Polar Bears at Legendary Cape Churchill

Day 01

Winnipeg arrival

We’ve arrived into Winnipeg for our Cape Churchill expedition and we can’t wait to start our adventure. After checking into the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, which is practically across the street from the Winnipeg airport, we head downstairs and pick up our parka, snow pants and boots, supplied to us for use during our time in Churchill by Frontiers North.

In the evening we meet our Frontiers North Interpretive Guide and the rest of our tour group during a welcome dinner, which gives us a chance to ask questions and go over our itinerary with the guide.

Day 02

Heading to Churchill

It’s finally here - today we are headed to Churchill. After a very early breakfast our group boards a warm bus for the short ride to the private hangar from where our plane will depart for the 2-hour flight to Churchill.

Upon arrival, we head straight out on a Churchill Town & Area Tour which comprises of an exploratory drive in the area surrounding the town of Churchill, including historical Cape Merry; the site of a crashed airplane affectionately known by locals as Miss Piggy; and Manitoba Conservation’s Polar Bear Holding Facility. We take a break for lunch and enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal at one of Churchill’s family run restaurants – who knew Churchill had such incredible food?

After lunch our group has time to explore the town on our own. I choose to visit the Churchill Itsanitaq Museum, which is home to an enormous collection of Inuit artifacts and has an incredible little gift shop where visitors can buy local Inuit art and carvings, books and other gifts. 

Photo: ©Doug Ross

Day 03

The Tundra Buggy Lodge

We spend our first day on the tundra travelling through the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, searching out polar bears, arctic fox and hare and other northern wildlife and learning from our guide and driver about the geology and natural history of the area. In the late afternoon we cross the Hudson Bay tidal flats and cross over into Wapusk National Park.

As the light begins to fade, we see the Tundra Buggy Lodge in the distance – it’s almost as if we’re approaching an isolated space station in the middle of nowhere.

We board the Tundra Buggy Lodge and the feeling of isolation disappears. The welcoming lodge staff greets us warmly and we are treated to an incredible home cooked meal before settling in to our new home on the tundra.

Day 04

Wapusk National Park

Our day starts before first light in order to capture the beautiful tundra sunrise from the Tundra Buggy. At this time of year, the sun rises late (around 8:30am) and sets early (around 3:40pm), so we have less than 8 full hours off full light on the tundra to capture photos. We take full advantage of this time, spending enough time with each bear (or bears) that we see and moving on to the next when everyone has gotten their fill. At the end of the day, with our hundreds (or thousands) of pictures to look over, we decide to head back to the Lodge. However, as the sun begins to ease under the horizon, we happen upon what will be our last bear of the day; she is curled up in the snow taking a nap, and is back-lit beautifully by the setting sun. We stop long enough for everyone to get a picture of the slumbering bear and then continue on our way, glad that we were able to capture such an awe-inspiring sight.

Day 05

Wapusk National Park

After our Tundra Buggy excursion today we returned to the Tundra Buggy Lodge to find a visitor had dropped in while we were away. A Parks Canada Interpreter by the name of Dwayne joined our group for the night in order to give a presentation about the history of the Churchill area, including the story of Samuel Hearne and Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse - after whom the Tundra Buggy Lodge accommodation units are named. 

The Hudson's Bay Company had played an important role in the history of Churchill and the exploration of the North, and we learned this is the reason that Frontiers North chose to outfit their Tundra Buggy Lodge with HBC's signature pointe blankets. Tonight, even more than last night, I'll enjoy curling up under the iconic blankets that I now understand played an important part in the early fur trading done by Hudson’s Bay Company explorers in this area. 

Photo: ©Eric Lindberg

Day 06

Wapusk National Park

Last night at the Lodge our Photo Resource gave a presentation about polar bear photography, so today I was excited to practise my "white on white" photo skills (although polar bears aren't technically white). Luckily, today was my Buggy's day to have the Photo Resource accompany us (she switches Buggies daily to ensure that everyone gets a chance to ask questions while on the tundra).

It was a perfect day for practising as they wind was gusty and snow was blowing quickly across the flat landscape, masking everything in a haze of white. Most of the bears we saw today were hunkered down in the snow out of the wind, but one medium sized male that we came across was ambling along as though he didn't even notice the weather. 

Having a professional nature photographer on the tour has really helped me learn how to capture the best photos possible, and I know that my skills have vastly improved by taking full advantage of the knowledge of the guide while she's on our Tundra Buggy with us. 

Photo: JP McCarthy

Day 07

Wapusk National Park

What an incredible day on the tundra!

Today we had the amazing lucky of happening upon two young male bears as they began to play fight, or "spar". Our guide assured us that the two bears in question were in fact only practising for the future and thus were not overly aggressive towards each other, but what an exciting display!

The sparring continued for quite a while, with a few short breaks during which the bears cooled down by rolling around in the snow. The excitement in the Tundra Buggy was palpable and the clicking of camera shutters was non-stop as my fellow guests and I captured the match on film. This was definitely something to check off the bucket list!

Photo: ©JP McCarthy

Day 08

Wapusk National Park

The highlight of my Tundra Buggy excursion today was spending time with a mom and cub. 

We had a couple of bear sightings in the morning, but as lunch time approached our Tundra Buggy driver decided it was time to find us a "lunch bear" to spend time with while we enjoyed our picnic lunch. Luckily, it didn't take long before we happened upon this mom and cub, curled up for a rest. At first wary, momma bear kept her eye on the Buggy as we slowly moved parallel to their position - our Buggy driver knew how to get close enough to the bear for us to get some great photos, but without causing the bear any undo worry. 

Once we were in place, our driver server warming soup and sandwiches while guests happily snapped photos of the small polar bear family. When everyone had captured their perfect photo, we enjoyed our furry company as we ate in companionable silence. What a wonderful treat!

Photo: ©Simon Gee/Canuk Images

Day 09

Wapusk National Park

Today we had some great luck out on our Tundra Buggy excursion with a visit from a curious arctic fox. 

Our Tundra Buggy driver was the first to spot the little bundle of fur, who blended in so well with the surrounding snow. With the words "arctic fox to the north" the entire focus of the inhabitants of the Tundra Buggy collectively moved to the north side windows of the Buggy to "ooh" and "aah" over the tiny carnivore, and of course take pictures. Lots of pictures. 

He stuck around for a little while, perhaps as curious about us as we were about him, before scampering off into the distance. 

Photo:©JP McCarthy

Day 10

Wapusk National Park

Our day on the Tundra Buggy was much like our previous days; the wind-swept beauty of the tundra created the perfect backdrop for photos of the incredible wildlife we saw throughout the day. My highlight for today however, didn't happen until the late hours of the night. 

After I had already gone to bed for the night I heard some excited whispering and shuffling in the lodge. I caught the words "northern lights" and looked out my window, only to be completely awe-struck by the incredible display that covered the night sky. I hurriedly dressed and grabbed my camera in order to catch the spectacle before the lights faded - which didn't happen for quite some time. 

As we were out in the middle of nowhere, there were no lights to compete with the celestial phenomenon, and the Tundra Buggy Lodge's outdoor observation decks allowed plenty of room for other excited guests to take photos or just to watch in awe. 

What an incredible end to our last night in Wapusk National Park. 

Day 11

Saying goodbye to Churchill

Today we set out on the Tundra Buggy for our last day on the tundra. We spent the day getting incredible photographs, enjoying our last Tundra Buggy picnic and just taking in the beauty of the north.

In the late afternoon our Tundra Buggy rolled up to the Tundra Buggy launch area, where we said goodbye to our Buggy driver and climbed aboard the Frontiers North bus, which took us back to the Churchill airport for the 2.5 hour flight to Winnipeg.

Once we arrived in Winnipeg, we checked into the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel where we enjoyed our final Farewell Dinner with our group. It has been an incredible adventure and I’ve enjoyed my time making new friends and meeting such interesting people from around the world.

Photo:©JP McCarthy

Day 12

Heading home

My adventure has come to an end and I’m all ready to head home today. I’m so excited to share my adventure – and all my incredible photos - with my family and friends.