In Nanuk’s Hands

October 27, 2023 – Churchill, Manitoba

The Inuit people believe that Nanuq, the polar bear, decides the fate of the human race. If a hunter respects the bear, success will follow. If not, he and his family will go hungry.

Bear and I are traveling to Churchill, Manitoba today to pay our respects to polar bears. We are happy to have you along for the adventure.

There won’t be time to write a proper journal, so some photos and a diary of the day’s events is the best I can do.

The flight departs at 6:15 AM. Hop on, it is a full load (sorry you had to get up so early).

Canadian North Airlines Flight 6170 to Churchill

3:45 AM – Courtyard Hotel

Is there a fire!?

That was my first muddled thought when the alarm went off at 3:45 AM. We stayed at a hotel near the airport last night so we wouldn’t have to endure an even earlier wake-up.

I don’t mind getting out of bed in the morning, but this is ridiculous!

4:15 AM – Courtyard Hotel Elevator

We were out the hotel door in 30 minutes, but somebody forgot his glasses in the room. One more trip up the elevator, and then we were gone.

4:30 AM – Canadian North Departure Lounge

We made it on time.

Coffee? OMG! Yes….

We are traveling with an interesting bunch of people today. I am observing them as I sip my coffee in the departure lounge. There are a lot of woolly-socks types, they seem more fit than the average population, probably all that granola. The age demographic is “us”, some grey hair, but still standing. Everybody is dressed for a tundra experience, function over fashion in most cases.

The universal attitude is “having a good time at 5:00 AM”. I like it!

The guest naturalist on this trip is Brian Keating. I have heard him often on the radio, but I have never seen him in person. I am trying to pick him out of the crowd. There is one fast-talker with a high voice and a lot of enthusiasm, I am guessing that’s him.

5:45 AM – Flin Flon, here we come!

We boarded right on time, but the pilot announced on the PA that they were going to add extra fuel, so we had a 55-minute delay. I am okay with that; I am sure Flin Flon is nice this time of year, but I prefer to get all the way to Churchill.

7:40 AM – Wheels up.

Travelling northeast bound at 780km per hour, while Brian Keating (my prediction was correct) teaches us everything we need to know about polar bears, other northern phenomena, and life in general. I have never seen a middle-aged man with so much enthusiasm!

Picture Taylor Swift talking about polar bears!

11:55 AM CST – In-flight Contest

The flight attendant asked every passenger to jot down their prediction of our exact landing time on a sheet of paper and pass it around. I was in the last seat of the last row, so I made my guess based upon a rough average of all the other passengers – 11:55. Bear and a new friend in seat 23C checked their watches as we touched down. 11:55!!!!!

There was no prize, not even a verbal recognition of my triumph. The free in-flight magazine was my only reward. Ah Well.

11:00 AM – Bear Jail

Our first polar bear sighting was this mural painted on the Churchill Polar Bear Holding Facility.

The Quonset-style building complex, decorated like a sleeping bear, is located near the airport entrance.

Polar bears are not granted visitation rights, so we were not allowed to stop to see the four inmates currently in Bear Jail.

11:30 AM – Tundra Buggy

I don’t know who builds these things, probably not Tesla.

Tundra buggies have the appearance, ride, and aerodynamic qualities of a cinder block. They are capable of maneuvering over rocks, and semi-frozen tundra bogs, with a top speed of about 25 kph.

The buggy we are in is quite comfortable; warm, dry, and roomy. It has an observation deck and large retractable windows for viewing. Padded leather seats provide comfort, (and a vibrating feature – when driving on tundra tires at top speed over rough ground).

The best attribute Tundra Buggies have is that they are elevated 1.5 times higher than a large polar bear can reach.

Note the polar bear gradation marks on the back of the buggy.

12:00 PM – Flag Trees

The wind blowing off Hudson’s Bay is almost calm today, but that is not the norm. The prevailing winds here are strong, and almost always from the north. The only protection the stunted spruce trees have from the arctic wind, is their own trunk.

The effect of constant north winds results in this “flagpole” configuration.

12:30PM – First Bear

Polar bears have migrated to Hudson’s Bay at the mouth of the Churchill River every winter since winter was invented. Here’s why…

Fresh water from the continent flows through a vast network of rivers to the Churchill River and merges with saltwater at Hudson’s Bay.

Rain or snow falling in central Alberta eventually makes its way to Hudson’s Bay, via the Churchill River network.

Fresh water freezes at a higher temperature than salt water, so the mouth of the Churchill River is one of the first places polar bears can move onto the ice each fall. As the ice forms, bears move to a marine environment in search of their primary food source, ringed seal.

The first bear we saw today, and all the other polar bears in the area, are playing a waiting game. They are congregated along the shore waiting for the ice to freeze.

This bear is waiting for thicker ice and his first full meal since last spring.

12:30 PM – Bear Pairs

We only saw six bears today, but they put on a show we will never forget.

We were told that polar bears are solitary animals, but nobody bothered to tell the bears.

1:30 PM – Tundra Buggy Lodge

We opted for the one-day excursion. If we had chosen to stay for a few nights, this would have been our accommodation.

Don’t let the wheels fool you, the Tundra Hilton is a stationary facility, where you can relax, dine, and watch bears from your inaccessible, bear-proof bedroom window.

2:30 PM – Fine Folks

We met some very fine folks on this trip. Most were Calgarians, but we also interacted with people from other parts of Canada and the US.

Everyone we met had a passion for travel, adventure, and a profound interest in the preservation of polar bears.

3:00 PM – Why does Ptarmigan have a “P”, and other pressing questions?

Throughout our journey today, the prevailing mood was one of optimism. The joy of interacting with healthy arctic carnivores in the wild is an experience few are privileged to have. We feel greatly honoured to have lived among these creatures for a day.

But as we were learning from the naturalists, we heard some alarming statistics. The polar bear’s very existence is under pressure as a result of human activity. Pollution, habitat loss, oil spills, and other environmental factors, have placed the polar bear in a “vulnerable” ecological category.

Every year, the sea ice at Churchill takes longer to form, pushing polar bears to the verge of starvation before they can resume their annual hunt for seals. Some don’t make it. The population of bears in southern regions has declined steadily in past decades, with little hope for reversal as the planet warms.

The naturalists we interacted with delved into some aspects of how we can go about preserving the species, but many questions remain unanswered.

We saw about 250 of these furry-footed grouse-like birds. Not one of them could answer the “P” question, or any other.

5:30 PM – Sundown

The sun was setting as we drove back to Churchill; by 6:00 PM the town was in complete darkness.

We were treated to a meal and more wildlife commentary at the Churchill Community Centre before we were bussed back to the airport for the flight home.

Churchill, the tundra, and the polar bear experience left a mark we will not forget.

10:30 PM – Boots Off

We departed Churchill on time, but we won’t be home until long past my usual bedtime.