An Arctic Hare disguised in the snow surrounding the Precambrian shield. Discover Churchill photo.
Arctic Hares have an amazing camouflage of white and black-tipped ears that not only blend in with the snow and rocks but provide a unique target for raptors to focus on instead of the body flesh. Many times when attacked the hare can evade by having extra seconds to find shelter. Churchill has Arctic Hares throughout the tundra year-round!
Back in the Polar Bear Capital of the World for the start of aurora season and the buzz around town is that a bear was spotted on the Churchill River about 20 min away from town! This occurrence sends us a strong reminder to always be aware of polar bears! Discover Churchill reported on this sighting.
A polar bear was spotted on the Churchill River about 20 minutes from the town. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Silver fox on the Churchill tundra. Great White Bear Tours photo.
This majestic silver fox was captured on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba. With the absence of polar bears around the area these winter days, we are always hoping to see the other awesome creatures that call this place home. This fox seems on alert knowing that all eyes are on him when in other months he would be just a supporting cast member. Enjoy.
A collection of winter activities and scenes from Churchill (Manitoba) captured on 16mm film. It’s pretty fun to look back at some of these vintage moments in time in the polar bear capital of the world!
November 17 – Last night the aurora came out for a short period, and many people came out to witness it. Added to the experience were brief sightings of Arctic fox, red fox, silver fox, and even a pine marten. Today, low clouds, heavy snow, and periods of fog made for a difficult day of wildlife watching. No bears were spotted and smaller animals generally remained elusive. Some helicopters were able to get up early before the storm in the morning and reported more than 20 bears seen out on the ice, including family groups.
Aurora appears in the Churchill sky! Discover Churchill photo.
November 16 – It was a great time for everyone out on the tundra today. There was one male polar bear out at the ponds near one of the Tundra Lodges that made the day. It came over to each and every tundra vehicle and smelled everyone’s feet through the metal mesh decks. Then it napped for an hour or so, got up and did it all over again. Ptarmigan and fox were also spotted. It was an exceptional day for those riding on helicopters as well. Countless bears were seen on the sea ice and several families were spotted. A silver fox has been observed for the past several mornings in town. Very light winds made the wildlife viewing very manageable, with temperatures above 0°F.
Sow and cub polar bear heading to the Hudson Bay ice. Discover Churchill photo.
November 15 – Churchill was greeted with partly sunny skies today, with mild temperatures and light winds. Travelers spent the entire day watching bears on the ice. There were nine in total, including two families with cubs. Mostly they were at a distance, but the action was good. Some groups witnessed a male bear kill and eat a seal. Another male polar bear was following the cubs around. The day ended with red fox and gyrfalcon coming very close to the tundra vehicles.
