Churchill Nature Tours
Let’s look at a good example of an adventurous ecotour.
October reminds me of the best time to go on a POLAR BEAR SAFARI near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
But the tour season is short, only from October 12 to November 12. Why am I telling you about this opportunity when it is too late now to sign up? Because it is usually necessary to make reservations about 12 months in advance for the best dates!
Laurie Lubeck
The Experience:
This is a fantastic opportunity for amateur photographers, combining the heart-pounding excitement of seeing wildlife close-up and learning a lot about nature and wildlife.
The town of Churchill is famous as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.” Every year there is a natural phenomena of a migration of polar bears along the Cape Churchill coast. By specially adapted vehicle, the arctic tundra is explored along the Hudson Bay. On clear nights the glorious Northern lights put on a spectacular show. These look like curtains of silk flowing through the night sky.
While the polar bear season is short, other animals, marine, and birdlife may be seen throughout the summer and fall. These might include whales, caribou, arctic fox, snowy owl, falcon and ptarmigan. Plants and trees in Manitoba range from prairie grasslands, farmlands, tundra, and forests of spruce, pine, fir, birch, poplar, aspen and hardwood.
Visitors are introduced to the Inuit (Eskimo) culture. Many native people used to depend on hunting wildlife for their work and food. Now, the money that is spent by tourists brings economic benefit to this community. This gives local people a good reason to protect their wildlife, although some would prefer to continue traditional hunting. However, there are not so many polar bears as there were in the past and the remaining numbers of bears need to be protected. Native peoples include the Plains Indians on the prairies, Cree Indians in the forest areas, Dene Indians on the barren tundra, and the Inuit (Eskimo) along the coastal regions.
Who comes on a polar bear safari?
All ages and nationalities come to Churchill for polar bear safaris, mostly from Europe, Japan, and North America. These people love to spend their holidays watching wildlife and taking photographs. Groups from Japan have included 20 Japanese mayors and their spouses!