Incredible Churchill
Along Manitoba’s northern coast is a place where ecosystems collide, where history runs deep and where the experiences are unlike any other in the world. Churchill is located 1,100 km from Manitoba’s capital city and gateway to the north, Winnipeg. This coastal community is currently only accessible by plane – a truly remote and exotic destination.
The summers in Churchill are characterized by blooming wildflowers that blanket the tundra and by the incredible wildlife encounters waiting for you.
There are 60,000 beluga whales in the western Hudson Bay, and upwards of 3,000 of these come to the Churchill River estuary to feed and calve in July and August. Excursions with Frontiers North Adventures include boat tours completed with hydrophones that allow you to listen to the sounds that earned beluga whales the nickname “canary of the sea”. Other options include kayak, standup paddleboard and snorkelling adventures among the pods of curious and friendly beluga whales.
Photo Credit Lazy Bear Expeditions
Be prepared for another incredible wildlife encounter. There is a reason this place is known as the polar bear capital of the world. Churchill is one of the few human settlements where polar bears can be observed in the wild, and often very close. In summer, bears can be seen cooling off in the water, lounging along the rocky coast or frolicking on the tundra against a backdrop of colourful wildflowers. See them from a boat tour with Lazy Bear Expeditions, which also offers a variety of beluga whale packages as well.
Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
Or venture across the tundra on an open-aired Rhino or on foot, as a highly trained guide takes you on a heart-pounding journey that starts from a Churchill Wild luxury eco-lodge. Explore the landscape watching for hundreds of species of birds that nest or migrate through here, as well as other wildlife including Arctic and red fox, Arctic hare or even a moose, wolf or caribou. Plus don’t forget the opportunity to see polar bears roaming the land and beluga whales in Hudson Bay tributaries.
Churchill lies directly in the path of the polar bear’s natural migration route. During October and November, the bears head towards the Hudson Bay coast waiting for the ice to freeze, granting them access to their winter hunting grounds, stocked with seals.
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Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
Climb aboard a specially designed Arctic Crawler that will take you along the Hudson Bay coast for prime viewing of polar bears. Watch for other wildlife, like Arctic fox, Arctic hare and camouflaged ptarmigan. Come back from a day on the tundra to your home base at the Lazy Bear Lodge. You’ll get modern amenities in log cabin-style rooms at this eco-friendly northern lodge and café.
Photo Credit Frontiers North
Embark on an expert-guided adventure through the Churchill Wildlife Management Area with Frontiers North Adventures. Or stay out on the tundra in the exclusive Tundra Lodge – a railcar-inspired hotel located in the middle of polar bear territory that links several of the company’s iconic Tundra Buggies together.
Photo Credit Jad Davenport
Walk with polar bears during an Arctic safari, a life-changing experience with Churchill Wild. Enjoy world-class service, accommodations and cuisine from the only fly-in polar bear eco-lodges on the planet.
Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
Manitoba’s skies come alive as the northern lights dance to a soundtrack of wonderment. In Churchill, the aurora borealis takes centre stage. As one of the top three places in the world to view the northern lights, the skies above Churchill shimmer with colour over 300 nights of the year. While the lights may be visible at any time of the year, viewing is best between January and March when the nights are long and the skies are typically clear.
Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
There are several ways to experience the northern lights in Churchill, including a custom-made viewing structure with 360-degree views, heated Plexiglass “bubbles” or a learning vacation where you join working scientists to learn about the aurora and astronomy of winter skies.
Photo Credit Jacqueline Young
Watch the northern lights from the comfort of the Aurora Lounge, set on the edge of the boreal forest with Frontiers North Adventures. Get comfy inside the lounge, or go up to the rooftop observation deck to set up your tripod and camera for completely unobstructed views. And you can also feast under the lights of the aurora borealis with select departure dates at an exclusive pop-up restaurant located inside the Fort Prince of Wales National Historic Site. RAW:churchill sets up for a limited run during March as some of Canada’s best chefs create an unforgettable meal served in a structure with a transparent roof to make the most of the view.