by Steve Selden | Nov 6, 2017 | Tour News
These field notes are from Natural Habitat Adventures guide Eddy Savage from Churchill where he is enjoying guiding travelers around town and primarily out on the tundra of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. The Tundra Lodge is an amazing place to observe polar bears and other Arctic wildlife while becoming immersed in the tranquil feeling of the open tundra of the north! This first-hand description of the Lodge’s welcoming warmth is spot on. The wildlife details as well are quite incredible with activity all over the land!
“This was my first visit of 2017 to the Tundra Lodge. It was great to connect with the fantastic chefs Shayne and Shelley. These two make a seriously incredible team. They have an air of calm and professionalism and quickly make our guests feel at home with their delicious food choices. Sinking your teeth into one of Shelley’s fresh baked cookies, or sipping on Shayne’s miraculous yam soup, you will forget you are miles from a town and sitting in the middle of a rugged and beautiful landscape. They make you feel at home in their dining room. It’s a great feeling.
A polar bear basks in the cold with visions of ice on the Hudson Bay. Bonnie Chartier photo.
Krys, the Tundra Lodge Manager is on top of every problem and really assures our groups that they are his most important priority. Every detail is looked after and he keeps a sharp eye for wildlife around the lodge as well. On more than one occasion this season he has been the first to alert our group of approaching polar bears. A serious asset!
Jason is our talented rover driver. Moving our groups on and off the tundra every morning and afternoon. He has over 16 years experience driving rovers and has memorized the shape and shades of the land. His eye is sharp and often spots hard to see animals like snowy owls, ptarmigan, or Arctic hare far before any of us can see it. You can tell he loves being out in the rover with the groups as he is often ecstatic when we have a good wildlife encounter!
The team at the lodge is remarkable and they really give more than expected on a daily basis. As an expedition leader, working alongside Shayne, Shelley, Krys, and Jason is as good as it gets.
We have had a wide variety of sightings this year. As posted by Colby Brokvist, we had an incredible encounter with what we suspect to be two young Arctic Fox. Chasing each other too and fro across piles of kelp tossed ashore by humongous Hudson Bay seas, our entire Tundra Lodge group was privy to what was certainly a world class moment. Bonnie Chartier, a founder of eco-tourism in Churchill and Natural Habitat Adventures Expedition Leader said that was something she had never seen before. That really says something about the experience.
There seems to be a real abundance of lemmings around this year and sightings of snowy owls, red fox, and Arctic fox are high. Many groups have seen fox hunting for lemmings. Zig-zagging across the tundra listening and watching for movement. When they hone in on a lemming they leap fully into the air and land square on top of them. They are catching more then they can eat and caching them for later access.
When we look at our polar bear sightings, well it is hard to offer an all-encompassing description. Sightings have been great. We seemed to have “dinner bears” regularly. We had two nights where as soon as all of the group was served their entrees, a polar bear would come by and visit the lodge. They would peer into the lodge, seemingly curious about all of the shuffling and lights. It is important to note that these bears are not coming to the lodge to eat food, but instead, intrigued by the interesting sounds, lights, and smells, have come by out of curiosity. We do not feed the bears and will not tolerate that behavior. Our guests were ecstatic. There are few better ways to be interrupted during a meal than to have a polar bear sitting 10 feet below you. Cool.
Polar bear by the tundra lodge. Eddy Savage photo.
On our second night at the lodge, the aurora borealis came out for us. It was partly cloudy but it still managed to be strong enough to see. Just another cool thing our guests got to see!
Our days on the rover were exciting too. We had ample polar bear sightings with many coming right past the rovers. On top of that, the other arctic wildlife in the area was out in force. During our day rovers on the tundra, our groups saw a silver fox, cross fox, and arctic fox hunting for lemmings. We had a few up close visits from the cross fox where one even cached a lemming about 40 feet from the rover. So amazing. All of our guests saw multiple snowy owls and had a great sighting where one sat close to the polar rover trail and allowed our group take some incredible images.
A cross fox seems content after catching a lemming. Konan Wendt photo.
After our few days out exploring the tundra and enjoying the comforts of the unique Tundra Lodge, we had to fly back to Winnipeg. On our last morning, we set off at 7 am and maybe 50 feet away in the headlights was a snowy owl perched on top of a tree. An awesome farewell to an incredible trip.
When in Churchill, we went dog sledding with the founder of the Hudson Bay Quest, Dave Daley. Everyone had a blast!”
by Steve Selden | Nov 3, 2017 | Churchill Photography
Cold temperatures and snow have descended on the Churchill region and the annual talk of an early freeze-up of the Hudson Bay has started. Wildlife, on the other hand, is plentiful and all about the tundra. Polar bears abound as they wait for ice in the bay. Check out these awesome shots from Natural Habitat Adventures guides in Churchill. We are all keeping a keen eye on the weather and hoping for a south wind to blow the ice that has formed already back north. Stay posted for information on the conditions in the Hudson Bay!
Beautiful shot of the Churchill Inukshuk. T Whipple photo.
Polar bear peeking out through its napping area in the Churchill willows. Leah Okin Magowan photo.
A cross fox roaming the frozen tundra in search of lemmings. Leah Okin Magowan photo.
Polar bear cleaning his fur in the fresh snow. Leah Okin Magowan photo.
Red fox on the rocks in Churchill. Leah Okin Magowan photo.
The incredible northern Canada landscape from above. T Whipple photo.
by Steve Selden | Oct 21, 2017 | Churchill Photography
This pair of Arctic foxes were caught rumbling around in the willows atop the snow covered tundra by Natural Habitat Adventures guide Colby Brokvist with his group travelers. Churchill endured an early winter blizzard this past week and the land has a nice white blanket for animals to hide in. These foxes are somewhat hard to make out as they playfully spar and spring away from each other. Another unexpected Churchill wildlife treasure we have not seen in a long time. Polar bears are also amassing in good numbers for this time of year and with the snow we should see some sparring action like that of the foxes soon. Enjoy!
by Steve Selden | Oct 15, 2017 | Churchill Photography
Polar bear checking out a polar rover in Churchill. Dorota Walkoski photo.
Polar bear season is underway and the photos and stories from the field in Churchill will start coming in day to day. Polar bears are already gathering around Natural Habitat Adventures’ Tundra Lodge out in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area and the action will only get more exciting as the season goes on. Stay tuned for our regular northern updates from Churchill!
by Steve Selden | Sep 20, 2017 | Churchill News
Great White Bear has positioned the Nat Hab Tundra Lodge in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area for the upcoming polar bear season. Don Walkoski photo.
Natural Habitat Adventures Tundra Lodge is positioned perfectly in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA) for the October/November polar bear season in Churchill. This prime location of the Great White Bear managed lodge is located in an area where polar bears migrate to and from a peninsula that juts into the Hudson Bay. Polar bears amble into the lodge area and often set up resting beds in the willows that surround the lodge. We can’t wait to see the wildlife action out there this season. Enjoy!
