Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world. Located 1100km (700miles) from Winnipeg, the town is one of the few human settlements where polar bears can be observed in the wild. Prime viewing times are in October and November when hundreds of bears move from their summer habitat on the tundra to the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the ice packs to form. The ice packs provide access to the seals that sustain these huge creatures.

Dubbed “Lords of the Arctic”, polar bears are the world’s largest land carnivores. They have no natural enemies and so no fear. This means the bears – which can stand up to ten feet tall - come very close to the unique viewing vehicles, designed to move slowly over snow and ice and provide protection while getting you in prime position to watch and photograph these often curious bears. You can stay at a wilderness lodge built on the bears’ migration route, or sleep under the stars on a stationary tundra lodge, equipped with the all the comforts you’ll need. Ask one of our experienced consultants for details but book early as this is an extremely popular activity.

When summer arrives in Churchill, so do thousands of beluga whales. Manitoba’s Hudson Bay coast provides some the best whale watching in Canada as more than 3000 enter the warmer waters of the Churchill River estuary (over 25,000 whales live in the Bay) between mid-June to mid-August. Belugas are highly vocal, emitting strange high-pitched whistles, clicks and chirps, earning them the nickname “sea canaries”. While on a passenger boat you can listen to the whales’ communications using hydrophones and try to figure out what they are saying. More adventurous visitors can even venture out on (or in) the water – kayaking or snorkelling with these friendly and curious white whales is an unforgettable experience.

This is also a region to view the aurora borealis, or northern lights. The highest intensity of aurora activity in the Arctic happens over the Churchill region. Scientists from around the world have come to Churchill to study this natural phenomenon caused by the interaction of charged particles from the sun with atoms in the upper atmosphere. These dancing curtains of light shine their brightest in January through March. Glowing green, red, yellow, pink, purple and blue, watch the rainbow of colours of the aurora borealis light up the starry night sky. Grab a front row seat in the comfort of a heated, glass-covered viewing dome to watch this spectacular natural lightshow.

For details of Churchill accommodation click on the link on the right. Our experienced consultants can easily build any of these experiences into a tailor-made Canada holiday quote for you.