Mother and her cub on the tip of Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
When you think summer in Churchill you usually think beluga whales, tundra wildflowers and amazing numbers of migratory life – list birds. Polar bears are generally not on traveler’s radar though summer bear activity has become more of the norm these days. When I guided Churchill arctic summer trips, polar bear activity usually ramped up in August and it was always an incredible surprise when groups did see the king of the arctic in their natural habitat. These days expectations have grown and polar bears seem to surface or rather emerge from the Hudson Bay on a more regular basis and even in July. Although there’s no guarantee, the chances of venturing to Churchill and seeing polar bears in summer have grown dramatically. Churchill Arctic Summer can be an incredible jackpot of natural wonders!
Polar bear sow and cub in the Hudson Bay. Stephanie Fernandez photo.
Curious polar bear checking out travelers. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Polar bear on the rocks in Churchill. Photo Rhonda Reid.
Polar bear on the rocks, Churchill,MB. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Incredibly magical drone video of beluga whales in Nunavut’s Cunningham Inlet by twenty-four-year-old Arctic tour guide Nansen Weber. Over 2,000 beluga whales gather in this area near Resolute in the high Arctic. Churchill has nearly the same amount of beluga whales migrate to its estuaries in the Arctic summer. What a way to get a different perspective!
This great photo of a Churchill polar bear was taken by longtime patron of our website and polar bear enthusiast Susan Rummel. Susan got this shot when she fulfilled her dreams of a journey to Churchill this past fall. What an adventure and what a shot! Way to go Susan!
If you’ve ever wanted to touch a feisty beluga whale now is your chance! Churchill’s Arctic summer is on the horizon…just over those snowbanks…you know the ones that will continue to build throughout the rest of the winter…possibly up to the second story of some buildings in downtown Churchill proper. Yeah, maybe the horizon is somewhat in the distance but we can all start dreaming about a trip to Churchill to see thousands of beluga whales in the waters lapping the frontier town on the Hudson Bay. Have a look and come touch a beluga whale for yourself this summer!!
The snowy owl is the largest owl – by weight- and certainly the most photogenic with its’ regal white feathers and stunning yellow eyes. Birders and travelers from around the world venture north to the Arctic to catch a glimpse, and sometimes more in heavily populated years. Summers are spent deep in the Arctic to take advantage of the 24 hour sunlight that enhances chances to gather more prey such as lemmings and ptarmigan. In bountiful years when the lemming population is prolific, snowy owls can rear twice or three times the number of young. The two species are intertwined.
Snowy owl flying right into view of a traffic camera in Montreal, Quebec. transport Quebec photo.
Snowy owls are prevalent in Churchill during polar bear season in October and November. Last season, high numbers of sightings across the tundra drew the awe of people whom had ventured to the polar bear capital of the world mainly to see the bears. However, the magnificent owl always seems to create a lasting impression on the groups. Though the seasonal fluctuations are sometimes frustrating to travelers and in particular birders that journey to Churchill to see the species, there is a pretty basic explanation for the changes year to year. Why do we have these vastly different numbers in various seasons?
Lemmings in particular are a unique prey species for snowy owls. Lemmings prey upon tundra mosses and will remain in an area until their food supply has been exhausted. Unlike voles that eat grasses which replenish naturally fairly quickly, the mosses that lemmings eat take years to regrow. Therefore they move to another region and the predators such as snowy owls follow. The lemming population crashes after reaching a peak density and the owls emigrate to greener pastures or, at least those with healthy moss populations. There they will usually find lemming populations…and the cycle continues. The theories that lemming populations decrease due to predators such as foxes, owls and other raptors in a region is simply not true. The available vegetation is the key to the cycle.
