bear seemed a bit skittish with the crowd. As the first two rovers headed to the lodge, Karen’s rover settled in and remained near the pond and observed the adult female. Slowly becoming more comfortable, her curiosity peaked and she approached the rover. Pausing at around 30 feet of the back deck, she watched tentatively for a long while, grooming herself and then napping while the group took in the scene for over an hour. The rover then proceeded over by and just past the lodge and they settled in to watch a couple of “teenage” sub adult bears spar a bit. After exhausting their energy, they settled into the willows for a rest. “We were a little ways from them, but it was still amazing to see” Karen reported.
Two polar bears sparring near the tundra Lodge. Eric Rock photo.
On the other side of the lodge was an adult male that was napping in the open. This bear made stilted moves at rising but only lifted his head and then returned to resting. After a couple of travelers and Karen headed across Christmas Lake Esker and up to Halfway Point. Coveys of ptarmigan along the way, mostly already suited in their winter camouflage white, scurried ahead of the rover winding between willow stands.
“The weather and soft lighting was beautiful today. We had snow showers several times and some sunny breaks, and everything in between. It changed about every twenty minutes or so. Quite the majestic day on the tundra…tomorrow we’re back on the tundra. We’ll try to get out east this time” stated Karen, fulfilled from an amazing day.
Check out this cool video of beluga whales swimming in the Churchill River in Churchill,Manitoba. Although summer is coming down the stretch here in Churchill, the whales are still hanging in the shallows of the river and Hudson Bay. A beautiful time of year in Churchill when time seems to come to a standstill. Enjoy this fantastic video! Have the urge to get up close and personal with these exotic creatures? Check out the 2015 summer season at Natural Habitat’s website!
