Steve Selden - Churchill Polar Bears

Belugas and bears near the shore

by Steve Selden | Aug 30, 2014 | Churchill News

Keeping polar bears toward the coast. Rhonda Reid photo.

Beluga whale singing kareoke. Sea North Tours photo.

Propeller guards on Sea North Tours boat. Sea North Tours photo.

Beluga whale puckering up for the camera. Sea North Tours photo.

Beluga whale with visible eye. Sea North Tours photo.

Beluga whales in the Churchill River

by Steve Selden | Aug 21, 2014 | Tour News

Check out this cool video of beluga whales swimming in the Churchill River in Churchill,Manitoba. Although summer is coming down the stretch here in Churchill, the whales are still hanging in the shallows of the river and Hudson Bay. A beautiful time of year in Churchill when time seems to come to a standstill. Enjoy this fantastic video! Have the urge to get up close and personal with these exotic creatures? Check out the 2015 summer season at Natural Habitat’s website!

Arctic summer of belugas and bears

by Steve Selden | Aug 14, 2014 | Tour News

Natural Habitat guide Stephanie Fernandez has had a busy Arctic summer in Churchill. These recent photos portray an amazing July and August full of wildlife, wildflowers and tundra life. The next couple of weeks will show a subtle transition toward fall as the land begins to paint itself in more earthen colors signaling the onset of the wild winter ahead. Nothing matches the liveliness of Churchill in summertime….a naturalists and explorers dreamworld!

Sow and cub resting peacefully on the precambrian shield. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Natural Habitat travelers on the beach facing the Hudson Bay. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Churchill River weir observation tower. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Cross fox on glacial till along the beach. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

A Natural Habitat traveler tries her hand at driving the polar rover. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Sunset over the Hudson Bay. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Rare photo of a polar bear swimming. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

A beluga attracted to the bubbles and vibration of the zodiac motor. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Belugas at the back of the zodiac. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Arctic wildflowers with precambrian shield lying beyond. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

The beluga’s melon is used for echolocation. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

Churchill bears of Summer

by Steve Selden | Aug 13, 2014 | Churchill News

Anyone who thinks that fall is the only time you can see polar bears in Churchill, MB hasn’t ventured north in the summertime to the Hudson Bay. Local resident Jodi Grosbrink took these recent photos of some majestic “summer” bears out in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Enjoy!

Summer furs on the tundra

by Steve Selden | Jul 30, 2014 | Tour News

Here’s an on -site report from Natural Habitat guide Stephanie Fernandez direct from Churchill ,Manitoba…home to some of the most amazing wildlife in the Arctic. So far the summer has been incredible with polar bears all across the tundra. Beluga whales are the highlight of the summer though we have seen bears regularly as well.

Polar bear sow and cub on the coast. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

“Off we go at the speed of… well, 2 mph. Slowly we enter the world of Churchill’s subarctic tundra where life seems to be at a standstill (except the wind). Shallow ponds dominate the flat landscape. Lichens and miniature plants cover the ground while willow thickets and stands of white spruce add increased dimension to the scenery.

White crowned sparrow on lichen encrusted rock. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

As we continue our journey on-board the Tundra Rover, our eyes constantly catch the movement of the feathered inhabitants of the tundra. We continue on searching for the furred members. Bill (our rover driver) stops as he has spotted a bear. Where we ask? All we see is a cream colored rock where he is pointing to way out in the distance nestled in the many other rocks. It does not move. Off we go.

Polar bears on the coast. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

An hour later we arrive at Half Way Point, at the edge of Hudson Bay, where we park to prepare our rover dinner. Bill still sees “his” bear. We look and look, but it does not move. Between us and the distant “bear”, a single young caribou is roaming freely, grazing.

Hey, look closer! bears! Susan and Emily announce. There they are, a beautiful and healthy sow with her chubby cub of the year. We all watch intently through our binoculars after the initial commotion of the sighting.

Polar bear sow and cub in the Hudson Bay. Stephanie Fernandez photo.

They walk slowly in our direction but disappear behind the rocks. We hold our breaths. Mom appears first over the gravel mound with cub in tow. They stop. She is inquisitive about our presence. She sniffs the air for a few moments and nonchalantly continues behind the rocks, down onto the beach, finds a spot on the washed up bed of kelp, and dozes off into a nap. Her cub stretches before cuddling up against her.