Churchill Belugas and Bears Explorer

Day 01

Welcome to Winnipeg

I flew into Winnipeg today and I am so excited to get to Churchill tomorrow! My home for the night is a Winnipeg hotel which is just across the street from the airport. After checking in, I head to an evening meet and greet held by a representative from Frontiers North. Our tour is unescorted - the Frontiers North rep will not be travelling with us to Churchill - so the meet and greet gave our group the chance to ask some last-minute questions about our adventure.

Day 02

Churchill Adventure Begins

In the morning I walk over to the airport with a few others from my group and check in with Calm Air for the short flight to Churchill.

Our first day in Churchill encourages guests to learn about the history and culture of the town. Upon arrival, we head straight out on a Churchill and area tour, which comprises of an exploratory drive past various points of interest in and surrounding Churchill. Our driver stopped briefly at Manitoba Conservation’s Polar Bear Holding Facility so we could get out and take photos. Don't forget to bring your bug spray! 

After our tour, the bus dropped our group off at our hotel for check in. I chose to spend my afternoon visiting the Parks Canada Visitor Centre and Churchill’s Itsanitaq Museum, which houses one of the most extensive Inuit Art collections in the world. For dinner I meet with a couple of my fellow travellers at the Tundra Inn Dining Room and Pub - lucky for us it happens to be open mic night so we stayed for a pint and enjoyed the show! 

Photo © Doug Ross

Day 03

Beluga Whales, Prince of Wales Fort and Dog Carting

Today is our first encounter with Churchill’s beautiful beluga whales! After a light breakfast at our accommodations, I meet with the rest of the tour group at Sea North Tours and we are bussed down to the port for our morning on the water. They take us on a three-hour boat tour on the Churchill River, cruising down the river looking for pods of curious whales.

This excursion also included a stop for a walking tour at the historical Prince of Wales Fort where a Parks Canada Interpreter teaches us about the famous explorers who lived at the fort in the 18^th Century and how they managed to survive in Churchill’s harsh climate. 

After lunch on our own, we head down to Wapusk General Store for our next activity—dog carting! We are transferred to join a local dog musher for an exciting dog carting excursion through the boreal forest, what a rush! Our host Dave Daley introduces us to his team of sled dogs and explains to us the importance of dog sledding in northern culture and history.

Photo © Belinda Fitzpatrick

Day 04

Beluga Whale Zodiac Tour

Our third day in Churchill starts with Zodiac boat tour, giving us a chance to get even closer to the extraordinarily friendly beluga whales. Once again I meet with the rest of the tour group at Sea North Tours and head to the water. Once we board the Zodiac and head into the river estuary we see how curious and friendly the beluga whales are. They seem to love the bubbles from the Zodiac’s motor – they follow us so closely!

Photo © Mike Macri

Day 05

Tundra Buggy Adventure

It's hard to believe but my Churchill adventure is almost over. But before we leave, it's time for our Tundra Buggy adventure in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area! We meet at Fifty Eight North - Home of the Tundra Buggy - and a Frontiers North representative takes us out to the Tundra Buggy Dock area to begin our tour.

Once we board the Tundra Buggy and our driver gives us a safety talk, we head out onto the tundra in search of summer polar bears, arctic foxes, hares and more types of plants and flowers than you can imagine growing in the North! Our tour allows us to learn from our Tundra Buggy Driver about the many different types of plant life and animal life that are native to the Churchill area. The landscape is so colourful and beautiful and our Tundra Buggy Driver shares a wealth of knowledge about the area. What an adventure!

Day 06

Depart Winnipeg

My Churchill adventure is over and I’m heading home – but I have a lot of wonderful photos to show my friends and family. I can't wait to plan my next Churchill adventure!