by Steve Selden | Feb 16, 2015 | Churchill Photography
Sled dog taking a quick rest between runs in Churchill. Steve Selden photo.
Check out these amazing photos from Natural Habitat guides in Churchill, Manitoba. In all season’s there are endless opportunities for incredible photos in Churchill. Photography tours run through all the seasons with expert photographers teaching techniques and tricks of the trade. Enjoy these!
- Polar bear at the polar rover. Colby Brokvist photo.
Polar bear looking for a free lunch. Brad Josephs photo.
A red fox gazes curiously at some guests. Brad Josephs photo.
Sleeping bear on the tundra in the CWMA. Brad Josephs photo.
Polar bear along the Hudson Bay coast.
Come to Churchill for some amazing polar bear photography opportunities!
by Steve Selden | Feb 12, 2015 | Tour News
Travelers to Churchill on Natural Habitat’s northern lights tours have been enjoying clear skies and pristine, powdery white snow in Winnipeg as well as in Churchill these days.
The Hudson Bay and Churchill River are frozen solid and aurora borealis displays have been extraordinary over the frozen tundra around Churchill. This ice coverage chart from the Canadian Ice Service shows the extensive coverage of thick pack ice.
While nights in Churchill are consumed with searching out and viewing aurora borealis, days and early evenings leading up to these exciting excursions are filled with natural and cultural activities unique to the isolated village of Churchill.
Guide Karen walker’s group had some fun experiences in Thompson en route to Churchill. A Heritage Museum visit and a walk along the Burntwood River set up a thrilling visit to frozen Pisew Falls…always the highlight of the journey through the nickel belt.
Dog sledding with Churchill River Mushers or Wapusk Adventures gives everlasting memories from an experience of a lifetime. Dogs crying with enthusiasm and the stabbing cold seem to “burn” a memory in one’s mind forever. Karen’s group went on an extended run winding in and out of the boreal forest. Travelers spent some time in Kelly’s trapper’s tent and heard stories of the north over coffee or hot chocolate.
Dogsledding in Churchill. Joseph Lin photo.
The optimal night of northern lights in Churchill was a swirling display of greens culminating in a circular pattern over the Hudson Bay. Each night had aurora though this particular night was the pinnacle of the trip.
Aurora over the “aurora domes”, a prime indoor spot to photograph the lights. Brad Josephs photo.
Another activity out at the Churchill Northern Studies Center involved snow sampling and analyzing the snowflake from its inception to it becoming a part of the snow pack. Igloo building instruction also is taught by some local experts and the group returns the following night to photograph the igloo with aurora overhead.
by Steve Selden | Feb 9, 2015 | Churchill Photography
Aurora over the “aurora domes”, a prime indoor spot to photograph the lights. Photo Brad Josephs.
Natural Habitat travelers and the aurora borealis in Churchill.
Photographers under the aurora borealis. Photo Brad Josephs.
Aurora Borealis in Churchill, Manitoba. Photo Colby Brokvist.
Four iconic aurora borealis photos from Churchill, Manitoba. This year’s Natural Habitat trips have started off with fantastic northern lights viewing. We will have a field report this week from Churchill.
If you want to come see these amazing lights and experience the Arctic culture visit nathab.com today for itineraries!
by Steve Selden | Jan 24, 2015 | Churchill Photography
Check out these classic shots from Churchill, Manitoba. Polar bear action is quiet around the Churchill Wildlife Management Area these days but will return next October and November. In the meantime take a look at these spectacular polar bear shots!
Polar bears sparring after a snowstorm in Churchill. Brad Josephs photo.
Polar bear testing the ice in Churchill. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Sparring polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. Colby Brokvist photo.
A lone polar bear skirts a pond in Churchill. Eric Rock photo.
Two polar bears sparring near the tundra Lodge. Eric Rock photo.
Want to see polar bears in action in Churchill? Come see the kings of the Arctic this fall!
by Steve Selden | Jan 23, 2015 | Churchill News
It’s hard to believe that Canada’s newest territory is almost 16 years old. April 1, 1999 was the official date Nunavut separated from the Northwest Territories. Comprising a major portion of Northern Canada as well as most of the islands in the Arctic region, Nunavut is the fifth – largest country sub division in the world. Nunavut borders with Manitoba and the waters of the Hudson Bay are included in its borders.
The capital is Iqaluit, formerly Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island. Other major communities include the regional centers of Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay. In the far north, Nunavut also includes Ellesmere Island as well as the eastern and southern portions of Victoria Island in the west as well as Akimiski Island in James Bay in the far south. It is the only region of Canada that is not connected to the rest of North America by highway.
The youngest territory is the least populous though largest in overall area of all the provinces and territories of Canada. With a mostly Inuit population of nearly 32,000, Nunavut is a sparsely settled region about the size of Western Europe. Alert, the northernmost inhabited place in the world, is also a part of Nunavut.
The territory of Nunavut. Vabmanagement.com. image.
The territory includes all of the islands in Hudson Bay, James Bay and Ungava Bay. If Nunavut were a country, it would rank 15th in area. The population density is 0.015 persons per square kilometer, one of the lowest in the world. Greenland has approximately the same area and nearly twice the population. Nunavut’s highest point is Barbeau Peak (2,616 m (8,583 ft)) on Ellesmere Island.
Nunavut’s coat of arms. Image courtesy of assembly.nu.ca
Since the 1976 initial proposal by the 82 % Inuit population of Nunavut, the long journey to the current territorial status was delayed by disputes over land claims. So, after 23 years, the territory was born. It seems slightly odd that a native territory took that long to emerge as such. The name “Nunavut” is derived from the Inuit word for “our land”.
