by Steve Selden | Jul 31, 2015 | Conservation
Here are the recent bear statistics for Churchill over the last week/month published by Manitoba Conservation. It’s pretty clear that polar bear numbers in summer months have increased over the last decade as sea ice melts faster in the spring. When I guided Churchill Arctic summer trips 10 years ago, we rarely saw polar bears in the region before August. Polar bears are now arriving in July. Good for tourism but challenging for residents and conservation officers.
Summer polar bear on the tundra. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Polar bear roaming the tundra. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
by Steve Selden | Jul 28, 2015 | Churchill News
Sergey Ananov a Russian pilot attempting to circumnavigate the Arctic Circle in a two-seater Robinson R22 helicopter went down in the Arctic Ocean after his helicopter lost altitude for nearly three minutes. A gear belt broke midway through his flight to Greenland from Iqualuit and Ananov ditched the aircraft in the Davis Strait in frigid, ice strewn waters.
Pilot Sergei Ananov was flying to Nuuk, Greenland from Iqualuit when his helicopter faltered and crashed. Sergei Ananov photo.
Ananvov had time only to secure a life raft before the helicopter sunk out of sight in the ocean. He was rescued off an ice floe 30 hours after his helicopter crashed. At that point Ananov had to fight two enemies; frigid cold and polar bears!
Ananov, a sociologist and journalist, has had no experience with polar bears and had to try anything to fend off a few.
“I was trembling from the very first minute of my stay on the ice,” said Ananov. His clothes were soaking wet.
Shivering in wet clothes, the first of three polar bears arrived, a moment Ananov describes as “terrifying.”
“I had my strategy,” he says. “I was hiding under my life raft (and) when they were very, very close I just jumped out of my raft.”
“I (understood) I must do something very angry and frightening,” he says, “so I roared at them, I put up my hands and I chased them.”
As he managed to stay somewhat warm with the life raft as cover and his success in scaring the polar bears away gave him some hope, Ananov quickly faced another obstacle…fog.
“At some point I was losing hope because I thought this fog will never disappear,” he says.
Late Sunday night, the fog cleared and Ananov heard a helicopter above him and saw a distant light.
“Here I said, ‘Okay this is my last chance and the last flare,’” he added. “They noticed the very last seconds of the flare.”
Canadian Coast Guard ship Pierre Radisson, was the safe haven for Ananov after his rescue. On board he was warmed up, medically treated and ate a “brilliant supper.
Ananov thanked the coast guard fervently for “a tremendous job.”
by Steve Selden | Jul 24, 2015 | Tour News
Churchill’s Arctic summer season for Natural Habitat Adventures groups has been incredibly exciting so far. Aside from the bountiful array of beluga whales in the Churchill River and Hudson Bay, there’s been some polar bear action out on Eskimo point just north of Fort Prince of Wales. This peninsula of land juts into the bay and the isostatic rebound over the years has caused the land to emerge from the water and grow in size.
Male polar bear holding his position on Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
The “point” has also become traditional resting spot for
polar bears in the summer months and quite often mother’s and cubs are found there. Because it is somewhat isolated from the town, it may attract bears hoping to nab a seal or beluga whale venturing too close to shore. I have seen bears swimming across from Cape merry over the years and a couple of times we were able to approach them fairly closely in zodiacs.
Male polar bear on Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Natural Habitat guide Moira Le Patourel and her group of travelers spotted three polar bears in this area just a few days ago. These were the first such sightings of this incredible Arctic summer campaign. The first healthy adult male polar bear was seen from
Cape Merry with a spotting scope looking across to Eskimo Point. A little later the group was able to get up close in zodiacs during a whale watching excursion. What a way to see two of the largest animals in the Arctic at the same time.
Mother and her cub on the tip of Eskimo Point. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Continuing out into the crystal clear waters of the Hudson Bay, the group came to the tip of the point and was surprised by a mom and cub nestled in the rocks and enjoying a beautiful day in the north. Travelers were ecstatic with their fortune!
Travelers on this trip took advantage of the fantastic water clarity and engaged in some snorkeling with belugas in the Churchill River and kayaking with the whales as well. One tandem kayak had the incredible thrill of getting “fluked” as a beluga slapped the water with his tail as he submerged for a dive. Water cascaded over the travelers and their boats.
The icing on the was documenting 31 various
bird species over the course of the trip. Highlights were a short-eared owl, northern goshawk, pacific loons and young, tundra swans and cygnets and an Arctic tern chick.
Sunset from the beach in Churchill. Moira Le Patourel photo.
Fireweed is beginning to bloom across the tundra and white mountain avens are fast disappearing…summer is already half over in Churchill!
by Steve Selden | Jul 4, 2015 | Churchill Photography
Have a great holiday weekend celebrating independence and summer! Sit back and relax and enjoy the fun. Take a trip to Churchill and see the incredible polar bears this fall!
Action packed sparring near the lodge. Colby Brokvist photo.
A polar bear frolic’s on the tundra. Rick Pepin photo.
Chillin in the snow. Colby Brokvist photo.
by Steve Selden | Jun 29, 2015 | Churchill Photography
Some more fun photos from Churchill..Enjoy these three images from the north!
Hudson Bay Quest dog eager to run. Laurie Dingwall photo.
Sparring bears in the CWMA. Melissa Scott photo.
Polar bears in Churchill. Melissa Scott Photo.
