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Category Archives: Churchill

A Walk Around Churchill

So far, I’ve only posted a few photos from my trip to Churchill, Manitoba to see polar bears. Most of the time there was spent driving around the landscape looking for bears to photograph and learning about them too. There was no time to really explore the little town til the last afternoon before the flight back to Winnipeg.

Churchill is the self-proclaimed polar bear capital of the world. The bears spend the summer inland and then move toward Churchill to wait for the ice to form in Hudson Bay. They spend the winter on the ice hunting seals, their primary food. They put on layers of fat and then when the ice recedes, they are able to survive the warm months eating next to nothing. With climate change, the ice season is becoming shorter and endangering the polar bears.

Churchill is also famous for northern lights in the winter, birding in the spring and beluga whales in the summer. There are about 600 year round residents. It has a deep harbor port at the mouth of the Churchill River.

Churchill can only be reached by plane or train or ship so everything that has ever arrived in Churchill is likely still there. It has a harsh climate and many things are in a state of decay. But, all over the small town, there are murals depicting, mostly, the natural history of the place. These murals are on buildings, storage containers, rocks and even a helicopter. They are a colorful reminder of the natural beauty of the place. So join me now, for a walk around town.

A Bucket List Trip

Last month I went to Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson Bay. Why? People ask why. It is the self-proclaimed polar bear capital of the world. I have always wanted to see wild polar bears and it seemed like the closest place to do that. I had to swallow my distaste for flying (haven’t flown since before covid) and drive to Vancouver, fly to Winnipeg and then to Churchill. It all went smoothly. I was happy to be in Canada where all the people were very nice.

My guides at Churchill were Michael and Erik Bertelsen, Wild Outdoors Photography Tours. I highly recommend them if you are looking for a tour that concentrates on photographers getting their best shots. Both of them seemed to have intuitive knowledge of where the bears would be and where they were going. I was there for twelve days and I hesitate to say how many images I brought home. I’ve been home for over a week and a half and am still not quite done processing images.

Here is a small sample of polar bear images. There will be more. And also ptarmigan, arctic hare and Snow Buntings. And maybe a few photos of Churchill, itself.